Blog

But once the novelty of a new home has worn off, the dread of moving can set in. You look around and think about all the labour that’s involved in reorganising, packing and shifting all those items—the heavy ones, the dusty ones, and the ones that seem to have multiplied into millions over the years you’ve been living there.

You already know there’s another option: have someone else do it. But if you’re like many other people in Brisbane, you might be unsure about whether you can justify the expense of a professional removalist. There are solid reasons why you should—and doing it could save you an immense amount of time, stress, and even money.

Less stress and more time

The first reason to hire a removalist to help you move home is probably the one with the most impact on your life. Moving is stressful: there are often deadlines to contend with, there’s your normal life and your work to fit in around it, and it’s hard dirty work.

Professional removalists can dial down the intensity of your move, giving you more breathing space to think about other things, and to better plan your transition. You can spend time on cleaning in each home, planning your meals, and organising all the other things that will help you and your family adjust to your new living space instead of intensely labouring over your belongings. Good removalists can actually pack your items for you, before moving them quickly and efficiently to your new home, with very little disruption to your daily life. They’re faster than you’ll be—they’ve done it a hundred times, and they have all the right tools and equipment for the job, so the expense of hiring them will probably be outweighed by how much time they’ve saved you.

Less labour

Moving house is hard work. The cleaning itself is a lot of physical labour because you’ll be cleaning dust you didn’t even know was there, and in places, you haven’t seen in years (like the top of the kitchen cupboards). But besides cleaning two properties at the same time—sometimes to very strict standards, if you’re renting through an agent—there’s sorting, packing and unpacking, disassembling and reassembling, and heavy lifting. Are you up for that sort of physical labour, over several days or weeks until your new home is in order?

Your labour could be better spent on the lighter work involved in moving, like organising utilities, changing your address with every business and person that needs it and decorating to make your new house a home. There’s always a lot of rearranging and reorganising involved in fitting all your belongings into a new space, and it can be quite time-consuming. Professional removalists are physically fit and accustomed to labouring—so there’s no reason to exhaust yourself with hard work that you don’t need to do when there’s someone more able and more qualified to do it for you.

Less breakage

Professional removalists are trained to pack and move. There’s virtually nothing they won’t have seen or handled before, so there’s little doubt that they’ll have the experience and skill to get all of your items—as oddly shaped, fragile or bulky as they might be—to your new home in one piece.

When you hire a good removalist, you can actually save money just in breakages. It takes a fair bit of industry experience and training to know how to protect and transport some items, so if you’re not an expert, you could be forking out to replace broken mirrors, dinnerware and glassware, or electronics. They know how to handle and pack even the most delicate items for transport, minimising the risk of breakage from surface impacts, shock impact and movement. So unless you’re going to do some decent homework and learn how to properly pack your things (and source all the correct packing materials to do it), it’s always a better idea to leave it in the hands of a professional removalist.

Better resources

Professional removalists have all the right materials and tools on hand to protect and transport pretty much anything you can find in a house. Besides all kind of heavy-duty boxes, they’ll have a range of materials like bubble wrap, Styrofoam beans, cardboard fillers, tape, protective plastics and blankets to cover and brace your items for transport. These materials can be quite expensive to buy if you’re thinking about doing it yourself, and because professional removalists buy these items at bulk discounts from their suppliers, it usually ends up costing less to leave it to them.

They also have the trolleys and lifting equipment they need to move the heavy items like fridges and washing machines. Shifting these items without the right equipment isn’t just hard, it can be really dangerous, and you could be putting yourself at unnecessary risk of serious injuries. Unless you’re physically accustomed to this kind of work, or you’ve got lots of friends to help you, it’s a much better idea to leave your move in the hands of professional movers who are better equipped and more skilled to do the job properly.

If you’re moving home, think about drastically reducing your workload and saving time (and maybe even money) by hiring a professional removalist. At Faulkner Removals, our skilled removalists can make light work of your move: contact us anytime to find out more about how we save you the stress, and we’ll be happy to show you how we can smooth out your transition into your new home.

Compare Removal services by checking customer reviews online

Look at your options by checking online customer reviews and looking at comparison websites. This will not only give you piece of mind knowing others have had good experiences with a particular removalist, but will also ensure you become familiar with the services each provider offers.

