Putting your life or business in a box can be a stressful situation. In a perfect world, you would be able to easily find every item, pack them perfectly, and move those items to a moving truck with ease. But life isn't always perfect. You may have just scored a great gig in NT, or your boss might want you to help move all of that expensive business equipment across the country as-soon-as-possible.
Most moving guides will tell you to set aside 3 or 4 weeks to pack, organize, and move all of your items to your new location. Unfortunately, life usually doesn't move slow. Last-minute decisions can lead to amazing opportunities, but they can also lead to some serious packing stress.
Don't worry! Packing up and moving doesn't have to be nightmare fuel. In fact, this is the perfect opportunity for you to throw out some clutter and reconnect with those lost childhood memories you've shoved down into the bottom of a dusty box at the back of your closet. We know that life doesn't always give you tons of time and ample resources to plan a big move. We've got your back.
From tips on how to pack those grouse concert tees to guidance on protecting your fragile valuables, here's an in-depth guide on packing up and moving in the down under.
Depending on the size of your house, moving needs, and your personal moving timeframe, packing up your home or business can take anywhere from 1 day to 1 month. In general, the more time, the better.
Here's a standard guide to give you an idea of how much time it should ideally take you to pack up your home or office.
These numbers represent how much time you should give yourself if you have the luxury of being able to plan everything out in advance.
But let's be realistic. There's a good chance you don't have the luxury of spending a month correctly organising and packing your belongings up, right? That's ok! Don't stress. All hope isn't lost.
Over the years, we've helped hundreds of people and businesses move their goods to and from NT. And we can say one thing for sure: rules are meant to be broken. We've moved large offices in a day, and we've seen some people spend weeks moving out of a studio apartment. Your schedule usually dictates your pace.
Can you pack and move a warehouse in 2 days? Sure! But you'll have to either:
In general, the more time you give yourself, the more time you'll have to organise. That being said, if you're planning on using a moving company to help you organise and expedite your move, your timeframe (within reason) won't be an issue. It really depends on how you're planning on moving.
Once you've figured out your timeframe, you'll need some moving and packing materials. This is where your "moving budget" comes into play. Yes! Moving costs money. Packaging material costs can quickly creep up on you if you're not careful. Just buying the basic boxes for a 2-bedroom house can cost you over $100 if you aren't careful about where you pick them up. And, when you include bubble wrap, tape, and paper goods, you could be looking at a hefty bill.
Luckily, we've got some pro-tips to help you save serious dough on your packaging.
Cardboard alone constitutes 41% of the world's solid waste streams. Over a billion tonnes of cardboard is thrown away each year globally, and a good chunk of that waste is generated by businesses. Chances are, there's a business near you that's about to throw away a bunch of crisp brown cardboard boxes as you read this.
So, instead of going to the post or local Moving Box Company, stop by a local business and ask them if they have any boxes. It may feel a little awkward, but there's a good chance you'll walk away with some freebies if you stop by a few locations.
When you're moving, paper is a necessity. It's the glorious tree particles that help keep your fragile items safe-and-sound on their journey to new terrains. But it's also more costly than you probably think. 250 sheets of packing paper will run you around $20. And those sheets go fast. So, instead of hunting the isles, try hunting through your junk drawer.
Remember all of those junk mail letters, old newspapers, and magazines that you've been stuffing into your drawer for "later"? Now is that later. All of those items make great substitutions for packing paper, and you don't have to spend a dime.
Here's a great tip: use your household goods as containers for, well... your household goods. That laundry hamper is basically a box, right? Oven mitts make the perfect knife holder. And dog kennels can be packed up with all of your doggie toys and treats. There are plenty of items in your house that can double as a container.
You may think of colored tape, labels, and markers as costs. But they will save you an enormous amount of time and headaches during your moving process. You want a way to organise every box by:
You also want some type of color coordination for fragile items, since they require extra care during the moving process. Don't want to flash the cash? Simply marking every box with a sharpie helps. But feel free to go wild with the colored labels if you have the Type A personality and want to create a complex moving system. You do you!
Before you touch a single item, you need to have your logistics figured out. How are you moving all of your items? Do you know the quickest route to your location? And are you hiring professional movers to help you pack, organise, load, and transport your goods? In general, you should know:
If you're planning on hiring professional movers, all of these needs will probably be handled on their end. But if you're not, you want to have a game plan before you start packing. There's nothing worse than packing up a room only to discover that you're in over your head.
Now that you have your packing materials and the logistics planned out, it's time to start packing. But where do you start? Do you start by packing up your small goods? Do you start by getting furniture out-of-the-way? Should you put all the fragile items away first so you don't break them during the packing process?
