Are you moving out of a rented home? Don't lose your deposit!

I certainly didn’t want to waste my time so I decided to call my friend and ask him if he has any idea what I should pay most attention to.

I don’t want to sound like a person that will not care to clean everywhere but I wanted to make sure that I have cleaned to perfection all the areas that a letting agency would inspect. My friend rang me later that day and provided me with the checklist they normally use at the end of a tenancy agreement.

End of Tenancy cleaning checklist

So, in the given checklist I could see that I need to make sure I wash down and polish (whilst ensuring I leave no smears) the doors and door frames, door fittings as they can get very dirty with constant touching.

The ceilings and the walls need to be free from dust. Extra attention needs to be paid to the flooring of the property as it also gets a lot of dirt. The carpets need to be refreshed as sometimes unpleasant odors can come out of them. I have a wooden floor in my living room so I actually have to go on my hands and knees to scrub it well with a brush. The skirting boards will have to be dust free too and washed. I have chandeliers in every room so I have to clean them well and remove any cobwebs. The windows and the window frames will need to be washed and polished making sure again there are no smears.

So far it sounds like an overwhelming task and I am wondering whether to spend some time researching for the best cleaning agency that can do all this for me. I have decided not to give up yet and just continue reading to see what else there is to do as so far I have only roughly covered the bedrooms and the living room.

The inventory checklist given by the real estate agency continues with the bathroom and the kitchen. In the bathroom, I will have to clean all of the bathroom fittings, any shower curtains, radiators and extractor fans. There is a little note on the list that antibacterial products have to be used in the area and bleach which is pretty understandable as the bathroom is one of the places with the most bacteria in the property. The kitchen comes next as one of the most difficult areas to be cleaned as in my case, I don’t own the appliances so I have to make sure they look brand new. Special attention has to be paid to the oven as it has collected a lot of grease through the years although I clean it often. I need to also decrease the extractor fan and clean the filters. The kitchen units also have to be cleaned inside and out.

How to clean shower curtain?

For those of us who have shower curtains in their bathrooms, there is a solution for cleaning them too. I know so many people who decide to throw away a shower curtain the moment they see it is getting dirty… read more

I have looked at my enormous list once again and decided that I don’t want to waste my time and save myself some hassle and call to action a cleaning agency that will make sure the inventory checklist is followed and the property is presentable for the inspection of the real estate agency. This will guarantee my deposit back as far as cleaning is concerned. I would say that if you want to tackle your property yourself, you should follow the inventory checklist so you don’t miss any important areas.

Useful tips when moving to your new home

Whether this is your first home after your parents’ home, whether you are renting or in your own home, whether it is another home you are changing – as if. We would like to offer you some cunning tips that will make your moving out and moving in easier for both you and your family members.

Moving Questions and Answers

Move – alone or with a moving company?

Sooner or later it is time for a new place and we have to move our belongings from one apartment to another. At first glance, it’s easy – a little physical load, very good organizing skills, a little help from friends, accidentally available transport, and coincidence in the plans of everyone around you.

Yes, you can do it, but why should you do it?

Here are 7 sure signs that a professional removal company is the best guarantee for a successful move:

• Moving far away
  You can fill up several boxes and suitcases and throw them in your car. Convenient, but only if you are leaving for a few days at the villa. Every household, however, needs a large truck to safely move all items from point A to point B. Nothing is so embarrassing to pack everything by yourself, to drive a big truck that you are not quite sure you can you drive, on strange roads.
• Need help
  You need help loading and unloading the furniture. If this is the case and you do not have friends with strong backs and strong hands, it is best to hire a Luggage transfers company to risk doing it yourself. Know – your friends do not want you to move.
• Valuables
  You are the owner of a valuable piece of art, an expensive collection of wines, a collection of football balls with photos, rare musical instruments, expensive electronics, or other items that require special handling during transportation.
• You do not have time
  You are busy – you work all day, and the little rest you want to dedicate to the family. It is not worth the most valuable hours to dedicate to loading and unloading. Then call a professional luggage delivery agency.
• Little children
  You have young children and move to a new city, but you have not hired a babysitter yet. A move will cause you enough tension that will make it difficult for you to look at the children. Is it worth it? Call professionals.
• Inappropriate season
  Move around during the school year – your children are going to have another test. There are also great festivals that bring together the whole family. Moving has to happen quickly and seamlessly, arrange your new home in time so you do not break the family traditions and tranquility of your children.
• You have no equipment
  You do not have the equipment to do the move yourself. You do not have a truck, trailer, towing, ropes, etc. You can hire them, you can also look for them from friends and friends of friends. It will cost you money, time and commitment to people in the future. The cost you will provide will exceed the hiring of a professional relocation company.

