8 Must Know Tips For Moving House

That’s why we’ve compiled the essential tips for moving house, so you don’t need to learn the hard way.

Sean Mayock is Two Men And A Truck’s chief estimator. He did his first removal 20 years ago when he was offered a job in Boston to work through the summer.

Many years later, he’s seen how the best and the worst removalists do their job, and he shares his valuable knowledge in eight simple tips.

1. Do some research and choose an AFRA accredited removalist
In Australia, you don’t have to be a member of the Australian Furniture Removals Association to be a removalist, but companies that are AFRA-accredited are properly regulated, trained and insured.

2. Pack and mark all boxes before moving day
Be all packed before the removalists arrive and mark all boxes and furniture with the room it should be delivered to at the new property. It saves a lot of time and effort!

3. Don’t shadow the removalists
Don’t be stressed on the day. Brief the removalists when they arrive and then leave them to do their job. When clients follow the removalists and direct their every move is when accidents happen, because everyone gets nervous.

4. Dispose of excess baggage before you move
“You ought to see some of the crap that some people box up,” Sean says.
“They move all their garbage to their new home, and then weeks later they pay us again to get rid of it.”

5. Save a parking spot for the truck
“I always tell the clients to put their cars outside the night before where we want to put our truck,” Sean says.
“Otherwise, if the truck is parked too far away it just makes the job longer.”

6. Don’t use cheap low quality boxes
Your goods need to be secured and properly packed so they don’t break. Cheap boxes often fall apart, or if the boxes are all different sizes, it makes packing much more complicated.
If you prefer to have your home professionally packed, we offer a pre-packing and unpacking service.

7. Use butchers paper, not bubble wrap
Butchers paper is much easier to use, cheaper, takes up less space, and has been found to protect your belongings more effectively than bubble wrap.
“We’ve got all the packages and packing materials you need to pack up any size property,” Sean says.

8. Take out insurance for your move
Do take out insurance though Two Men And A Truck or a third party. Insurance is often misunderstood by clients. Many customers assume their possessions are automatically covered for loss or damage by the removalist during their move. This is not entirely the case.
If the removals company is negligent they have commercial insurances to cover their liabilities. However, there are many circumstances where the removal company would be considered NOT negligent.

And a final word on common sense…

Don’t pack anything you’ll need on the day of the move.
Sean remembers a couple who were moving overseas, and packed their passports in the back of the truck.
“They spent all day unloading the truck to find the passports,” he says.

But that’s not really a tip, Sean says

“That’s more about using your head a wee bit.”

Find more information about our moving packages and moving advice on our website www.twomen.com.au