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Getting your coastal kitchen floor plan right
Watch 2:03

Getting your coastal kitchen floor plan right

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5 quick ways to make a new house feel like home

5 quick ways to make a new house feel like home

4 tricky tasks you didn't know you could outsource

4 tricky tasks you didn't know you could outsource

Don’t unpack your kitchen until you’ve done these 6 things

Don’t unpack your kitchen until you’ve done these 6 things

How to move house like a pro

How to move house like a pro

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4 ways to reduce the stress of moving house

4 ways to reduce the stress of moving house

The packing trick that will make moving house easier

The packing trick that will make moving house easier

Glenn and Sara Leonardi-McGrath's charming Sydney home

Glenn and Sara Leonardi-McGrath's charming Sydney home

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A Hamptons-inspired family home on Sydney's lower North Shore

A Hamptons-inspired family home on Sydney's lower North Shore

A modern Scandinavian-style home in Melbourne

A modern Scandinavian-style home in Melbourne

A grand Hamptons-inspired farmhouse

A grand Hamptons-inspired farmhouse

A modern bohemian home in the Byron Bay hinterland

A modern bohemian home in the Byron Bay hinterland

A coastal cottage-style guest house on Sydney’s northern beaches

A coastal cottage-style guest house on Sydney’s northern beaches

Take a peek inside our cosy June issue

Take a peek inside our cosy June issue

15 Features that will sell your home

15 Features that will sell your home

In Partnership With Century 21
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How to prepare for moving day

Our stress-less week-by-week guide - by Kathryn Madden
  • 15 Jul 2019
How to prepare for moving day

Together with divorce and the death of a loved one, moving house is widely considered one of life’s most stressful events. And yet for the most part, relocating to a new home should be marked by positivity and excitement – overflowing boxes and hidden costs aside. There’s no denying that moving is a mammoth job, but these tips and tricks are designed to cut the chaos and take the pain out of packing.

6 weeks before

Book a removalist (experts agree to lock in the earliest slot of the day so you won’t be at the mercy of other jobs running overtime). Charles Tarbey, CEO of Century 21 in Australia, suggests getting quotes in writing and organising moving transit insurance, which could save you in the long run. Plan where furniture will be placed in your new abode – there’s no point paying to relocate your weighty marble-topped dining table, only to find the shape’s not right for your new space. Now’s also the time to organise a garage sale or charity pick-up for unwanted goods, or to start listing them on Ebay or Gumtree.

Planning furniture placement ahead of moving will make the day easier
Getty

4 weeks before

Admin may be tiresome, but getting it done early will be a weight off your shoulders and your to-do list. Arrange to have mail redirected and inform your financial institutions, plus the Australian Taxation Office and Electoral Office, of your new address. Then stock up on boxes and masking tape and get packing. Start with non-essentials (books and ornaments), and work your way up to necessities closer to moving day. Use small boxes for heavy items and large boxes for lighter items, clearly marking packages containing breakables with “Fragile”. Be sure to label each box with its contents; or you could go high-tech and take photos of what’s inside. If your budget permits, consider a professional packing (and unpacking) service.

Stock up on boxes and masking tape and get packing
Getty

Two weeks before

Contact your utility providers to arrange the final reading of your meter and relocate any services (this may be an opportunity to negotiate a better deal). While you’re at it, transfer your newspaper, magazine or streaming subscriptions, then switch your focus to scrubbing and sweeping your home, room by room. Of course you’ll also need to schedule in a deep and sparkling clean before you hand over the keys – preferably after all your possessions have been loaded into the removalist’s van. 

One week before

Prepare a moving-day kit packed with the essentials – an Esky with food and drink, medical supplies, phone chargers, plus a kettle, toiletries and toothbrushes for the other end. Also keep bedlinen and some towels close at hand, along with legal documents and valuables you wouldn’t risk losing.  The day before you move, defrost the fridge and unplug all appliance cords. Finally, organise a friend or family to babysit your children (and/or pets!) on the big day.

Ask someone to mind your kids and your pets on move day
Kathryn Madden
Kathryn Madden
With a weakness for words and an eye for style, Kathryn spends her days writing about everything from furnishings to fashion and feminism. Currently the Features Editor of Marie Claire magazine, her work can also be found in Home Beautiful, InStyle, Grazia and Qantas.

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Getting your coastal kitchen floor plan right
Watch 2:03

Getting your coastal kitchen floor plan right

{headline}

{headline}

5 quick ways to make a new house feel like home

5 quick ways to make a new house feel like home

4 tricky tasks you didn't know you could outsource

4 tricky tasks you didn't know you could outsource

Don’t unpack your kitchen until you’ve done these 6 things

Don’t unpack your kitchen until you’ve done these 6 things

How to move house like a pro

How to move house like a pro

{headline}

{headline}

4 ways to reduce the stress of moving house

4 ways to reduce the stress of moving house

The packing trick that will make moving house easier

The packing trick that will make moving house easier

Glenn and Sara Leonardi-McGrath's charming Sydney home

Glenn and Sara Leonardi-McGrath's charming Sydney home

{headline}

{headline}

A Hamptons-inspired family home on Sydney's lower North Shore

A Hamptons-inspired family home on Sydney's lower North Shore

A modern Scandinavian-style home in Melbourne

A modern Scandinavian-style home in Melbourne

A grand Hamptons-inspired farmhouse

A grand Hamptons-inspired farmhouse

A modern bohemian home in the Byron Bay hinterland

A modern bohemian home in the Byron Bay hinterland

A coastal cottage-style guest house on Sydney’s northern beaches

A coastal cottage-style guest house on Sydney’s northern beaches

Take a peek inside our cosy June issue

Take a peek inside our cosy June issue

15 Features that will sell your home

15 Features that will sell your home

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