There is nothing quite as good as word of mouth when it comes to hiring a removalist. So ask family, friends and co-workers about their experiences with different companies they have used in the past and gather a list of trustworthy and efficient operators.

Get an accurate cost of the entire house move

This part is all about clear communication, without it, you may end up paying a lot more than you expected – which is not fun for anyone. So ask heaps of questions and make sure you are clear about all costs.

Here are some important questions to ask:

• How long do they think it will take to move all your belongings?
• Do they charge by the hour or a flat rate?
• Where do they count the journey as beginning and ending?
• Are there extra costs if there are delays or storage is needed?

Something to be wary of is a quote far cheaper than others. This might be very tempting, because who doesn’t love a bargain? But a low price is not always a guarantee of quality and service by the removalist. Ask yourself if you are willing to risk your costly possessions in order to save a few dollars.

Get the removal quote in writing

To ensure everything is clarified, the contract should be read and signed before the moving process begins. It is important that it outlines the following:

• The pick up and delivery address
• Dates and times of the move
• Household inventory of the goods being moved
• Insurance details for any loss or damage

In case you change your mind or need to cancel, Fair Trading QLD warn against pre-payment or providing credit card details upfront. Also, be cautious of ‘subject to increase’ clauses or hidden charges. If you see any of these in the contract, ask for more information and clarify all costs – just to be safe.

Home Insurance

Under Australian law, removal companies do not have to carry insurance. However, if they are AFRA members as a minimum they must have public liability insurance, third party property and motor vehicle insurance, and Fire, Flood, Collision and Overturning insurance for their own protection. This insurance does not cover your goods against accidental damage whilst in transit.

It may be a good idea to  shop around for an insurance policy, also make sure to ask about any exclusions that may affect placing a claim, such as packing your own boxes. Also, be sure to talk to your removalist about this one, because some will be able to offer you this option.

Extra Removal Services

If you know you will need extra help with packing and unpacking, cleaning, storage or will need extra insurance, as discussed above, most removal companies will offer this. So it is important to ask early on if this is an option to avoid disappointment.

If you are in the process of moving, Get in contact with Faulkner Removals for trusted advice and a local, reliable and professional home and office removal service.

Moving houses is an exciting time but with the possibility of quite a few things going wrong, it is guaranteed to bring you a little bit of stress. You, therefore, want to make sure everything is meticulously planned in the months leading up to the big day. Here are nine steps to ensuring your moving day runs as smoothly and stress-free as possible. 

One month before the move

Make an Inventory

It is a good idea is to come up with three lists to indicate things you will throw away, move with, and sell/giveaway. This will not only help you get organised, but it will also give you a good indication of the work you have to do in the lead up to your move.

Discuss the details with your removalist

Once you have chosen a removalist, it’s important to know all the details about their moving process, and also for them to know all the details of your own unique situation.

With Faulkner Removals there are a variety of services that can be tailored to best suit your circumstances and budget. This means the option of packing and preparing your own your items for transit (we can supply all types of packing boxes and other material, if needed) or getting the experienced staff at Faulkner Removals to do it at your convenience.

Make sure you are aware of what services are included in your removal process, this way you will be clear about everything you have do in preparation of the move and the removalist will know any special circumstances the need to prepare for – such as a steep driveway, tight access or the removal of a piano or particularly heavy item.

The company’s insurance policy is also important to be aware of – incase you want any extra inclusions. At Faulkner Removals, our hourly rate includes transit insurance for any unforeseen incidents whilst your goods are travelling. But for accidental damage you may need to take out additional insurance, contact us for more information on this.

Pack away everything you don’t use regularly

It’s never too early to get started, so why not start packing items you know you will not be using in the next month. This might include winter clothes if it is summer, gardens tools or the spare bedroom and bathroom. 

Two weeks before the move

Get rid of unwanted things

This might mean dropping some items to your local charity shop, a trip to the dump or a garage sale. Wherever they might go this step is very important as it gives you the chance to de-clutter – saving you the wasted time and money of taking it with you to your new place.

