Three practical pieces of moving advice from those in the know

Moving house can be an incredibly exciting event, but for good reason it’s also known as one of the most stressful times in our lives.

Whether you’re downsizing, upsizing, buying for the first time or relocating interstate, it pays to have some tips and tricks up your sleeve. 

Declutter before you start packing

Amy Revell, podcast host and owner of The Art of Decluttering, says a big mistake she sees people make when moving is assuming they can simply declutter as they pack.

“Declutter before you even start packing,” she suggests. “Because what people often do is, they leave everything a little bit too late and so they just chuck everything in boxes.”

The first problem with this is you’ll effectively pay to move items you don’t want.

The second is you may never get around to sorting these belongings at all. Revell has had clients with boxes still unpacked from a move completed 17 years before.

“Realistically … if it can live in a box for months you probably just don’t need it,” she says. 

Revell adds that taking an all-or-nothing approach to decluttering can also stand in the way of minimising your belongings, and that “done is better than perfect”.

“It might look like walking through the house to do the declutter before you pack and going, ‘All right, I’ve just got one bag for rubbish and one bag for donations and … I’m just going to try and fill them.’” 

Leave behind everything the next owner or tenant will need 

While you’re culling everything that isn’t coming with you in the move, it’s important to take note of the things you shouldn’t be removing from the house at all.

One item that can cause confusion is the nbn® connection box – the device that connects the nbn network to your Wi-Fi modem or gateway.

Courtney McMahon, general manager of residential products at nbn, says leaving the nbn connection box behind ensures everyone can stay connected to the internet.

“It is connected to your home and associated to that individual address, and you should definitely leave it behind when moving home so the next occupant can easily connect their internet service,” she explains. “The nbn connection box won’t work at a different address, so best to keep it where it is.”

You can check if your new home is one of over 12 million homes and business able to connect to the nbn network (and which kind of connection) using this tool.

By the end of 2025, nbn is on target to deliver close to gigabit capability* to 90 per cent of the fixed line network.

If your new home has not previously had an nbn connection you can contact your provider to organise an nbn installation appointment (renters will need to get permission from their landlord to have nbn equipment installed if it hasn’t been previously).

It’s important to plan this in advance to ensure a seamless nbn connection when you move in.

While the nbn connection box should stay where it is when you move, any equipment not supplied by nbn (for example, the Wi-Fi modem or gateway and any Wi-Fi mesh systems) should relocate with you. 

If you do accidentally take the nbn connection box with you, you can post it back to nbn free of charge via Australia Post.

Be strategic when packing 

Once you’ve identified what is and isn’t coming with you in the move, thinking carefully about how you pack your boxes is another of Revell’s key tips. 

“We don’t necessarily want to pack really heavy boxes, and we want to make sure that we’ve got categories together,” she says. “So, if there’s a box that’s not full, we don’t want to randomly chuck bedsheets in there if it’s a box for the garage.”

If you’re engaging a professional removalist or organiser, unpacking will be more streamlined.

“I usually suggest that you have the person who’s going to be either the home owner or the key decision-maker in the home stationed at the new house all day, and all they’re doing is telling people where to put stuff,” she says. 

It can be tempting to simply set up the beds and then sit on the floor eating takeaway pizza the first night, but Revell is a big advocate for having your new home fully unpacked from day one. If someone is helping you, ask them to open each box and place the items in the right spot or even just on the kitchen counter.  

“While something’s hidden in a box there’s really low motivation to open that box, find out what’s in there and find a home for it,” she explains.