So you have bought a new home, how exciting! Now the fun begins to organise the big move of all your furniture and belongings to your new place. We have put together some things you should look out for when organising the move, as it can be quite expensive and stressful if you have never done it before. There are always hidden costs and things to be careful of when moving your valuable belongings, so hopefully with this information, you will be able to avoid those hidden costs and get everything done easily and stress free.
Organising a removalist
The first thing that most people will do when they need to move will be to call a removalist to get some quotes together. If it is the first time you have used a removalist, it can be quite a shock when getting those quotes at how expensive they can be. The important thing to remember is to do your shopping around and get several quotes before booking anyone in. It is important to know exactly what is included in each quote as this can be where some of the hidden costs can start.
Some removal companies offer fixed fee removals, but it is important to check how many hours of work the fee includes and how much extra it will cost you if it goes over this time limit. You will usually be charged by the hour and per person depending on how many removalists are working, if you do go over the time limit.
To avoid going over any time limits, some companies will offer to come to your home to provide you with an in home quotation for no extra charge. This will avoid any miscommunication about how many items there are to move or how long it could take, but knowing the extra costs is still important and we always recommend asking about these when hiring your removalist.
It is also important to ask if there are any extra charges, should you need to reschedule the moving date. Remember that if you are buying a property, your settlement date can be changed, and you might not be able to move into the property on the day that you had planned. We would always recommend scheduling your moving date well and truly after the expected settlement date to avoid having to reschedule the removalists. Remember this can happen to any settlement as there are usually many parties to organise for your settlement and sometimes these delays are unavoidable. If you book your moving date for the week after your settlement, this should give you enough buffer time if the settlement is delayed, however it is important to know how much it will cost you to change the date even if you have given yourself that extra time as it can and does happen to a lot of buyers.
If you have sold and purchased a property at the same time and booking a later moving date is unavoidable, remember to advise the removalists about your settlement times as you will need to adhere to strict time limits with your moving. For example, being out of one property by a certain time and not being able to get into the other property until later. To avoid having to move everything over in one go, ask your Conveyancer if it is possible to get access to your new property before the settlement date so that you can move your belongings prior to the settlement and not have the stress to be out of your sale property by a certain time of day. It is at the seller’s discretion if they will agree to this, however it is worth asking to avoid the stress or extra expenses if any logistics on the day get delayed.
Insurance for your valuable items
If you have recently bought a home, you would already have building insurance for the new house before the property settles. However, we would also recommend getting contents insurance for the property and checking with your insurer if the contents insurance includes cover for any damage of goods from the process of moving itself. You should also check if the insurance covers you whether you have used a removalist or if you have moved the items yourself as some insurance policies will only cover you if you have hired a removalist and not if you have done the move yourself.
If you are covered by insurance and you have hired a removalist company, make sure you check over their testimonials and how they have treated their clients belongings during other moves and if anyone has had any issues with them in the past. That way you can be sure your items are in good hands and won’t be handled negligently therefore needed to claim on any insurance.
Be sure to pack everything carefully. Well packed boxes and trucks will avoid any accidental damage. Make sure your boxes are not too heavy and anything that you are worried might be too fragile, take them in your car yourself, so that you can be sure it will arrive safely.
Cleaning of the property
If you have bought a new home and the seller will be providing the property to you with vacant possession on settlement, it is so important to remember that buying a house is not like renting a house, meaning the seller is not required to complete a bond clean before you move in. The property does need to be “tidy” but it does not need to be “clean” and it’s also important to keep in mind that everybody has a different perspective on what is “tidy”.
To avoid having to pay extra money to have a property cleaned or having to spend time and money on cleaning products to clean it yourself, speak with your Conveyancer prior to exchanging contracts. It is possible to try and have the seller agree to a clean of the property with your conveyancer prior to exchange of contracts, so be sure to mention it during your contract review if you have any concerns about the cleanliness or state of a property. Even if you are concerned that there are items of rubbish or debris in the back yard, telling your conveyancer about the items is the best way to make sure they are removed prior to a settlement and it won’t add any extra costs for removing them yourself. If the Agent has told you the seller has agreed to anything, always have your conveyancer get this in writing to make sure you have legal rights to get the seller to complete any agreement.
This also goes for selling a property. You are not required, as a vendor, to provide the property with a professional clean so you can save your money having this done, however make sure you leave the property how you would like it to be left yourself, with all items of rubbish removed and in a “tidy” manner to avoid having a purchaser try to claim any money from you on the settlement day.
Avoid last minute purchases
The last thing you need when trying to pack your items to move into your new home, is accumulating more items to move. Although you might think you will need things for your new property, try to wait until you have actually moved before buying anything.
If you require items to do the moving itself, for example boxes etc. head down to your local Coles or Woolworths (or any retailer) and ask a member of staff if they have any boxes you can have for free. You will find they will be happy to give you them if they haven’t already been thrown away for the day.
The big move is always exciting, tiring and sometimes stressful so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to plan. Starting to plan your move months before your actual move date can make the logistics of the move much simpler and as stress free as possible. Also remember to ask your friends and family if they are able to help in any way. Sometimes even bringing you a cooked dinner while all of your belongings are packed is all you need to make the process that little bit simpler for you.
Also remember that your Conveyancer is always able to discuss the logistics of your move, what is expected in relation to the property and help in any way they can. Always be sure to let them know your plans to move so they can check that everything is in order for the big day.