Collect records

This is your chance to organise your records and ensure you have everything together. This includes your family’s dental and other medical records along with passports, licenses, and certificates. This is the right time to get your pets’ records if you have any as well. Make sure they are all packed into a safe place and clearly marked. Chances have it that you won’t need anything of these within the next two weeks, but if you will, ensure that they are still easy to access.

Clear more rooms

Begin loading up everything in the less essential areas like the lounge, and living areas. Pack away things like children’s toys as well at this point except those that they really use. This is also a good time to wash your unnecessary towels, clothes, and linen then pack them away.

Change your address

Contact banks, insurance companies, and utilities to let them know of your change in postal address and the transfer of their services.

One week before the move

Pack personal items

The moving day is getting close! A good way of packing is room-by-room, labeling boxes according to each room they will be going to in your new place – this will make it easier for both you and the removalists.

On the moving day

Keep calm, and get excited!

Hopefully all your boxes are packed by now, or alternatively, your belongings are organised for the removalists to pack. It’s good to pay special attention to your valuables and take note of the conditions they leave your hands in into the movers’. At the very end of the removal process, be sure to go through your house one last time to make sure everything has been packed.

If you are planning on moving, get in contact with Faulkner Removals, your local, reliable, professional home and office removalist in Brisbane.

Even when you’re dizzy with excitement over a new home, the prospect of moving everything you own is still daunting.

It’s inevitable that over the years you’ll have managed to accumulate a lot more than you need to keep, and it seems to have a way of concealing itself in even the cleanest-looking homes just waiting for the opportunity to derail your plans.

If you’ve got a lot of clutter in your house, you should plan to get rid of it with plenty of time to spare before you move.

This is for two reasons: you don’t want to clutter up your new home, and it wastes a lot more time and money to take it with you.

But if you’re having trouble even figuring out how you’re going to do it, follow a few simple tips to help you get your home mean and clean in time for moving day.

Plan your new home

One of the best tricks to decluttering your life is to envision what you want in your new home. If you take the time to plan the layout of your new home, writing down what you want to keep and where it’s going to fit, it helps you to commit when it comes time to say goodbye to the things you no longer need.

When you find yourself face to face with something hard to part with, it’s easier to move on without it when you can remind yourself of the dream layout of your new home—it’s not as hard to give something up when you have a vision for something better.

Planning your new home also helps you to avoid logistical problems down the track. If you have large, unusually shaped items or furniture that your new space simply can’t accommodate, it’s better to have dealt with them in advance rather than have another problem to solve when you get to your new home.

Brisbane residents will know how diverse the housing types are throughout the city, and how much it can affect the storage and layout in your property—so always plan ahead.

And when you’re making your plan, be accountable for it. Show it to your family or housemates, so there’s someone to help you follow through with your decisions when it comes time to make the break.

Get ruthless

There’s no way around it: if you really want to declutter your home, you have to get ruthless.

You’ll no doubt come across good quality items among the mess, or items with sentimental value that don’t have a useful purpose anymore. Many of them will have been on the chopping block before, only to be saved in a last minute reprieve when the drive to the charity shop seemed like too much effort.

One of the main areas this will happen is in the wardrobe: you might have already heard the rule that if you haven’t worn it in a year, you don’t need it.

The same goes for all other good-quality items you’re not using—they’re taking up valuable space in your life, while someone else could be enjoying them.

Make the trip to the charity shop, take some photos and sell them on Ebay, or hand them over to the covetous friend who’s been eyeing them off or years, and never look back.

You probably haven’t thought about them for years, and you probably never will again. If you don’t think you can trust yourself to be ruthless enough to really declutter, enlist the help of someone who can.

Having a buddy to help you will make your decision-making load lighter, and it’ll also help you finish the job sooner.

Don’t put it off

If you keep putting off your decluttering, it’ll be moving day before you know it, and your new home will end up suffering the same problem.

Start early by making a good plan for the transition and stick to it: separate it into smaller tasks, allocate a day for each one, and follow your schedule religiously.

You’ll probably find it’ll get easier as you go along, and you’ll be more motivated as you see and feel the weight of your home getting lighter. But even when you’ve finished all the hard yards, you have to follow through: dispose of your unwanted items as soon as you can, to avoid them sneaking their way into your new home.

