MOVING HOUSE? TIPS TO HELP YOU STAY SANE

Moving house is exciting. It's also potentially nerve-wracking. There is a lot to think about and a lot to do. PHD Rentals wants you to have a smooth and hitch-free experience. So we've prepared some handy tips to help you get there!

Lighten your load.

Moving house can be a great opportunity to get rid of unwanted items that have been stockpiling in the garage for years. Have a garage sale (don't forget to get the local council's permission first) and "clean up" in more ways than one! If there's still stuff left over, make a donation to a local charity or throw away the worthless things. Wipe out cupboards and dust as you go to save time on cleaning once everything is out of your home.

Plan ahead.

If you think ahead and do a little bit of packing every day, your move will be much easier. Make a detailed plan with realistic deadlines - don't forget to allow enough time for inevitable disruptions to the plan. Whatever you do, don't leave all the work to the last week! Most people recommend 6 weeks from the date you first start organising your move.

Boxes.

Label them on every side (you never know which side you'll be able to see); don't put too much into each box (you don't want to give yourself a hernia!); and write a list of what's in each box on the outside of the boxes too (it's easy to forget 'what' is 'where' otherwise!).

Many hands make light work.

Enlist the help of everyone in your family (and friends if you can!). Assign them roles. You shouldn't have to do it all on your own! That said, you might want to arrange for a relative to look after very small children on the day of the move!

Don't pack EVERYTHING.

There are some things that you'll need to keep to hand for the day of the move. These include a few kitchen items (like cups for drinking tap water - moving house is thirsty work!); scissors (for opening boxes); screwdriver and hammer (for reassembling things); and basic cleaning items (for cleaning the empty house).

PEOPLE TO TELL - A MOVING CHECKLIST

There are lots of people who will need to know that you've moved, and who'll want details of your new address and phone number. Here's a handy checklist for you to print out and keep for your reference. We've come up with 48 (yes!) of the more common ones - you may think of more.

Electricity Company

Government licensing bodies (e.g., for boat licence)

Neighbourhood watch association

Lawn-mowing/garden care company

Retail store card providers

Social/recreational/sporting clubs

Book/magazine companies (for subscription deliveries)

Health fund/Medicare(www.medicare.gov.au)

Local council(Brisbane City Council: www.brisbane.qld.gov.au)

Postal service provider (for redirecting your mail)
(Check out the Australia Post site)

Children's activity service providers (ballet teachers, tutors, after-school carers, etc.)

Motor vehicle registration authority(Queensland Transport: www.transport.qld.gov.au)

Electoral authorities(Australian Electoral Commission: www.aec.gov.au)

Social security providers(Centrelink: www.centrelink.gov.au)

Taxation office (Australian Taxation Office: www.ato.gov.au)

Electricity service provider(Energex: www.energex.com.au)

Internet service provider

Dentist

Phone company

Solicitor

Gas company

Mobile phone company

Children's school(s)

Superannuation fund(s)

Hire purchase companies

Water company

Doctor

Oil supplier

Insurance company

Newspaper deliverer

Financial adviser

Satellite/cable TV provider

Bank(s)

Stockbroker

School alumni network

Vet Accountant

Physiotherapist

Public library

Local police

Your family

Your work

Your neighbours

Your friends

Higher education providers

Frequent flyer rewards programs

Optometrist

Video hire stores

Milk deliverer

FREECALL 1800 682 435

HIRE A UTE OR TRUCK FROM PHD RENTALS!

Make life easy, hire a truck or ute either to help you make the move or to get rid of all the unwanted junk beforehand. PHD rentals (Sydney and Brisbane) can handle all your hire and rental needs. We have late model utes and trucks for hire at very reasonable daily rates and discounted long term rental rates. Plus they're all air conditioned!

All vehicles are late model automatic with power steering. You can view some of these on our ute rental rates and truck rentals pages. Contact one of our friendly staff to make an enquiry.