10 tips for moving house, from the professionals

To help keep your stress levels at a minimum, check out these helpful tips for moving house from professional removalists.

Move your own valuables

Some insurance policies won’t cover you for lost valuables that have been entrusted to someone else, so it’s always best they remain with you.

Watches, jewellery and other valuable items should stay with you at all times during your move.

Highlight any fragile items

Make sure any fragile items are clearly labelled – on all sides of your box or packaging.

The more obvious that a box contains breakable items, the  less chance of it getting damaged.

A ‘this way up’ note can also help make sure contents aren’t tipped upside down.

Disassemble your furniture before moving day

If you’re packing yourself, save time on the day by making sure any furniture that comes apart is already disassembled.

The last thing you need is to be fiddling around taking apart your bed while the removalists are twiddling their thumbs.

You want the day to go quickly, so you can start to unpack and enjoy your new home as soon as possible.

Make sure all small parts are wrapped or placed in small bags and labelled so you know which item of furniture they belong to when you start assembling on the other side.

Be polite

Manners and kindness go a long way.

If you’ve got friends or family helping you, or you’ve hired a professional removalist for your moving day, be polite to them.

They’re working hard and doing some pretty heavy lifting, so a bit of patience goes a long way.

Empty all drawers

When packing, remember to empty all drawers that are being transported, for example filing cabinets and chest of drawers.

These items are heavy enough on their own, without being packed to the brim with other items.

Being empty makes it much safer for moving purposes.

Use similar sized boxes

If you can, try to use packing boxes of a similar size.

This will make it much easier to pack and stack safely in the van or truck you’re using to move, as well as being easier to arrange to ensure everything fits.

Don’t use flimsy packaging

It can be helpful to use second hand boxes from friends, family or supermarkets, but make sure they are not flimsy or falling apart.

They need to have enough life left in them that they won’t fall apart while in transit and make extra work for you tidying up if they split.

Fill empty space

When packing your boxes, try not to leave any empty spaces inside.

Gaps inside can affect the integrity of the box, and if stacked, they could collapse and damage the contents.

Be ready on the day

Make a checklist of everything that needs to be done before your moving day.

When your helpers or removalists arrive, you want to be ready to start loading the van or truck.

This means knowing what needs to go first and having these items ready.

Label all boxes and rooms at the new property to match

A super simple tip to ensure everything ends up in the right place is to not only label your boxes with room numbers/names but also label the rooms in your new home.

It might be obvious to you which bedroom is ‘bedroom 3’ but not to everyone else.

Stick a sign up on each room door (or wall if it’s open plan) so when anyone brings in a box they know exactly where it needs to go.

Using professional removalists can save you time and stress

Not all moves are the same. No matter the size of a move, a professional removalist can help you save time – and reduce your stress levels at an already stressful time.

Alinta Energy has partnered with Adlam Transport to help customers in WA when they move. Adlam Transport are leading removalists in Perth. Providing storage, office and house removalist services across Perth, WA and interstate for over 25 years, Adlam Transport have developed a reputation for excellence. Today Adlam Transport is widely recognised as one of the most professional, yet affordable removalists in Perth.