搬家指导(Moving House)

whjanet

今天上网看到了一个很有意思的搬家指南，觉得不错， 与大家共享：

8 weeks to go:

   1. Begin planning your move. Decide whether you will use a removalist or do it yourself.
      
      DIY:  
          * Are you fit enough for the physical work involved?
          * Do you have access to a truck or how much does it cost to hire one? (With the cost of fuel and inconvenience on everyone involved, will you save enough to make it worthwhile?)
          * Do you have friends or family who are willing to help?
          * Do you have time?
          * Do you want to undertake the move yourself?

      
      Removalist:
          * Do you want the full service where the removalists pack, transport and unpack your entire household contents or do you want to pack and unpack yourself?
          * Get quotes from several companies and ask friends and family for recommendations.
          * Ask the removalist for testimonies of satisfied customers if necessary and choose the company you believe will offer the best service.
          * If they seem more expensive than others, ask them to match their nearest competitor.
          * Find out what's included in the quote and what's extra - including insurance

      
   2. Set the date: Your settlement date may be stipulated in the contract. Check on this with the solicitor and if hiring a removalist or truck/trailer, book as early on as possible. You may need to arrange a day off work for the move so sort this out while you're at it.
      
   3. What's in the kitchen cupboards? Go through your pantry and freezer and see what foodstuffs are lurking in there that haven't been used for months. Throw out old and expired items and plan some menus to use up those things that you bought on special and have forgotten about.
      
   4. Draw up a list of people, companies and services that will need to be notified about your change of address. As well as family and friends, these will include:
          * Taxation Office
          * Road Traffic Authority
          * Phone company
          * Mobile phone service provider
          * Internet service provider
          * Satellite/cable television company
          * Gas company
          * Electricity company
          * Water company
          * Landlord / Old real estate agent
          * Doctors
          * Dentists
          * Solicitors
          * Local council
          * Insurance companies - life, car and house
          * Superannuation fund
          * Employers
          * Dept of Social Security
          * Schools/child carers
          * Banks and building societies
          * Medicare
          * Magazine/Newspapers subscription
          * Interested charities
          * Club memberships
          * Libraries
          * Valued customer/loyalty memberships
          * Catalogues
          * Electoral Office
再加上一个 center link

whjanet

6 weeks to go:

   1. Contact your landlord/real estate agent if you are renting: Confirm that date you will be leaving the property and arrange for the refund of your bond upon final inspection. ----如果你租的房子已经过了合同期，则提前三个星期即可。中介会open house for 下一个人， 提前太长会很烦。
      
   2. Clear out your junk: Be ruthless and get rid of everything you haven't used or worn in the last year. Consider also parting with goods that may not fit into your new place. Hold a garage sale to sell items of value or take them out to a car boot/flea market. Donate everything of worth that doesn't sell to charity shops or give items away to friends. Make a trip to the tip for everything else - some tips have resell areas which may accept useful items, while the rest can be thrown into general waste.
      
   3. Confirm arrangements with your removalist / hire truck company / storage facility. Make sure you have received written confirmation of all bookings so that you are clear on the prices quoted and can review the small print details. --中国人的搬家公司提前2-3天预定即可。而且最好早上搬
      
   4. Arrange removal insurance: Will the insurance company who currently insures your home contents give you a temporary 'transit' cover? This type of policy should cover items broken or damaged during the move and may include temporary storage. Compare this with insurance offered by removal companies and other insurance brokers. Get 'top up' for valuable items that the standard policy does not cover.
      
   5. Make a list of all valuables including furniture, appliances, tools, jewellery, electronics etc. This is useful for assessing the value of your home contents and transit insurance and will be handy later for checking whether anything has gone missing in the move.
      
   6. Collect packing boxes and materials from supermarkets and discount stores if you are moving yourself or organise to buy or hire packing cartons from a removalist. Make sure boxes will be strong enough for the contents you intend to pack in them.



4 weeks to go:

   1. Complete redirection instructions at the post office to ensure your mail is redirected to your new address. It may take a few months for some senders to get their mailing lists updated so be sure to allow for this when considering how long you will need this service.
      
   2. Draw up a form letter outlining your new details which can be printed off several times or photocopied to send out to relevant authorities, companies, services etc. Print or write out labels/envelopes at the same time to save looking them up a second time later. You may like to create a smaller notice (like a business card) to hand out to friends. Some of your list may be contactable by email which may make this task a lot easier. In either case, remember to include any customer or account numbers where relevant so that you are easily identified. Keep a record of who has been notified by marking down the date the letter was sent next to their name on your list.
      
   3. Consider moving arrangements for your pets: Do you need to buy or hire a special carrier box or would you prefer to use the services of a company who specialises in the transportation of animals?
      
   4. Start doing those jobs which can be done: Cleaning out cupboards, the fridge and garden shed can be time consuming and tiring. Even if items have to be put back in their place, get on to them now so that when you do clear them out, they will only require a quick going over.
      