If all the items you’ve cleared out of your house are in the boot of your car while you drive round for the next few weeks, they’re in a prime position to be moved into your new property and back to taking up your valuable space.

Part of your plan must include how, where and when you’re going to offload your unwanted items, whether you’re selling, donating, recycling, dumping, or storing. If your trip to the tip is already scheduled in your diary, it’s harder to avoid, and you’re more likely to succeed in achieving the freedom of wide open space in your new home.

Start packing

One of the more overlooked ways to ensure you don’t transport clutter with you to your new house is to start packing early. Commit to only packing what you really want to keep, sealing each box thoroughly as you go to avoid sneaky items from creeping back in.

When you’ve packed everything you’re taking, you’ll know that everything that’s left is marked for disposal, and it’ll be easier to say no to taking it because it hasn’t been prepared for the removalists.

If you’re still having trouble after trying all these things, consider enlisting the help of interstate removalists.

Brisbane residents heading to new states—particularly metropolitan areas—will often be downsizing their homes, and they’ll find comfort in the expertise of professional removalists.

It’s near impossible to complete your renovations without damaging something of value, even when you’ve tried your best to cover and protect your items, or moved them to other parts of the building. But you can prevent damage to your possessions during your renovations in one simple way: by moving them.

You might not have thought of it, but hiring a professional removalist in Brisbane to move your belongings is a great way to safeguard them, and to make more working space for completing your renovations. There are also a few other important benefits to hiring a good mover that can really help you out while you’re renovating, and get you back to your daily routine with minimal interruption.

Storage

A good mover will have secure storage solutions to keep your belongings safe until you’re finished your renovations, and bring them back when you’re ready to re-enter the property.

This is important for two reasons: it gives you a clean, dry space to house your important and valuable possessions, and it gives your team more space and fewer obstructions to get around as you complete your work.

No matter how careful you are in preparing your space for your renovations, you can’t always protect your sensitive information, expensive equipment or precious items. Removal professionals know how to pack, transport and store your valuables, and they provide a much safer option for storage than you could achieve by covering or moving them during your renovations.

Hiring a professional removalist will mean that you won’t be shocked at the end of your work by paint and wood dust that’s made its way under your covers, or damage to your antique furniture from heavy tools and paint cans tossed onto them.

Insurance benefits

One of the frequently overlooked benefits of hiring a professional removalist while you’re renovating is the insurance coverage. Many people assume that loss of or damage to their movable items during renovations is covered under their home and contents insurance—but that’s not always the case.

It can be a dangerous assumption to make, with financially devastating consequences if you’re not clear on what your policy covers.

Whether you’re renovating your home or office, you might be better covered under removals insurance. A removals insurance policy will protect you from the financial loss of your household goods, precious items, and office equipment throughout the removal process, whether they’re being packed, in transit, or in storage.

Your eligibility for coverage will depend on hiring a reputable removalist, but some policies will allow you to pack items yourself.

Many insurance companies will offer new for old replacement regardless of age, and benefits for delays in unpacking and temporary accommodation costs, in addition to the standard accidental loss and damage coverage—which is an extra layer of protection to keep your business operating smoothly if you’re renovating your office.

Backloading options

One of the most important benefits of hiring a professional removalist to take care of your items while you renovate your property is cost reductions.

The measures you take to protect your belongings on your property (or replace them when they’re damaged) involve a lot of extra hassle and expense, which is likely to outweigh the cost of hiring a mover in itself—but professional removalists also know how to maximise their efficiency and pass on financial savings to t heir customers.

One option is backloading. A removals truck returning empty from a trip can carry a load back to its starting point, so you only pay for the space you use and the cost of transport in one direction. You also help the company reduce their environmental impact and improve their profits.

While it’s important to keep in mind that your items will likely be riding alongside other customers’ items, the cost savings are substantial, you’re more likely to secure a space on short notice, and the risk of damage is no higher than if your inventory was travelling by itself—as long as you hire an experienced and professional mover. Renovating can be a long and back-breaking process, no matter whether it’s your home or office.