Recently, a number of people with whom I’m connected have chosen, or been forced into moving house.
As we’re at the beginning of the ‘silly season’ this seems to be the epitome of ‘silly’. At the time of year where business people are frantically either preparing for the normal end of the Universe, which seems to happen every December 24, or perhaps it’s the special end of the Universe predicted by followers of the Mayan calendar for December 21, it seems an odd time to organise a house move.
Combine that with the high temperatures we’ve been having lately and it verges on insane.
However, some people (us included) don’t have a lot of choice around when they need to move. Whether it’s because the lease has expired and the landlord has forced you to leave or, as in our case, the home owners are due to return and we have to move on to our next house-sit it’s something that needs to be handled as smoothly as possible.
If possible pay someone else to do it. However, if that’s not an option, here are some pointers we hope will help.
As we’ve now been house-sitting for over a year and a half, we’ve picked up a few clues on how to smooth this bumpy process.
1. Obtain as many plastic crates as possible. We use the 48 litre ones from places like K-Mart, Reject shops or Big W. They’re stackable and so make it very easy to load into a truck. You can get bigger ones but once you fill them with your kitchen or office equipment they can get seriously heavy.
It’s also a good idea to stick with one size. They stack better that way.
Avoid the cardboard removalist tea-chests. These can get very heavy if you fill them and if they aren’t full they’re wasting space. Also, they tend to be awkward to carry and you can’t see what’s in them unlike the plastic bins.
2. We use a collapsable clothes rack for moving our wardrobe. It needs to be a sturdy one otherwise it doesn’t handle the movement in the truck or being carried up and down stairs. So don’t waste your money on the cheap ones from the discount places.
We use a Double Salesman Clothing Rack from Shopfittingsstore.com.au and it’s been fantastic. It’s stainless steel, folds up so it can be stored easily when not in use and is on wheels so it’s easy to move around.
3. Make sure you hire a truck with a hydraulic tail-gate lift and make sure you get a remote control for it. This makes a huge difference when loading your truck. Not having to lift heavy items on and off the truck will save your back.
We get our trucks from Orana Car & Truck Hire at Artarmon. If you use them remember to tell them Laurence sent you. As we move regularly we’re well known there – they’re a great team and very helpful and friendly.
4. Prior to moving, eat yourself out of house & home. There’s no point carrying food around. If necessary arrange a visit from some teenage boys. I’m sure they’ll be able to clear your pantry for you.
5. Book a massage for after the move. This is very important as it’ll help motivate you and will be necessary after carrying all those boxes.
So, if you’re being ‘silly’ and moving house keep these pointers in mind and it’ll make for a much more managable process. And enjoy your massage 🙂
Until next time, travel well.