Moving is stressful mostly because everything lands at once: the packing, the paperwork, the cleaning and the truck, all in the same week. Spread those jobs out and the day itself becomes straightforward. Here are twelve things that make the difference, in roughly the order you will need them.
Four to six weeks out
1. Book the truck before you book anything else
Removalists fill up fastest at the end of the month, on Saturdays and over long weekends, because that is when leases turn over. If your date is fixed, lock the move in as early as you can. We work seven days a week, but the popular slots still go first.
2. Work out the size of the job honestly
The most common cause of a long, expensive moving day is underestimating. A one bedroom flat with a shed full of tools is not a one bedroom move. Walk through every room, including the garage, the balcony and under the house, before you decide what size truck you need. Our removalist prices page sets out the hourly rates for each truck and crew size so you can compare options properly.
3. Throw things out now, not on moving day
Everything you keep gets carried twice, paid for twice and unpacked once. Start a pile for the op shop and a pile for the tip the moment the move is booked. If there is more than a car boot worth, book a rubbish removal run a week before, not on the day.
4. Get your boxes early
People almost always buy too few boxes and then stop packing at nine at night because they have run out. Order them as soon as the date is set. We sell moving boxes and packing supplies in one, two and three bedroom packages so you do not have to guess.
Two to three weeks out
5. Sort the access problems before the day
This is the one that catches Melbourne movers out. Narrow streets in the inner north, permit-only parking, steep driveways and shared laneways all slow a move down. Check whether your street needs a parking permit for a truck, and if you are in an apartment, ask the building manager about booking the lift and the loading dock. Tell us about stairs, lifts and long carries when you book, so the right crew and truck turn up.
6. Start the admin while you still have time
Redirect your mail, tell your electricity, gas, internet and water providers, update the address on your licence and insurance, and book the final clean. None of these are hard. They are only stressful when they are all left until the last three days.
7. Pack one room at a time, starting with the room you use least
The spare room, the linen cupboard and the bookshelves can be packed weeks ahead and nobody will miss them. Working room by room also means the boxes arrive labelled by room, which is what makes unpacking bearable.
8. Label on the sides, not the top
Write the room and a short list of contents on two sides of every box. Once boxes are stacked, you cannot see the tops. Mark anything breakable clearly, and read our guide to packing fragile items before you start on the kitchen.
The last week
9. Pack an essentials box and keep it with you
Kettle, mugs, tea, phone chargers, toilet paper, soap, a towel each, medication, a change of clothes and the kids’ or the dog’s things. Put it in the car, not the truck. It is the difference between arriving and arriving well.
10. Defrost the fridge and empty the washing machine
A fridge needs about twenty-four hours to defrost and dry out, and a washing machine needs its transit bolts in or its drum secured. Both are easy to forget and both cause a mess in the back of a truck.
11. Have a plan for the first hour at the other end
Decide before you leave where the bed goes and which room each box belongs in, and put a sign on each door if you need to. Our crews will carry boxes straight to the right room if they know which one it is, and that saves you moving everything twice.
12. Let the crew do the heavy part
Once the boxes are packed, step back. We bring furniture blankets, trolleys and straps as standard, and the crew will dismantle and reassemble beds and wrap your furniture. Trying to help carry usually slows a professional crew down and is how people hurt their backs.
How we work
Movers4Melbourne has been moving Melbourne households since 2014 from our base in Campbellfield. We are fully insured, our hourly rates are confirmed upfront before the job starts, and we work seven days a week across Melbourne and regional Victoria, as well as interstate to New South Wales, the ACT and South Australia.
We are removalists rather than packers, so the boxing up is your part and the lifting, loading and driving is ours. Have a look at house removals, apartment removals or man with a van for smaller jobs, or request a free quote. You can also call us on 0452 490 078.
Still deciding who to book? Our guide on how to choose a removalist in Melbourne sets out what to check on insurance, hourly rates, equipment and truck size before you commit.