If you find yourself in one of these situations, it’s certainly time to look for a luggage delivery company. First, rate your budget, then do a survey and find the best moving company.

Take a look at how http://www.comparemymove.com helped the Evans family when they moved home.

How to determine the Moving budget

Budget planning is one of the most burdensome things. The concern will not leave you until the entire move is complete and until you settle down to the new location. Proper budget planning is more important than anything else.

At first, consider how much money you are willing to spend. You will need to do your own personal survey to find out how much each stage of a move is worth. The more you are aware of the different services, the more confident you will be for the financial and logistical part of the moving.

• Packaging
  You can either make the moving out yourself or pay someone else to do the job. The relocation company can help you with packing, and you need to secure the boxes. There are many traders to buy from them. If this makes it difficult, then the agency will provide the boxes. This will be for you more expensive but the company will pack everything for you and will guarantee your comfort and tranquillity.
• Moving
  Moving is the most expensive part. If you move around, then a friend can help you with a trailer or a truck. It’s worth taking a few courses if you can do the job. Everything will cost you a couple of days and a lot of beer for the friends who have helped.
• Rental a truck
  You can rent a truck to organize your relocation yourself and save costs. The price will depend on the size of the truck, so it is important to know in advance what volume your baggage will occupy. The price may be even lower if you hire a truck on a business day during the week. The cost will fall further if you take the course yourself and do not use the services of a driver.
• Hiring a company
  Hiring a relocation company will be more expensive than hiring a truck and moving alone. Professional movers, however, will guarantee you peace of mind. The company will take care of everything – including the most delicate items, as well as the items that need dismantling. Months from October to April are the cheapest because movers are mostly looking for spring and summer. If you can plan a move at the right time of the year, you will save some of the costs.
• Loading and unloading
  The very thought of loading and unloading causes a backache. So the best choice is to hire a company to do everything – load the goods, transport them, and then upload them to the new location. But if you are able to load and unload your furniture yourself, then you can look for the services of a professional relocation company only for transportation. This will also get you cheaper, just be careful with your back.
• Storage
  During the move, there will be a period when the items will already be outside the old home, but they will not yet enter the new home. Then you will need a place to store them. Good relocation companies also offer this service. At the end of the process, it may be that the cheapest is to include this service in the package.

It is very important to know every stage of the relocation process, then the savings you can make will become obvious. Also, it’s a good idea to be ready for unexpected spending as well, as you know everything is happening. So, you are ready to set your budget.

How to prepare your home for moving out

Your own home. Bigger than the previous one. A new start in a new city or neighborhood. It will certainly not be easy. The good news is that there are a few simple ways to reject part of the load and make your life easier. You do not have to hire a relocation company, although this is the best way to reduce stress. Let’s start in a row:

• Тhe unnecessary things
  Start with one box (or a few), label them “Discard”, “Donate”, and/or “Garage Sale” and place them in such a place in your home that they do not interfere with anyone. Thus, each member of the family will begin to critically examine his belongings in the rooms and decide in which box to leave them. No unnecessary tension and fuss.
• Earlier
  The earlier you pack, the better. Certainly, there are things in the house that are used seasonally or less often, so start from them. Decorations for holidays, clothes for another season and more. can be carefully packaged, labelled and left aside.
• In pieces
  Wrap in parts. You do not have to pack all the goods in one day. Walk around the house, choose from which room to start, pick up the kitchen timer and packing materials. Set the timer for a few hours and try packing as long as you can for the set time. (remember to use the “Discard” and “Donate” boxes). Do not let this work go all day, just take a few more minutes to complete the job so you do not overwork.
• Items for Repairs
  Identify items that need repair. Mark them with coloured tape. If the fix requires an explanation, write the details on the bar. Once packing and stacking in each room is completed, you can take care of the things that need repair.
• Cleaning
  Clean each room while the repair continues or just after it is over. Clean walls, doors, ceilings and then close the door. You can even put a “Clean” sign on each door so everyone knows that the room is ready for use. For your convenience, relaxation, and leisure, it is better to use the services of a professional cleaning company. But for those who want to make the end of tenancy cleaning alone, you can take some good advice from The End of tenancy cleaning guide.
• Move to the kitchen
  Before moving, reduce the space you use, the kitchen is most difficult to pack and carry. If you can work at home, put your laptop on the kitchen counter and use it for a few days to clean up and pack the rest of the space. There is another way to pack and transport the kitchen – start packing the utensils and kitchen appliances you use less often. In a few drawers, leave the most necessary for your everyday life, which is always at hand. Then clean the empty cabinets and mark them with tape marked “Cleaned”. In this way, no one will confuse them and when the day of transfer occurs, you can simply put in the box the contents of the lockers with the most necessary and to get into the car.
• Stop shopping
  Stop shopping every day. People store more frozen vegetables, meat and any food leftovers than they suspect. Do not increase this quantity, but try to reduce it. It is unnecessary to carry half a bottle of milk, but it is unwise to dispose of a few litres. Flour, sugar, other kinds of food – or pack them, or give them to your neighbours, friends or the nearby social kitchen.

