Moving into a new home can be a bittersweet experience. You are excited for the new opportunity and a fresh start in a new environment, while also mourning the loss of your familiar, comfortable space and all of its great memories. But when it comes to the actual physical act of moving house, it can often be a fairly gruelling experience.  It is physically and mentally draining, there is always more furniture, possessions and rubbish than you can imagine, not to mention the pressure of the end-of-lease clean.

Moving home is a part of life, and an exciting part at that, but there are many ways to make the physical act of moving, waste removal and end-of-lease cleaning much less burdensome. 

You do not want to wait for the end of lease clean before you start preparing for your new space. By visiting your new environment, you can figure out what might go where, and in what order things should be moved in. It would also be wise to bring a tape measure to take down some preliminary measurements. You do not want to be surprised when moving something heavy that does not fit through a door or does not fit in a space where you thought it would go.

It is essential that you give your new space a clean before you put all of your furniture down to prevent it from getting even worse quickly. Give the place a once-over when you get there, and a second check when you’re ready to move things in. You’ll be doing yourself a favor by vacuuming, scrubbing the floors and wiping down the walls, mirrors and drawers. The cleaner the better! It is unlikely that your new place will have anything that you want to remove, but if anything is left behind, you can hire a rubbish removal company like 1300 Rubbish to take care of it and even do an extensive household clean afterwards.

Don’t forget about the logistical things, such as connecting your internet, wifi, energy and gas. You can be so caught up in the minutiae of moving that you forget what you need in your next place. It is also essential that you change your address on formal documents, let your family and friends know where they can reach you and update information for your home and contents insurance.

If you want to get rid of some big items around your house that are taking up a lot of space, you should consider recycling them, so that you can dispose of your rubbish in a responsible way. Sometimes, you can’t just throw things away in the garbage or dispose of them at the local tip, because they do not break down easily on their own. For example, E-waste like old computers, mobile phones and white goods will need to be recycled because they will not break down on their own if they are thrown into landfills. If they are in good working condition, sometimes they can be refurbished and sent to second-hand stores, but if they are not working anymore, they may be broken up so their metal can be used again. If you have some items at home that you no longer want or need that you want to recycle, you should contact your local council or a rubbish removal professional so that they can dispose of these things for you without any hassle or worry.

As much as you might like to get up and go, there are some tenant responsibilities which you are obligated to uphold, and one of those responsibilities is to give your landlord enough notice so that they are able to find someone else to rent the room. The generally accepted time period for this notification is 14 days for a fixed  term tenancy and 21 days if you are not. However, it is important to check your tenancy contract, or communicate with your landlord to make sure you are holding up your end of the bargain. Landlords have rights and if you violate terms of your lease, you may be held financially responsible.

The worst thing you can do is start the moving process without a plan. So, before you begin, sit down with a pen, pad and a calendar and take inventory of your belongings, work out how long you think the entire process will take,, how long you have until the move date, and come up with a game plan for how to move houses efficiently and safely. Some people like to do it room by room, while others like to leave the bare essentials and move the non-essential stuff over a longer period of time.

A great tip is to begin sorting, labeling and categorising your items well before the moving date arrives so that you can simply do the heavy lifting without having to think or work out logistics. Remember that there is always more stuff in a house than you think there is. You have to be aware that you have to clean every cupboard and take every single item out of that drawer that everyone has in their house which is always full but never touched. Landlords do not think you’re doing them a favor when you leave things behind. It normally means more work for them, and they may pay for that work with your bond money.

It is highly irresponsible to leave rubbish or clutter behind after you move houses, and can result in tarnished relationships, financial punishments and even legal proceedings, in severe cases. Often, moving to a new home is an exciting prospect, and should be a refreshing feeling of growth and freedom. Because of this, you should leave the last place with the same respect you intend to show your new place, and the best way to do this is by a last deep clean.

There are many ways to declutter your house, but the hardest parts are usually the biggest things and the smallest things. The biggest things are a hassle because they are difficult to move and transport, while the smaller things are difficult because there are so many of them. To avoid feeling overwhelmed, the best way is to do a little bit at a time.

If you don’t have the capabilities or the equipment to remove bigger rubbish, you can get in touch with a professional rubbish removal company like 1300 Rubbish. We can move, recycle and dispose of all the large items that are a hassle to get out of the house, such as:

• Bed frames
• Mattresses
• Household appliances
• Carpet
• Televisions
• Furniture
• Lounges
• Household rubbish
• Wood
• Garden waste

If it’s the smaller things you are worried about, just pick sections of the house to do at a time (making sure to leave the essentials like cutlery, plates, glasses and toiletries), go around with cardboard boxes (labelled) and a garbage bag for rubbish. It is amazing how quickly you will start to see a difference. Don’t sweat the small stuff!

