Moving house can be a stressful situation. To make your life easier, find trustworthy and reliable movers. Adding unreliable movers to your list of things to deal with will make the move more expensive, not to mention draining emotionally, and you need all the energy you can get to manage such a big transition.

Some professional movers will take advantage of your situation and put pressure on you. To prepare, get 3 quotes for everything. Make sure there is an agreement they cannot get out of.

Some movers (called “removalists” in Australia) will come to your door on the day of the move and say that you have to add more money because you have more furniture than they thought when they gave you a quote. Or a cleaner might say, “Oh, I didn’t realize the carpet was so dirty” and since you are rushed to get it done on the day, you have no choice but to pay the extra before they are willing to start working.

The best way to find trustworthy people is through referrals. Rather than going cheap, it is better to get someone who will not introduce any extra costs on the day. If you can get some of these things done before the big moving day, do it! Services like cleaners, rubbish removal companies and movers are best employed when you are calm and calculating.

When working with movers, it is a good idea to find out what they cannot move. That way, you can either get rid of it or take it with you in your own car. Ask the moving company to give you a list of things they do not transport (mostly because there is risk of fire) and stick to it.

You might be wondering why it is so important to stick to such a list. Because when something happens, the insurance company will not cover any of the content if there was even one of the items on that list. Don’t take the risk. Besides that, you do not want to risk your valuables. I was never worried about bed sheets and pictures but more about albums and things with emotional value.

Items which may be on the no-transport list may include: ammunition; cans of paint; bleach bas cylinders (unless emptied); turpentine; kerosene; petrol; cleaning fluids; aerosols of any kind; chemical sets. Don’t take the risk!

Join me next time for some tips about what to take with you in your suitcase for the first days of your move.

Happy moving,
Ronit