Notes On Shifting

General

There are a number of ways in which to shift.

• You may shift yourself using friends and relatives; or
• You may hire professionals to help you; or
• You may hire a "taxi truck" (or similar) together with paid helpers.

Shifting by its very nature will be disruptive. The more organised you can be the easier your shift will be. The following is a list of "Handy Hints" that will be applicable regardless of which of the above methods of shifting you choose.

Murphy's Law says:

"No matter how thoroughly you plan
there is always something that will have been forgotten".

Where To Start - Address

Most often it is notifying people of your change of address. When you purchase or sell a property, part of the service of this Firm is to provide you with a 'Property Pack'. In it you will find a number of cards (for your change of address), for you to complete and post. You will also find an application form for redirection of mail. This will cover those people who still persist in forwarding mail to your old address because:

1. You didn't notify them in time.
2. They didn't receive your notification or have lost it.
3. They haven't updated your records yet.
4. Maybe you just forgot to tell them.

Should you wish to extend the period of mail redirection, you merely have to complete another form and lodge it with the Post Office. By completing these forms you will ensure that you will receive all the correspondence, including raffles and free prizes, from Readers Digest, the Woolworths weekly food supplements and free quotes on the costs of aluminium siding for your house together with all other junk mail that you have been receiving in the past!

Packing

It is easy to say that you should pack on a room to room basis, however, this is not always practical as the rooms may be required in the weeks prior to shifting for your living needs. An initial "pack" can be done, however by packing, boxing and labelling all items which are not going to be required within the next two weeks. This will actually cover the majority of your belongings. If you have decided to pack items yourself, please ensure that they are securely packed and boxes labelled. This will make your unpacking that much easier. Keep the inventory in a safe place and also give a copy of the inventory to the person who is supervising the unloading at the other end.

Arrange for staple supplies to be at the new home upon arrival, ie milk, sugar, coffee bread (and maybe a clebratory bottle of champagne). Someone should inspect the property prior to moving in as it may need to be cleaned or vacuumed before the furniture is put in place. Cupboards and drawers will need to be lined and it also helps to overcome any access problems should there be a slip up over the keys ensure that somebody is there to be able to admit the removalists. If not, you could find yourself paying for "waiting time".

Before shifting please pick one day to do a "wash up". There's nothing worse than moving into the new home and having as one of the first tasks a mountain of clothes washing to do. Make sure that you collect all items from the dry cleaners, shoe repairers etc. It is amazing how many things like this can be forgotten in the shift. Defrost your fridge and freezer and deal with all frozen goods.

Plants

Pot plants can be shifted relatively and easily and do make the new home have that lived-in feel. Remember, however, that some plants may not be suitable for the new environment or may not survive a long journey or storage. They may be better given away or sold at a garage sale. Plants are best packed by wrapping or "rolling up" each plant (pot and all) in newspaper so that the newspaper forms a tube, slightly higher than the pot of the plant, (this will help avoid spillage of potting mix) and then packing them in a strong cardboard box. The box should be lined with plastic or foil to avoid leakages. Plants should be watered thoroughly before you move and definitely upon arrival after unpacking them. Please remember that all plants and shrubs that are actually planted in the garden, unless specifically otherwise excluded have been sold with your property. It is not up to you now to dig up the garden or take "a few cuttings". You should always check with the new owners and seek their permission.

Pets

Please realise that you will have to travel to arrange for any transport of any pets. It is actually illegal for pets to travel in removal vans. Should you wish to have your pets transported professionally you will have to contact a specialist in this field. On the other hand, your loving companions would prefer to accompany you in the car. The most important thing though is not to leave them behind!

Children

Small children can often be a distraction when trying to cart and arrange furniture. Grandmothers are often only too happy to help on shifting day by looking after the children. Should it not be possible to have the children baby sat, please ensure that they have their favourite toy, book, or a game to keep them out of mischief, anything to amuse them for as long as it takes you to get unpacked and settled in. With older children it is often a good point to try and include them in the shifting by giving them specific jobs to attend to.

Pest Control - Carpet Shampooing

Obviously, the easiest and least disruptive time to ensure that the property has been properly sprayed for pests is before anything is moved into it. This also applies for carpet shampooing and any other professional house cleaning you may wish to undertake. It will make life easier for you if you ensure that these people attend to their tasks before you move in. Normally, you will find that the servicemen involved are extremely co-operative and give you advice on the best way to achieve this.

Keys And Locks

Please ensure when leaving your old home that the keys are all left inside the property apart from one key which should be delivered to your Solicitor or the Landlord. This will prevent any problems on access to your old property by the new owners. When moving into your new property I advise that you should change the barrels in all locks. Where possible, you should fit deadlocks. Some people are not as thorough as you may have been in recovering outstanding keys from friends and servicemen and thus you can never be sure who may have a key to your home. The only way to guarantee your security is to change the locks. Instead of the barrel (or the inner part of the lock) from your hardware store and merely replace this. This will ensure total security for your home. When you take out the old barrel, please ensure that you sticky tape the key too the barrel before storing it. This is the only way to ensure that you will always have the right key for this spare lock.

Insurances

Please note that you will doubtless have acquired new items of furniture and disposed of others in the shift. As soon as you are settled, you should review all household insurance especially any items that have to be "specified" in your policy. In acquiring the new property your financing will also have changed. Please check your life cover to make sure that it is still sufficient to cover your needs and the needs of those dependant on you.

Inspection

If you have not as part of the conditions of your contract arranged for a building inspection on your property it is wise to have this undertaken. The costs for these reports vary somewhat, however a good report (whilst it may not at this stage allow you to get out of the contract) does provide you with a prioritised list of maintenance matters that may need attending to. As with all maintenance, if they are attended to regularly they are relatively easy to fix and do not become a major operation.

Before Moving into your property;-

1. You should arrange with the Real Estate Agent to have a final inspection of the property.
2. You should always liaise with your Solicitor by telephoning and advising him that the property is in the same condition as when you purchased it and that nobody has "inadvertently" removed or shifted any lightshades, plants shrubs or other fixtures and fittings. Remember that your Solicitor has not been to the new house and does not know what has been removed and what has not. It is only from your personal knowledge of the property that you can alert him to problems that may otherwise have been rendered.
3. You should also ensure (where applicable) that all swimming pool equipment listed in the Contract for sale, has been left and is in good working condition.