The four week moving house checklist for Sydney

Moving in Sydney has a few local traps that generic checklists miss. Strata lift bookings run out. Council parking permits take days. And half the peninsula has streets a removal truck cannot legally stop on. Work backwards from moving day and none of it bites.

Four weeks out

• Book your removalist. Good crews on the North Shore are gone three to four weeks ahead in spring.
• Ask both buildings about lift bookings, loading dock times and any certificate of currency your removalist needs to supply.
• Check whether your street needs a council parking permit for the truck. Some councils want a week of notice.
• Start a rubbish pile. Anything you would not pay to move should not be moved.

Three weeks out

• Book your moving crates. Pick a delivery date about a week before the move so you can pack at a civilised pace.
• Sort out internet at the new place. It is the one utility that can leave you waiting.
• Book carpet cleaning or end of lease cleaning if you are renting.
• Tell schools, work and anyone who needs your new address in writing.

Two weeks out

• Crates arrive. Start with the rooms you barely use, then bookshelves, then decor.
• Label each crate on two sides with the room it is going to, not what is in it. Stacked crates hide the top label.
• Arrange electricity, gas and water connection dates for the new place.
• Set up mail redirection with Australia Post.

One week out

• Pack everything except a week of clothes, the kettle and the coffee.
• Confirm the removalist, the lift booking and the parking arrangements.
• Take photos of your electronics setup before you unplug the cables.
• Pack a first night crate: bedding, towels, chargers, medication, toilet paper, a knife, snacks.

Moving day

Strip the beds, do a final walk through of every cupboard, and read the meters at both places before you hand back the keys. Keep the first night crate with you in the car, not on the truck.

The two weeks after

This is where crate hire earns its keep. Unpack at your own pace rather than racing a pile of cardboard. When you are done we collect the crates from the new place, so there is no flattening, no bundling and no tip run.