Moving house can be super exciting.  It’s a whole new adventure with the pleasure of starting afresh and putting down roots somewhere new.  Your new home may be somewhere you’ve been working towards for a long time, and it’s so rewarding to see all your own things looking fresh in the different setting.

You may finally have the key, but moving house can also be very stressful – all those decisions and things that have to be done by just you – there is only so much other people can do for you that doesn’t make more work for you afterwards.  Therefore you want things to run as smoothly as possible.  Whether you’ve organised a group of friends or family to help, or employed some movers, try and make it as easy as possible for them and yourself.  Don’t expect friends and family members to pack boxes for you – begin that tasks weeks ahead of the move.  This gives you the opportunity to purge what you don’t need as you pack, and to know what is in what box so you can prioritize what gets opened first, and what can sit for a while.

You’ll save time and eliminate difficult conversations if you do a little work on layout ahead of time too.  Sketch up or copy a floor plan of your new home before you move, and draw in the way you want your furniture to be placed in each room.  Then put a label on any furniture that isn’t clear what it is, so they can determine what the floor plan means.  This way people aren’t waiting why you discuss it with each other or change your mind half a dozen times.  It also means you have movers there for the least amount of time and aren’t having to ask people around a second time to help you re-arrange the heavy pieces.

Moving can be a long exhausting day though.  Make sure you have plenty of food and drinks on hand for the helpers, especially if it encroaches on lunch or dinner – they will be much more likely to stay for longer and help or to do it again if you ask.

When you’re packing, make yourself a moving day kit.  This will make life so much easier in those first 48 hours when you’re in your new home and things aren’t unpacked yet. Items you could include are:

  • Tea, coffee, sugar, milk, mugs
  • Cash (helpers can get takeaway’s or missing items for you)
  • Pen and Paper (don’t forget to read the power and water meters)
  • Phone charger
  • Flashlight
  • Towels and Spongebags
  • Soap and Toilet paper
  • Breakfast supplies
  • Plates and cutlery (or picnic basket)
  • Dishwashing gear and tea towels
  • Bedding
  • Spray & Wipe plus cloths
  • Handee towels
  • Packing tape, craft knife and vivid
  • Pet Food
  • Bottle of bubbly to celebrate!

I know how stressful moving day can be. With a little planning and advice on what to do, this can become a lot easier and less stressful. I have put together a moving day checklist to help you plan and prepare for the big day. You can download it for free here: Free Moving Day Checklist

The typical settlement date in the Tasman Nelson real estate market is 6 weeks but sometimes as long as 4 months and sometimes as short as 1 week. If you have a quick settlement coming up you will need to condense the list into a shorter time frame. Either way the time goes fast and before you know it, moving day will be upon you.

6-8 weeks before moving day

  • The majority of your de-cluttering should have been done for the marketing of your home however you may still have more to do.
  • Are you moving yourself or paying for a moving company?
  • Book the moving company if needed. They are especially busy on Fridays which is a typical settlement date for everyone.
  • If you are moving yourself, book your friends and family in for moving day.
  • If you are packing and moving yourself, start sourcing boxes. Ask your real estate salesperson if they know if anyone has any boxes. Quite often they will know of someone that has just moved. Also put a post on Neighbouly, there are quite often people giving away moving boxes on the site.
  • If you are going to require a temporary storage unit look into this now. Prices, location, availability.

3-4 weeks before moving day

  • Arrange to have your power, gas, phone and internet stopped and started.
  • Do you have enough cardboard boxes yet?
  • Start running down your freezer contents.
  • Start packing the stuff you don’t use very often.
  • Label the boxes so it makes unpacking so much easier.
  • If you are renting give your landlord written notice to finish the tenancy.
  • Arrange childcare for the day if you need it.
  • Book any accommodation needed.

2 weeks before moving day

  • Contact your insurance company. Cancel the policy on your old house and obtain a new policy for your new home. Are your contents insured while moving?
  • Have a garage sale to get rid of unwanted items.
  • Keep packing, it always takes longer than you think!
  • Arrange carpet cleaners.
  • Confirm with your real estate salesperson where to pick up your new keys.
  • What are you doing with your pets? Arrange to have them looked after on moving day.
  • Make a plan of your new home showing positions of where the heavy furniture is going on moving day.
  • Arrange a window cleaner if necessary.
  • Double check with the moving company that you are booked in.

1 week before moving day

  • Contact your lawyer to make an appointment to sign any paperwork for the transfer of ownership.
  • Is your moving day kit ready?
  • Keep packing 🙂
  • Start cleaning cupboards that are empty.
  • Find out what you are required to do with the keys for the home you moving out of.
  • Organise the food and drinks for the helpers. Even the professional movers appreciate being looked after with a cold drink and some homemade goodies.

Moving day

  • Final packing.
  • Final cleaning of the house.
  • Leave information list and user manuals for the new owners/occupants including your forwarding address.
  • Lock all windows and doors.
  • Do a final walk-through of the home to make sure you haven’t left anything behind.
  • Remove all the rubbish.
  • Take meter readings at your new home.

After moving day

  • Introduce yourself to your new neighbours.
  • Check for damaged or missing items when unpacking.
  • Finally, sit down, crack open that bottle of bubbly and relax for a few minutes.

If you can think of anything that needs to be added to the list, please feel free to let me know.    


top real estate agent richmond nelson

Brent Palmer – Professional Real Estate Consultant

About the Author: The above article on Moving Day Tips was written and provided by Brent Palmer, a local leader in the field of Richmond and Nelson Real Estate sales, marketing, advanced technology for home selling, and social media. You can contact Brent Palmer here, or at 027 544 9921.

He has helped many people buy and sell homes in the Nelson, Stoke and Richmond areas for years, and would love the opportunity to help you as well.

Thinking of selling your home? I have a real passion for helping people sell their homes in our Nelson and Tasman Region, as well as the marketing, social media & advanced technology for home selling that goes along with it. I’d love to have the opportunity to sit down with you discuss how we can work together to get you the best price.

I help people buy and sell real estate in the following Nelson and Tasman  towns  & neighbourhoods: Wakefield, Brightwater, Hope, Appleby, Redwood Valley, Mapua, Stoke, Tahunanui, Atawhai and of course, Richmond and Nelson City. Connect with Brent on Facebook and pretty much everywhere else.

Know someone who needs help with real estate? Be rewarded and REFER them here