Moving House Checklist

Expert tips for managing your utilities when moving house

Compare the Market’s Head of Energy, Meredith O’Brien, has a few tips for managing the utilities step of your moving checklist.

Compare for a same-day or next-day connection

If you’ve left your connection to the last minute, compare on our website for a same- or next-business-day connection. Your eligibility for a fast connection may depend on which retailers are available in your area, the cut-off times for a same-day connection and which business days they offer connections.

Once connected, you can switch providers at anytime

You aren’t locked into a contract, so if you signed up with a provider because they could connect you sooner but their rates weren’t quite as competitive, you can always switch to another provider at a later date when you have more time to compare your options.

Remember to organise a disconnection at your old home

Don’t forget to contact your current utility companies to disconnect your electricity and gas, so you aren’t charged for any usage after moving out. Even though you’ve moved, you’ll still receive a final energy bill from your current energy provider, which may include a disconnection fee. These connection and disconnection fees may vary depending on where you live.

Step one: Hire a removal company

Unless you own a truck or want to hire one yourself, you’ll probably need to hire a removalist. When searching for the right company, you should consider the following:

• Only hire a professional removalist company that’s licenced and accredited by the industry’s governing body, the Australian Furniture Removers Association (AFRA).
• Do a background check on companies by looking through their online reviews.
• Get quotes from a range of companies so you can compare, but don’t compromise on quality when considering price.
• A good removalist company should offer you transit insurance through a third-party partner or themselves. While not essential, it may give you peace of mind if you’re worried about your belongings.

Once you’ve contacted a removalist company and you’re ready to proceed, confirm moving dates and read through the bill of lading. This is the contract between you and your mover that includes a list of your belongings they’ll transport to your new address.

The removalist company should also give you a moving booklet, which explains your rights if any items are lost or damaged. Read the section on your rights and responsibilities and cross-check the list of services they’ve agreed to perform. This helps ensure a stress-free move with no confusion.

Step two: Disconnect and reconnect utilities

Next on the moving house checklist is utilities. Are you a renter or homeowner? If you’re a homeowner, the responsibility falls on you. But if you’re a renter, you should check your rental agreement to determine if disconnecting utilities is the responsibility of the owner/property manager or you. If you live in an embedded network, you may not have the choice. .

Utilities to disconnect and connect before your move can include:

• Electricity
• Gas
• Water
• Internet
• Phone (landline).

Before you move out of your old house, notify your utility providers (e.g. energy companies) of your exit date with at least five days’ notice. Ask them to disconnect the day after you move out and send your final bill via email or to your new address.

When you buy a property, the solicitor or conveyancer should notify the local water service of the change of ownership, but you can always call to double check. Before leaving your old house, be sure to switch off the hot water and then switch it on at your new place.

Compare energy providers for your new home

When moving house, you’ll need to set up a new energy connection, as you won’t be able to take your current plan with you. This is the perfect time to compare!

Provided you move to a deregulated state or territory, you’ll be able to compare your energy options to find a new electricity or gas plan. With Compare the Market, you can get access to a same-day or next-day connection if you’ve left your electricity connection to the last minute, subject to you meeting the eligibility criteria.

If your new home is connected to the natural gas pipeline, it’s important to be aware that gas connections will take a minimum of three business days to be completed after you’ve compared gas plans and chosen one that suits your needs.

Changing energy providers can help you cut down on your electricity and gas bills. Before moving house, you should be sure you understand the energy needs of your new home; for example, whether your home has solar panels and you’re eligible for a solar feed-in tariff.

To learn more about this topic, check out our guide to connecting and disconnecting utilities when moving house.

Step three: Packing up

The removalists will pack the big stuff, leaving the smaller items to you. If you’re looking to buy essential packing materials such as boxes, packaging, labels and tape, most removalists or storage facilities will sell them.

Packing can be made easier if you split it over several weeks, rather than doing it all at once. Not leaving your packing to the last minute will help make the moving process smoother and give you greater peace of mind as moving day approaches.

Several weeks before your moving date, you can start packing items you rarely use or don’t need (like photo albums, books and decorations). While packing, you’ll probably come across items or furniture you never use or no longer need. Consider off-loading them to friends, selling them on websites like Gumtree, hosting a garage sale or donating them to your local charity.