If you hire professional movers, forget all these packing tips. Just call them in time and they will take the big part of the job.

What to do with all the things before moving?

You are moving into a new home. This is an excellent opportunity to decide what to do with your belongings before moving. You must do this before you start packing. The things have sentimental value for each of us, so the decision what to do with them can be a difficult task. Still, we’ll help you decide what to keep, what to stock and what to sell.

First and foremost, select the items before moving. So you will also have fewer items to take with you in the new home.

• What to keep
  You’ve worked hard to buy most of your belongings. That’s why you can not easily give up on them. Try the question of how often you have used a certain item in the last year and if it turns out you did not use it – you do not need it. You have not even suspected how many of the subjects you just surround yourself without needing. This will allow someone else who really needs this item to use them.
• What to leave in stock
  Surely there are things you rarely use, but you do not want to part with them. Items that have a strong emotional value for you may need to go into storage. The furniture – there are certainly some of them in which you really invested with love. But your new home is likely to be different in size, and many of the old furniture will have no place there. If they are valuable, keep them in a room or simply separate them.
• Which things to sell
  Furniture has value and is worth selling. So those who need them will be happy to buy them, and you will be happy to make good money from them. The garage sale is a popular and convenient form for selling old furniture. For a sellout to be successful, you need to attract the attention of potential buyers – mostly neighbours and friends. You need some space – a yard or garage. Objects should not just be scattered on the ground, they should be ordered and have a price tag. You’ll need two friends too. One will act as a cashier and will keep the box with the amount collected. The other will move to potential customers and talk to them.

What is still important in the sale – the things you suggest are clean and in good condition, be carefully arranged and customers feel comfortable while looking at them. It is good to have clothes on hangers. And no less important is to offer your friends and neighbors sandwiches and coffee.

Nowadays, we are increasingly trading online as well. Some clothes can even sell with the help of online retailers. If there are things among things that make it hard to figure out the price, remember that you can give them like a present too. Better find a way to get rid of unnecessary items.

Transference – the first tasks in the new home

So, you’re already in the new place and a lot of work is waiting for you. There are a few things you need to do before the transfer company has brought your belongings. Here are some friendly tips that will make the transfer easier and help you quickly turn the new home into your home.

Electricity, water, telephone

Contact your utilities immediately in the new location – electricity, gas, water, telephone, cable TV and the Internet – to check if you need to transfer them in your own name. It is best to call the supplying companies as soon as the transfer date is clear, so the services will be activated the day before you move. It will be great to have the air conditioners turned on, to be light and the refrigerator to work when you arrive in the new place.

Goodbye to bugs

Call a pest control company before you move and we’ve brought your luggage. One never knows what the house was, especially if it was empty for a while.

Clean, Cleaner, The Cleanest!

It is easiest to clean your new home before our transport team has brought your luggage. So you will not have to move objects further to clear every corner of the house. Wipe the floor, windows, countertops, shelves, drawers, and so on. This will help you feel at home. Clean and disinfect the flooring in your new home, run the dishwasher and the washing machine, clean the stove, refrigerator and freezer. It’s a good idea to replace the toilet bowl.

• The electrical board
  Find the electrical board. Check the main fuse and make sure each switch is correctly labelled. Find out where the water meter and the water tap are located.
• Smoking prohibited
  Check that there are enough smoke detectors in the building and test each of them. Prepare an evacuation plan in the event of an emergency – fire, flood. Make sure there is a fire extinguisher on each floor.
• First aid kit
  You should always have a first aid kit in your home. It must be in an easy place. Moving sometimes leads to injuries.
• Who’s there?
  Replace the cartridges on all doors. They got a keychain with keys at check-in. You do not know how many such keys there are and who has them. Do not risk someone unknown getting into your new home.
• Where’s the toilet paper?
  Open the most important transfer box – “Open First”. It contains the most necessary – such as toilet paper, soap, toothpaste, garbage bags, cups and plates, scissors, snacks and paper towels.
• Where do you live?
  Change your address registration in the municipality and notify the post office, the bank, the credit company, the insurance company. Change your vehicle registration and driving license.

