How to prepare your home for removalists?

So, you’ve decided to make the big move? Congratulations!

Moving into a new home is exciting, but we know just how much prep work is needed to get you there. To assist you in navigating the ins and outs of the moving process, we’ve put together a handy checklist to get your home and contents prepared for the removalists.

1. Dismantle your furniture

If you’ve got large or awkward pieces of furniture to be moved, make sure you dismantle and pack them down flat prior to the removalists arriving. Help disassembling and reassembling beds can be provided, but removing drawers, unscrewing doors, and disassembling large bookshelves (for example) are all things to have done ahead of time.

2. Order packing materials

Don’t shortchange yourself and head into the packing process underprepared. Before putting your things in boxes, call your local packing solutions company to purchase everything you need to protect your belongings. Consider getting some different sized boxes capable of holding different loads, bubble wrap to protect fragile pieces, packing peanuts, and some packing paper. Keep some old towels and blankets handy to protect larger pieces of furniture too.

3. Be strategic in your packing

Make life easier for your removalists (and for the base of your boxes) by thinking carefully about how you’re going to load each box. Avoid boxes that are too heavy and awkward to lift by saving the smaller boxes for your heaviest items, and keeping the larger boxes to fill with your lighter items. If you’re putting quite a few items into your larger boxes, start by packing the heaviest items first and placing the lighter items on top.

4. Label your boxes

Properly labeling your boxes saves your removalists a lot of time at the other end. Clearly mark which room each box belongs to on the top and sides of the boxes so they can be offloaded into the corresponding rooms at the new house. It also pays to tape a list of the contents of each box to the side. That way, if you’re looking for something in particular as you’re unpacking, you can quickly and easily tell what is in each box.

5. Defrost your fridge

Most fridges take quite a few hours to fully defrost, so starting this process at least a day before the removalists arrive is essential. Empty the contents of your fridge and freezer into eskies with ice, lay some towels, unplug your fridge, and leave the fridge and freezer doors open overnight to defrost. Before the removalists arrive, give it a quick clean out to remove any leftover food and water.

If the packing process all seems a bit overwhelming or hard to fit into your busy lifestyle, you can look into paying for a full ‘pack and move’ service. Having The Moving Man team come in and expertly pack up your household belongings (from the shed through to bedding and cushions) saves a considerable amount of time and effort on your behalf. 

Our trained removalists have a considerable knowledge in how to pack and protect even your most valuable items and antiques so, rest assured, your belongings are in good hands.