In the week before your moving date, it’s time to start packing anything that’s not needed for the remaining time leading up to the move. Remember, when packing fragile items, you should wrap them in newspaper or bubble wrap to keep them from being damaged during the moving process.

Packing and moving tips

• It’s a good idea to pack up a move-in day box filled with all your essentials such as medication, mobile phone chargers, bed linen, toiletries, any child or pet necessities and, of course, toilet paper.
• Defrost your fridge and freezers, and be sure to give them a good clean ahead of your moving day.
• Drain any liquid from your washing machine and check the moving instructions to be sure you’re handling your major appliances safely.
• Take special care with any valuables such as jewellery or important documents (e.g. birth certificates or medical records). They should be stored in a safe place and transported by yourself, rather than in the moving truck.

Step four: Moving out

If you’re renting, remember to hand over your keys to the real estate agent on moving day and, if possible, pick up the keys to your new residence in advance.

After the heavy lifting is completed and the house is vacant, it’s time to call in the cleaners. Like you did with the moving company, hire a cleaning service based on price without compromising on quality – so get a few quotes!

A professional cleaning service will save you time and effort, and should do a superior job. Plus, if you’re leaving a rental, they’ll often guarantee their work so you have a better chance of getting all of your bond back.

Step five: Update your new address details

There are a lot of organisations and people to update your change of address with when moving. The number of services to update can be overwhelming, which is why we’ve separated them into three levels of priority.

Highest priority

It’s important to update these services or companies either prior or within a week of your move:

• Government bodies such as Medicare, Australian Taxation Office, Australian Electoral Commission, Australian Jobsearch and Centrelink online
• Your bank or credit card company for security reasons (e.g. sending out new cards)
• Rental providers, if you’re leasing goods
• Driver’s licence and car registration through your state’s road authority
• Your friends and family members – how else are they going to find your housewarming party!

Medium priority

It’s a good idea to update your address within approximately two weeks of the move to make sure everything is up to date.

• Your superannuation fund
• Your lawyer or solicitor
• The local council to ensure your pet is registered in its new surroundings
• Your work, university, TAFE or children’s school
• Doctors and health professionals such as your GP, physio and dentist

Low priority

Make sure to update your address details for these before any deliveries end up at the wrong address.

• Membership and loyalty clubs such as the gym or any other recreational clubs
• Online retailers such as eBay, Amazon or your supermarket delivery service
• Home subscriptions such as meal delivery, wine or magazines that need to be redirected or cancelled

Don’t forget about your car, home, contents and other insurance policies

When moving house, it’s essential to update your insurance. Alternatively, you could use this time to shop around, get some quotes and transfer to a cheaper policy. Here are two types of insurance you’ll need to update:

• Your home and contents insurance policy is no longer accurate when you relocate. It’s important to update your insurance company with your new address following a move, as it could impact a potential claim if something happens at your new home but your insurer doesn’t have this address. Moving house can also change your premiums, so it can be a great time to compare and see whether you could find a better policy. If you’re a renter, you can compare renters insurance.
• It’s also important that your car insurance policy details are up to date; otherwise, you risk your insurer rejecting your claim. You should update details like your address, where you park your car at night and how often you drive, as some insurers consider these factors when calculating premiums.

Step six: Organise mail redirection

Concerned you missed someone? Whether you’re moving overseas or moving around the corner, you can get your mail redirected to your new address. Arrange a mail forward for a defined period via the Australia Post website.

You can be flexible in how long you want your mail redirection to be active, and you can even opt-in to let Australia Post handle some of address updating for eligible services and remove some of the burden from yourself.

Step seven: Unpack and relax

When the removalists unpack your furniture, show them where you want them positioned. You can also give them a floor plan and label your belongings for each room, so that they can get all your boxes situated in the right place. This will save you some reshuffling later.

After the removalists unpack the larger items, double check all your belongings are accounted for and in good condition. It’s important to do this right away to avoid any time limitations on claims with removals insurance.

Once you unpack the smaller items, you can start to explore your new house and all it has to offer.

With a new house, it’s the little things you need to discover, including:

• Finding out what day is ‘bin day’
• Familiarising yourself with the area
• Checking out fencing if you have any pets
• Changing the locks if you have security concerns
• Cutting new keys
• Meeting the neighbours.

Once you’ve settled in, it’s time to relax. Moving house is a stressful process; it requires time off work, months of planning and a lot of hard work, so make sure you take the time to enjoy your new home!