It’s said that moving house can be one of the most stressful times in someone’s life. To help calm that stress, we’ve come up with the top ten things you need to get done before you move.

Contact your gas, water, electricity and internet companies to let them know you are moving house and cancel or transfer your accounts. This is a great time to look for new specials!

Get in touch with the postal service to put a forward on any mail address to your old home, so that you can have it re-directed to your new house.

Call around and get quotes on removal companies before settling on the best one. Make sure you ask them whether they will disassemble your furniture, or whether you need to do this yourself. Also check their online reviews to ensure they are a reputable removal company.

We recommend hiring a professional cleaning company to do your final clean to ensure it is left in the best possible condition. Ensure the carpets are steam cleaned, the windows are cleaned and all the hard to clean items such as your oven is cleaned properly.

Make sure everyone in your family packs a bag of essentials to get them through the first night or two in the new house. You don’t want them having to sort through boxes to find their pyjamas – so take the stress out of the first night in your new home.

So often it’s the important documents – such as birth certificates and passports – that get lost in a big move. Store these in a safe place before the removers come. We recommend moving these items yourself in the car.

The best way to pack is by packing everything that goes in one room into the same box or boxes. For example, all the kitchen drawer utensils should be kept together. Pack up the rooms one by one and label the boxes clearly.

Before you start packing though, you need to make sure you have all your boxes and packing tape ready to go. You can hire moving boxes instead of buying them which will save you money and mean you don’t have to worry about disposing of them after the move.

Once you have vacated your home, don’t forget to disconnect all the main appliances and services.

Let your friends and family know you are moving house by dropping them a courtesy email.

This article was written in conjunction with the Sydney removals company, Hire A Mover