A Checklist For What To Pack When Moving House
Some things shouldn’t be packed into those moving boxes
You’re finally moving into your new home. Congratulations!
Now comes the headache – coordinating The Big Move. From furniture to clothes, fragile vases to expensive art, everything that you intend to take to your new residence needs to be packed, and then unpacked – carefully.
Now is the perfect time to ask yourself – do you really need to move all my furniture over and incur expensive moving costs?
Shalom Movers, one of the biggest moving companies in the industry, usually charges based on the volume of items, while some companies go by the number of trips.
Although professional players always insist on a no-obligation visit by their sales team to give you an accurate quote. However, average prices on Carousel for lorry rental, driver, and an additional moving manpower is about $200 for one trip in a 10-foot covered truck, or $350 to $500 for a 14-foot truck.
“Stay motivated by remembering that it’s going to be faster and cheaper if you declutter first,” advises Georgina Wong, chief executive officer of Asian Professional Organisers, which specialises in helping clients with decluttering and their organising needs.
She suggests using the F.A.S.T. method to help you divide your possessions into four piles:
- Forward or donate items to someone else
- Action things immediately
- Store or file for reference
- Trash or junk anything that can’t be repaired.
Check out local resources for donating, recycling and furniture disposal services, such as your local town council, the Salvation Army or peer-to-peer swapping apps such as Olio.
Now that you’re left with the absolute essentials, follow this checklist before you move house:
Prepare an inventory of your furniture and their measurements for insurance
As you purchase new items or furniture, don’t forget to update your list, along with their prices. This will become a handy guide for when you plan for your home-contents insurance.
Get your floor plan from your property agent, HDB or a private developer. “Check if your furniture pieces can fit – and most importantly, if they can be transported in a lift if it is an apartment,” says Georgina.
If they have to use the stairs, movers and delivery staff will charge extra for every level they have to climb.
If you intend to reuse your curtains, make sure the length and width will fit your new windows.
Some older HDB flats have higher ceilings than the new ones, while some condo units boast airy, high ceilings which require much longer curtains.
Avoid movers who promise you a suspiciously good deal, especially over the phone without even seeing the items. When Jason Lim, 37, hired his first mover seven years ago, he needed only a few big items such as his massage chair and bicycles to be transported, as his new furniture would be delivered directly to the new home.
Most movers quoted him a flat fee of $300 for one trip, except one who offered him $250 based on the items he listed. “The boss said it was unnecessary to make a trip down for an assessment as I had such few items, so I just took his word for it,” recalls Jason.
Unfortunately, on moving day, two workers who appeared to be freelance movers turned up late, complained about having to carry the massage chair and wanted $100 more, threatening to forego the job. In order to avoid further delay in moving, Jason agreed to pay them an extra $50.
Moral of the story: Never trust what is promised over the phone and insist on an assessment visit and a quotation in black and white. Check with at least three companies.
There is no rule about when you can move in and out of your HDB flat, but there are restrictions around furniture moving for condominiums in Singapore.
Movers are allowed to start work at condominiums only during weekdays from 9am to 5pm, and up to 1pm on Saturdays. Moving on Sundays and public holidays is strictly prohibited.
Either the resident or the moving company must make the application at least a week in advance, together with a refundable deposit of $1,000.
Otherwise, the security guards will not allow your movers to commence work. Make sure your movers line the lift with the padding provided, so as to avoid damaging the lift and thus forfeiting your deposit.
With vendors having to make multiple trips to take measurements and make deliveries, it will be more convenient to use parking lots meant for residents, rather than visitors, says Georgina. However, that will require, you, the condominium resident, to help your movers apply for special parking labels from the condo MCST.
A week before moving, plan what will go into which room.
If you require boxes, ask how many will be provided as part of the deal, and how much you have to pay for more.
You’ll find these heavy duty moving boxes on Lazada and Amazon Singapore, ranging from $4 to $6 per box.
Some moving companies offer boxes as well – and if you return them in good condition, they are fully refundable. So, do check with your mover’s.
Colour-code the floor plan and the packed boxes so that the moving company can put them in their designated rooms without needing to wait for instructions.
Apply colour-coding to your furniture, too. This also prevents having to reposition furniture unnecessarily.
“Remember, the less moving around of furniture, the fewer scratches to your floors,” says Georgina.
Georgina recommends that you pack a separate suitcase to store your essential items and important personal documents. You’ll want to hand-carry this precious cargo. Do not allow your movers to take them along.
In case your mover’s lorry winds up in a road accident and spills all your belongings all over the PIE highway, you will be left without your laptop and passport.
These personal belongings should be kept in this special luggage:
Identity card, passports
Financial documents such as bank and cheque books
A set of clothes
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Toilet Paper
Battery chargers
Phone and laptop extension cords, plugs, adaptors
Water, tea, and coffee for the wait while your movers are in transit
Clear out your old fridge and prepare your kitchen cupboards at your new home
Throw out all perishables, and defrost and clean your freezer and refrigerator before the movers arrive.
Once you have the new house keys, clean the shelves and insides of cupboards ahead of moving day, but don’t bother with the floors yet.
“Aim to empty the boxes as soon as they arrive – at least place them in their respective rooms,” says Georgina.
The day before moving, stash this emergency moving kit (with the following items) in a sling bag or workman’s belt.
You’ll need these equipment to help you open the boxes, cut out any kinks that may have occurred during moving, and tape up your fingers in the event you get paper cuts from the boxes.
Tools you should prepare for moving and unboxing:
Tape measure
Masking tape
Marker pens (colours)
Cutting pen knife
Mobile phone, chargers, power banks
Aspirin, plasters, band-aids
Spare set of keys (for both old and new house
There are some things you will need in the unpacking process – which may take days or months depending on the size of your house, your belongings, and your available time.
Most of us make the mistake of packing these things into the boxes. However, these items should be hand-carried and shouldn’t be lost in the sea of brown boxes.
Here are some things you’ll want to keep handy:
Rubbish and trash bags
Broom, dust pan, and a mop
Instruction manuals, warranties for home appliances (for the old house, in case the new owner needs them)
Instruction manuals, warranties for home appliances (for the new house, in case of accident and insurance)
External and internal door keys
Access cards, car park labels
Paint (for the old house)
Paint (for the new house)
Pet’s food and essential items such as blankets and bowls
Whether you’ve placed your pet in a boarding hotel, or left them in the old house with your child or a family member, always move your pet in after the intensive moving has been completed for their safety. “Collect your pets after moving has been completed,” says Georgina.
Check that nothing has been overlooked, such as your cable TV box, items in locked drawers, or even bicycles.
Then it’s time to clean up before handing over your old place.
“If it is a rented property, remember to remove nails, patch up walls, replace light bulbs and take pictures to document the condition when you handed it over,” reminds Georgina.
Text: Stella Thng/Home & Decor