Home & Garden Tips for moving house

[Matty_G]

Hello General Discussioners!

My girlfriend and I have taken the plunge and purchased our first house! Being newbs at this game, I have a few general questions that I wouldn't mind your opinions on. Feel free to add any other tips you think of or even ask your own questions. Multiple opinions also welcome!

My questions (may think of more later):
1. Do you change all the locks when you move in?
2. I'm planning on putting in a stack of smoke detectors, should I put one in the garage or will the fumes from the cars set it off?
3. I believe we'll need to call the gas, electricity etc companies to organise our accounts - or is this something our conveyancer will do for us?

Bonus question:
Does anyone know what type of tree these are? This isn't from the house we bought but from a different house. Wouldn't mind putting in some of these trees or something similar.


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Thanks in advance!

 

[Northworth]

congrats

you definitely need to arrange all of the utilities yourself... it is two phone calls though to be honest - not hard.

1 - yes... definitely - a locksmith is one of the first calls... if you are ever robbed it comes up in your insurance assessment
2 smoke detectors just needed in the hallways... not the garage -... in the event of a fire you can easily flee the garage i assume
3 - do electricity asap as it will affect things like your ability to open the garage etc

my tip - move on a monday morning not a friday
a lot easier with removalists etc and you can pack all weekend

 

[Gasometer]

1.change locks and buy dowl to place in sliding windows or doors to stop them opening them. Be aware that locksmiths can be expensive,and if you have know a handyman get them to change the barrels of the locks.

2.never known anyone to put a fire alarm in garage. Put them at the doorway area to each bedroom.

3.utilities yourself.Get onto phone company ASAP.

Dunno what the trees are but they look like they drop their leaves.If you like the work of raking go for it but for me I hate raking.

Other:

You will do most of your damage to walls moving stuff in...dents, scuffs etc, take your time and don't do it when you are tired.

Unpacking is a biatch.

get take away when you are moving. Trying to cook will end in a fight with your Mrs.

And finally your Mrs is ALWAYS RIGHT when Moving into her PALACE, don't argue with her!

 

[THRILLHO]

1. Make sure you take all things from A and place them in B.
2. Play indoor soccer and hockey in your now empty house.
3. Play indoor soccer and hockey in your new empty house.

No rules are negotiable.

 

[Puntroad]

The lower branches, leaves and height/shape of the trees look a lot like a type of lilly pilly. I've never seen them with violet flowers though, only white.

You can have gardenias grow identical to those lower bushes as well. They have a great smelling white flower for summer and spring, are easy to hedge and don't look crappy in winter.

 

[Matty_G]

Thanks for the responses so far guys!

Re: actual moving in, we settle on a Friday, I think we'll be too excited to put off moving in for a couple of days. Being first timers we don't have a lot of stuff, so I'd imagine there would only be a handful of boxes plus a couple of beds, drawers, treadmill etc. Plus both our brothers have utes so I doubt we'll need to hire someone, just a day or two of hard work ourselves should be enough.

Will start looking into locksmiths & energy companies soon!

 

[Matty_G]

Another thing: Wheelie bins, do we organise our own or do we just use the previous owner's bins?

 

[Scotland]

If you can try and move all of your boxes into one place like a spare room if you have one so the bulk of the house stays empty.

Sort out your bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room first so you can actually live around all the boxes you have.

For each room get it spotless then set up the furniture etc. before unloading stuff from boxes into it. If you have boxes all over the place in each room and no space to move stuff around etc. you'll lose your shit!

 

[Gough]

Use the move as a chance to rationalise your possessions. Chances are you have loads of shit you don't need anymore.

 

[Scotland]

Use the move as a chance to rationalise your possessions. Chances are you have loads of shit you don't need anymore.

Agree with this. Am currently reorganising the house I've been in for 3 years and I have stuff around the place I have not touched once in that period.

 

[the_interloper]

Get some people to help you move, give them a barbeque dinner and all the booze they can drink, makes it a lot less painless!

 

[stmookeyj]

Try to move the heavier furniture and cabinets first while the energy levels are high, and use cars to move smaller electrical stuff surrounding them with cushions and blankets. Plus utilise the whole day, don't try to do it in just one or two trips. If you need to have a break for lunch etc then do it.

 

[Northworth]

wheelie bins should be there
otherwise ring the council and get some delivered

 

[JuddsABlue]

if you're already living on your own and have been for a while, get a small skip and chuck stuff out

When moving you come across a lot of things that make you ugh, you've got no place to put it and no use for it, but obviously cant leave it. Having a skip makes it a lot easier

I dont like the idea of doing it on Monday. Friday is much better. You'll find towards the end of the day you'll just want to quit, and thats when the worst of the worst is left, the stuff you dont want to deal with. Its good knowing you can go back the next day and tie up all the loose ends with no rush or stress to get back home