There are plenty of great tips for moving your belongings out of your house in a fast, efficient and pain-free way.

1. Go through your closet!

This is a great opportunity to get rid of clothes you don’t wear and donate them to people in need through Vinnies or the Salvos. Not only are you helping trim the fat, but you’re also helping clothe people in need.

1. Leave clothes on the hanger and in the drawers

You’re just going to hang them back up again anyway. Why do more work than you have to? The same applies to drawers. Drawers are literally designed to hold things. Keep the stuff in there and away you go!

1. Get a lot of cardboard boxes

This is so important. Cardboard boxes seem commonplace, but they are never around when you need them. When moving, cardboard boxes are your best friend, so get a bunch of them before you even begin piling things together to save you exerting double the effort.

1. Hire pros

As mentioned above, the big stuff can be handled by removalists. Removalists exist for a reason: because moving house is a big, arduous task. Your friends and family can only do so much (and may stop helping after the third or fourth move), and sometimes you need to bring in professionals to get the job done without the hassle.

Spot checks are important to make sure you haven’t missed anything.

It can be quite a strange experience walking through your empty house, but it is an incredibly important part of the move as you can often miss things that need to come with you. By doing a walk through with a fresh set of eyes (and a partner or friend, if necessary) can reassure you that you have packed up, moved and cleaned up and have not left any of your precious property behind. Do not forget to check the front yard, back yard, attics and basements, as these places can often be neglected as not much time is spent in them.

A walk through and spot check isn’t just for your property, it is also to identify any areas that are in need of cleaning or which have been damaged.  Once furniture and other belongings have been moved out, it gives you a different perspective of the house and easier access to inspect the walls, skirting boards and behind the fridge. Damage can often occur to walls and floors without us knowing it, like when beds rub against the wall or skirting board, or a leaky fridge causes a waterlogged floor or electrical fraying.

Once everything is moved out you should be able to see things from a different perspective and you’ll have a much easier time cleaning everything and assessing the structural integrity of the home. Damage, repairs and maintenance are common points of disagreement amongst landlords and tenants, so it is best to avoid it if possible. It is essential that your home passess the landlord’s inspection and is exactly how it was found when you moved in. So, if there is any damage such as cracks, loose hinges or dirty bathrooms, it is imperative that you fix or clean them before leaving or you may be charged.

People always think about the stuff in the house and neglect the backyard clean up until the last minute. You want to avoid this, as some of the biggest, heaviest and most burdensome objects may be living in your garden or on the back deck. We have mentioned that organisation is key, but make sure that you are factoring in the time and effort that the exterior of your home will take to get in line. Some of the basics of a backyard clean up include:

Make sure you sweep up any outdoor areas and put the leaves, dirt or waste into a garbage bag and dispose of it. You want the outdoor area to look well-kempt and looked after, which will put you in good stead to get your bond back in full, and also keep the landlord happy.

This may not be relevant to apartment tenants, but if you have a backyard with a garden, it is usually a good idea to mow the grass and tidy up the garden. If the backyard was trimmed and well-maintained when you moved in, then that is exactly how it should be when you move out. 

This may not be applicable to you, but if you have a cat, dog or other animal living with you, you must clean up after it and try to repair any damage it has made to the lawns, interior or exterior of the house. Of course, it should also go without saying that you clean up their droppings.

It is a good idea to go around the yard with some garbage bags so you can quickly and efficiently dispose of any rubbish or unwanted stuff that has accumulated. It is best to do this after you have already weeded and mowed so you can clean up all the waste at once.

End of lease cleans, rubbish and furniture removal are big jobs which can take much longer and prove much more difficult than you anticipate. If this is your first move, understand that it will take longer than you think it will, so try to plan accordingly. If you are a moving veteran, you should still know that things can always go wrong, and that getting rid of all the furniture, rubbish and waste that accumulates in a domestic home can be quite a burden. If the thought of packing up your home, taking multiple trips to the tip and the dumpster is giving you heart palpitations, you might be better suited hiring a reliable, professional rubbish removal company to take care of the end-of-lease clean and dispose of all that waste.

Call 1300 78 22 47 to get a quick and obligation free quote. Whatever time of day you need the service and no matter how soon you need to get things done, we make sure that you get the most professional and efficient service from beginning to end.