A move goes as well as the house is ready for it. When the crew arrives to a home that is packed, emptied and clear, the day runs smoothly; when they arrive to half-packed rooms and full drawers, it runs long. This is a plain checklist for the fortnight before moving day, written by Moveall, the Adelaide removalist behind Moving Company Adelaide.
What Moveall’s terms ask of you
Every removalist has a few things it needs from you, and Moveall puts them in its terms: loose items must be packed in cartons, furniture must be emptied of loose items, and there must be clear, safe paths between the truck and the home, with children, pets and other trades kept clear. If those are not done, items may not be moved or may cost extra. So, yes, empty the dressers. If you would rather not pack at all, Moveall’s Wrap & Pack service supplies every box and material and packs the house for you: see packing services Adelaide households book with their move.
Two weeks before
- Sort and clear. Decide what is going, what is being sold or given away, and what is going to the tip. Every item you do not move is one less to pack, carry and unpack.
- Book the building. If either home is an apartment, book the goods lift and loading dock for moving day, and ask about the building’s rules.
- Start packing the rooms you use least: the spare room, the shed, books, out-of-season clothes, the good china.
- Use up the pantry and freezer rather than moving them.
- Book utilities at the new home so the power and internet are on when you arrive.
The week before
- Keep packing, one room at a time, labelling each box on the side and the top with the room it goes to.
- Clear out the shed: empty fuel from mowers and petrol tools, and bin or give away paint, chemicals and gas bottles, which should not go on the truck.
- Take down and clean outdoor furniture, play equipment and anything mounted on walls that is coming.
- Measure the doorways and hallways at the new home for the biggest pieces.
- Plan parking. Work out where the truck can stand at both homes, and ask neighbours if it may stand across their frontage.
The day before
- Finish packing everything except what you need tonight and tomorrow morning.
- Empty every drawer, wardrobe and cabinet that is moving.
- Defrost and dry the fridge and freezer, and leave the doors ajar.
- Pack a first-night box: kettle, mugs, phone chargers, toiletries, medicines, sheets, towels, a few tools and the kids’ favourite things. It travels in the car.
- Gather valuables and documents in one bag that goes with you: cash, jewellery, passports, keys.
- Move the cars off the driveway so the truck can get close.
The morning of the move
- Clear the paths from the front door to the truck, inside and out.
- Settle children and pets somewhere away from the carry route, or with a friend for the day.
- Mark anything staying behind clearly, so it does not end up on the truck.
- Walk the house with the crew before loading starts, and point out anything fragile or valuable.
- Strip the beds and bag the bedding so the beds can be moved.
How the rest of the day runs, from the walk through to the beds going up at the new home, is on our page for the movers Adelaide homes book for moving day. If you are moving into an apartment, up to the Hills or into a street with no parking, our page for local movers Adelaide households call on covers street access across the suburbs.
After the truck leaves
Do a final sweep of the old home: every room, every cupboard, the garage, the shed, the garden and the space under the house. Read the meters, lock up and hand over the keys. Then, within 14 days, update your address with Service SA: our article on your change of address after moving in SA explains how.
Short on time?
If the fortnight has become a few days, book Wrap & Pack and spend your time on sorting and clearing instead of packing.
Questions people ask
Are you supposed to empty dressers for movers?
Yes. Moveall’s terms ask for furniture to be emptied of loose items. Full drawers make furniture heavy and can damage it in transit.
Should I take the beds apart before the removalists arrive?
Strip the bedding the morning of the move, and tell us at the quote which beds come apart so the crew can plan for them.
What should I do with pets on moving day?
Keep them away from the carry route, in a closed room or with a friend for the day. It is safer for them and the crew.
Plan your move