Moving checklist and budget

Check your contract details to know the correct timing for notification.

Start sorting your things and decide what to keep, sell or donate, recycle and dispose. You can later organize a garage sale for the things you want to sell.

Check if your insurance covers for home goods that may be damaged while moving as well as the insurance provided by the moving company. If no insurance is provided, consider purchasing one.

Whether online or physical, you can organize a sale of some of the items you think might be of interest for potential buyers. You can put your items on sale online through e-bay or facebook or you can organize a garage sale.

Take measurements in the new house to check whether furniture enters through the door and provide the moving company with this information.

The label should clearly list all the items stored in each box.

Forward medical records to new doctor or health-care facility.

Set up a mail redirection service for postage to be forwarded to your new address.

Set up a mail redirection service for postage to be forwarded to your new address.

Make travel arrangements for your pets if you have any, as removalists often do not offer transport for them.

Ask friends or colleagues to return items lent from you (e.g. books, CDs, DVDs etc.)

Return items you have borrowed from the library or rental shops.

Collect all the relevant documentation for fixed appliances of your old house (e.g. aircon, garage door etc.)

Pack in a bag survival goods for your first days (e.g. toiletries, plasticware, food, petfood, spare light bulbs, cleaning products, kettle, tea and coffee, corkscrew, breakfast requirements, telephone handset, medications, snacks, scissors, tools etc.).

Get a cooler to fill with ice on the moving day to store food and water in until the fridge is working.

This list will be useful to cross out items as they are loaded by removalists on moving day.

Defrost your freezer if you're bringing it to the new house

Collect all the sets of keys or garage remote controls from your family members

Arrange snacks and refreshments for you and your removalists on the moving day

Cross out items from your list of things to move when they are loaded on the truck by removalists.

Remember to either return the keys of your old house to the real estate agency or give them to your new tenants.

An appropriate tip can range between $10 per removalist on a half-day move, $20 per removalis on a full-day move or $40 per removalist for longer moves. Consider tipping extra if you have a lot of heavy furniture or steps.

Check you have all the keys to the new house (e.g. basement, garage, garbage room, gate, mailbox etc.)

If you are renting, you should check the condition of the house and the furniture with the real estate agent on the day you enter the house. This is important to make sure that you are not charged for any damage that you weren't responsible for.

If you switched city, you might have to register at the city council and get some information or documentation for services such as garbage disposal.