So you’ve landed the rental of your dreams. You’ve sweet-talked the leasing agent, paid your bond and got your hot little hands on a set of keys.
But are you ready for what comes next? Moving house is what you make it, and it can either be a bundle of stress and packing tape or an exciting start to your new life. To help you move pads like a professional, follow our golden rules:
Set up your internet (and gas… and electricity)
You’ll need the necessities and you’ll need them straight up. Trust us, nobody wants to be left in the dark – literally. You can organise to have your gas, electricity and water connected before you move in but sometimes Wi-Fi can take a little longer, so plan in advance and you’ll be Netflix-ing in no time.
Double check your lease
The day you get your keys, the real estate agent will also give you a hard copy of your lease contract. This is your opportunity to go through the house from top to bottom and check that the agent has marked down all existing damage to the property. If you find another missing door handle or paint scratch make sure you add them to the paperwork, you’ll be doing yourself a big favour when it comes to inspections.
Ask for help
Don’t be a hero. Moving house is a big deal so enlist help where you can. This might mean hiring a removal company for the day, or just sweet talking your older brother into lending you his ute. Call in the favours and make life a little easier for yourself. Thank us later.
Update your address
Sure, no one enjoys paperwork but this is an important life admin. Make sure to update your address on your driver’s license, bank, the ATO, your superannuation organisation and the electoral roll. You’ll also want to pay to get all your mail forwarded on for at least a month so you don’t miss any pesky pieces of snail mail.
Invest in insurance
Yep, home insurance is a real thing. While you probably don’t want to imagine a break-in, or worse, a fire, these things do happen and they’re expensive to boot. Splitting the cost of home and contents insurance between your household is a very smart and grown-up way of protecting your laptop, guitar, and that flat screen TV you spent an entire paycheck on.
Hello, housewarming!
Sure, moving can be stressful but what’s the light at the end of the cardboard box tunnel? A housewarming, of course. Don’t forget to bulk buy the chip and dip, invite the neighbours over and cheers to your new place with all your best mates.