Those are all great questions. But there isn't a single answer. It really depends on your unique situation and your preferences. But, it's important to remember this: if you have plenty of time, you should draw up a well-detailed plan on how you're moving. If you're moving in a hurry, it's perfectly acceptable to pack now and organise later.
In general, organising goods during the packing process saves you more time than organising them once they're at the new location. But, again, if time is of the essence, don't be afraid to start shoving things in boxes. It's not ideal. But it works.
Here are some quick tips that you should do before you start packing:
It's the age-old debate. Should you pack room-by-room or should you pack item-type by item-type? It's up to you! If you took time making a list and getting organised before your move, it may make the most sense to pack item-type by item-type, since the layout of your new location may differ.
But if you're in a hurry, packing room-by-room can give you a quick sense of accomplishment after each room that will help keep you motivated to keep working. Professional movers often do both at the same time, but that can get complicated if you don't have plenty of experience with packaging and moving.
The act of picking up and moving boxes can really help you analyze the gravity of your possessions. The moving process is the ideal opportunity to re-examine your items and discover what you really need. Oftentimes, we tell customers to do a dust check. The dustier the item, the less likely you are to need it. Sure! There are plenty of exceptions (keep those treasured memories!) But do you really need that Hawaiian tee with flames and flamingos that you haven't worn since that one night tried to get a girl's attention in the bar? Probably not. Should you keep those faux gold earrings that you completely forgot you ever had? It may be time to let go.
Moving can be a great time to challenge those deep, hidden hoarding tendencies that you've been masking with the phrase "you never know when I might need this!" Consider donating any items you're planning on leaving behind. While you may not ever need those faux earrings and tee again, someone may be dying to own them.
Time for action. Get those packing hands ready. Here are some tips to help you pack each type of house or business item.
Whether you're packing dishes, crystal, or bobbleheads, you'll need to use a supportive material to keep them safe and held down. At Clear Sky, we usually perform the following steps with fragile goods.
When it comes to utensils, don't just throw them in the box. That's a tell-tale sign of an amateur packer that's probably going to run into a big headache of scattered supplies when they unpack. Instead, wrap all of the utensils together. Bubble wrap or saran wrap work great. If you have a tray to hold your utensils, this part is much easier. Simply put the utensils in the tray, and then wrap it tighter than a mummy. You don't want any utensil spillage.
Time for some heavy lifting. This section is going to require bullet points. Yeah, moving furniture is a hyper-delicate procedure.
Moving clothing is much less stressful than furniture of valuables. For starters, you have plenty of options when it comes to containers. You can put them in a wardrobe box, wrap them with garbage bags, vacuum seal them, move them in a laundry hamper, or even move them in your drawers.
But we do have a few must-follow tips for you:
Chances are, your business equipment is expensive. From computers and tablets to printers and scanners, packing up business equipment requires special care. Beyond wrapping each item individually and maximising weight distribution, you should also consider a few of these tips:
Home & office is all of the "other" stuff that you pack up during your move. From that stray stack of Post-it notes to pens, pencils, candles, and calendars, most of your home and office goods are semi-sturdy. This makes this section a little less sweat-inducing, but there are still some simple tips you should follow:
Furry friends rejoice! We have a section just for you. Here are some tips for those dog and cat goods.
Your bathroom is filled with various chemicals, liquids, and cosmetics that require special attention when you're packing. Here are some tips to prevent that $100 bottle of perfume from becoming a cardboard box's scent of the day.
Electronics are technically fragile goods. So, we recommend looking at the fragile section when it comes to packaging smaller electronics (hint: take out batteries, remove toner cartridges, and eject blu-rays before packing them). But what about the big boys? TVs, massive printers, and appliances all require special care.
Here are some tips:
Sure! You can go old-school and write "kitchen" in marker on your box. But if you want to kick it up to the pro level, there are a few tips that will help:
You're done! Everything is packed! Yay! But don't celebrate yet. You have a few last-minute tasks to accomplish.
Moving doesn't have to be stressful. Whether you're moving to or from NT, Australia, we're here to help you get your precious goods and incredible memories from one spot to the next with no hassle. Our team of pros will handle your removal process from start-to-finish without any fuss. We guarantee on-time and safe delivery of all of your goods, and we'll leave an open line of communication open, so you know exactly what's going on.
Are you ready for a painless and stress-free moving experience that's affordable, transparent, and free from nasty hidden costs? Contact us. We're ready to help you settle into your new paradise — no matter where that paradise is. We're AFRA Members, and we've developed a personalised moving system that leverages decades of experience. From interstate to down the block, we're here for you.