There are a lot more things to do when transferring a new place, but these basic tips are the first step to turning the new place into your home.

House Moving Plan

4-6 Weeks To Moving Day

• Book your removal company.
• Dispose of any items no longer needed. Remember charities, friends, and family may appreciate your pre-loved goods. You don’t want to pay to move those items.
• Remember to sort through garage/garden shed etc.
• Make a note of any precious items that may need special care to move.
• Measure the spaces in your new home to ensure your furniture fits.
• In the kitchen, use up all opened packets and throw out goods past their use-by date.
• Check any moving instructions for your washing machine with the manufacturer.
• Gas cylinders and air bottles should be empty with valves open, flammable liquids safely disposed of.
• Start using up food in the freezer.
• Create a folder for all your moving documents.
• Organise schooling, preschool transfers.
• If travelling, remember passports, tickets, visas etc.

If Packing Yourself

• Purchase cartons and packing material
• Use clean white paper, not newspaper as it soils items.
• Label every carton clearly as to contents and its room destination
• Dismantle furniture that comes apart – remember to tape screws etc in an obvious location or label and place in an “ESSENTIALS” carton.
• Prepare an inventory list of each carton.
• Pack lighter items in large cartons, heavier items in small cartons.

2-3 Weeks To Moving Day

• Contact all relevant authorities to notify of your new address.
• Return library books, videos, DVD’s etc.
• Arrange for family, friends to mind children and pets on moving day.
• Arrange transfer of bank accounts.
• Organise telephone, internet, gas, electricity, Foxtel connections.
• Arrange move of boat/trailer.
• Ensure new home will be thoroughly cleaned before your move and also arrange cleaning of your original home after your move.

1 Week To Moving Day

• Set aside bed linens, towels to be used on the first night so beds can be made up as soon as possible on moving day.
• Draw up a plan for each room in your new home with furniture placement for your removal company supervisor.
• Has the car checked if travelling long distances?
• Indoor plants should be lightly watered and packed into plastic-lined boxes.
• Cancel newspaper, milk and other deliveries.
• Drain lawn mower, remove batteries from battery powered items.
• If you have purchased a new home, ensure you have a final inspection the day before settlement to ensure the home is as you bought it and the fittings and fixtures outlined in the contract remain.
• Redirect mail through local Post Office.
• Advise services, eg. babysitter, gardener, cleaner.
• Prepare an ‘Essentials’ carton that contains important items such as remote controls, shelf supports, bed legs, keys, telephone charger, telephone handset, furniture assembly instructions

2 Days To Moving Day

• Remember your ‘SURVIVAL’ box. Include important medications, first-aid kit, children favorite toys (especially bedtime friends), toiletries, tea, coffee, kettle, milk, snacks, baby needs, children’s sleepwear and school needs, work clothes and essentials for the following day. Don’t forget the dog’s lead, pet food, and bowls.
• Collect dry cleaning.
• Arrange parking and access for RemovalsExpert van/vans.
• Make sure RemovalsExpert has clear instructions as to your new address and mobile phone numbers.
• Ascertain access details and key collection for your new home.

The Day Before

• If scheduled, professional packers will arrive to pack up your household. Make sure you leave out essential items for that evening and the following morning.
• Defrost, empty, dry out and air your refrigerator.
• Leave a welcoming note with all relevant information for the new resident. Remember to include your new address and telephone numbers.
• Prepare bags/cartons with all items that you wish to transport yourselves.

Moving Day

• Try to keep visitors to your new home to a minimum.
• Transport perishable food items in a cooler box.
• Have a plan at hand for furniture placement in the new home.
• Have at hand your “SURVIVAL” box.
• If renting, arrange for key collection.
• Collect all car and house keys, ensure gas and electricity meters have been read and telephone disconnected.
• If your possessions are being stored or you are moving overseas or interstate, remember to check and sign the inventory.
• Continue to check house/property for forgotten items as the van is being loaded.
• Check tops of cupboards.
• Turn off the power.
• Lock house, remember to leave keys as specified.

Your New Residence

• If leasing, document condition of property and furnishings for the appropriate agent.
• Try to stand at the removal list’s entry point and give clear directions as to furniture placement.
• Check all utilities are connected, hot water service on.
• At the completion of unloading, check all is to your satisfaction.
• If the move is from storage, interstate or overseas, check and sign the inventory.
• Check that you have all keys and relevant instructions to your new residence.
• Have security checked and locks changed if concerned.
• Contact your new local council for garbage collection information and new resident’s folders.
• Smile and say hello to your new neighbours ?