   5. Get your laundry done: If you've got kids, you know how washing and ironing tends to pile up if you don't keep on top of it. You'll be busier than ever in the next couple of weeks, so take this chance to sort out your laundry including hand washing and linen. Take curtains to the cleaners (if you are keeping them) along with other items needing special care.
      
   6. Arrange accommodation if there is going to be a short gap between moving out of your old home and moving into the new one.

[ 本帖最后由 whjanet 于 14-3-2007 13:32 编辑 ]

whjanet

2 weeks to go:

   1. Start packing cartons: If you are doing your own move or at least your own packing, the sooner you can start the better. Don't forget to number and label the cartons, making note on your inventory which items have gone into which box. It's a good idea to keep items from each room in the same box so that when unpacking begins the room contents just have to put away.
      
   2. Pack appliances in original boxes if you have kept them and take extra care with fragile items by using lots of bubblewrap or newspaper. If they are very valuable you may be better off leaving these for the removalists as items you have packed yourself will not be covered by insurance if they are damaged during the move. Be sure to clearly mark boxes containing fragile items 'handle with care'.
      
   3. Contact services including electricity, water, and gas companies to arrange for final readings just before you move out and to ensure their supplies will be on at your new property. Ask your phone company and internet service provider to organise connection at your new address so you are contactable as soon as you arrive.
      
   4. Arrange for valuable items including jewellery and important documents to be kept with your bank or left with a reliable family member during the transition period.
      
   5. Organise a babysitter if necessary: Family or friends not physically able to help with the move may still be happy to lend a hand by taking the kids for a few hours. Being able to concentrate on the move without having to tend to the needs of little ones can make the day much easier.



1 week to go:

   1. Complete packing or at least nominate boxes for items that will not be packed until the last minute. Label and number each box clearly.
      
   2. Draw up a large floor plan of your new property and mark in where everything should go. Each room should be numbered or named and your packed boxes should have a corresponding number or label on it so you or the removalist can identify where to put the box once it has arrived at the new house. Make a few copies so you can give one to the removalist, put one up near the entry way of the new house and have one for yourself.
      
   3. Ensure each person in your household has packed a bag containing clothes, toiletries and other personal items to take with them to see them through the first couple of days when boxes are still being unpacked. Children may like to include favourite toys and games to keep them occupied, especially as it is likely other forms of entertainment such as the television and computer may not be available immediately before or after the move.
      
   4. Return borrowed items to friends and neighbours, pick up any dry-cleaning, return library books and rented videos and notify newsagent and milkman if you have these delivered.
      
   5. Arrange for new locks to be fitted to the new house: This may be particularly important if the house has previously been rented out to various tenants. Obviously you will have to leave this until the current inhabitants have moved out.
      
   6. Defrost freezer and fridge and throw away perishable items that will not be consumed before the move.
      
   7. Tidy the garden: Rake up the leaves, sweep the deck and get the lawn mower out if necessary.
      
   8. Arrange to have the carpet steam cleaned: Try and book this to be done late on the day of the move - if it's a rainy day, muddy boots walking in and out will make an earlier job a waste of time and money.

whjanet

The day before

   1. Disconnect the washing machine and dishwasher and allow to drain if necessary. The removalist will not usually do this for you so if you cannot do it yourself arrange for someone to help or hire a handyman.
      
   2. Try and arrange access to your new house before moving day so that you can give it a good tidy up before everything arrives. You probably won't have a lot of spare time for this, but it may be possible to arrange to have the carpets steam cleaned or minor repairs made which will save the hassle of trying to sort this out when your house is filled with boxes.
      
   3. Prepare packed lunches or at least some snacks and drinks for the big day to keep everyone going. Keep an electric kettle out along with tea, coffee, milk etc and a few mugs so that the workers can recharge when they take a break.
      
   4. Pack a useful items box so that you will have immediate access to things you will need just prior to and after the move. This might include extra packing tape, marker pen, scissors, knife, cleaning products and equipment, first aid supplies, paper and pen, paper towels, soap and plastic bags.
      
   5. Borrow a mobile phone if you don't have one for moving day so that you can be contacted once the phone has been disconnected or taken out of its socket. Make sure you know how to use it if it is not yours and that everyone involved in the move knows the number.



Moving day

   1. Don't be tempted to take any items included in the sale with you. As well as being unfair, it is simply theft. The new owners will not be fooled into thinking that old curtains and cheap light fittings were the ones they specifically negotiated for inclusion in the sale and they will certainly notice if the modern fridge has been replaced with the old one from the garage.
      
   2. Check every nook and cranny to make sure you haven't left anything behind. Look through the attic, cupboards (especially the highest shelves), drawers, under the house, in the garage and around the garden.
      
   3. Once everything is out of the house, get your gloves and bucket out for a final clean out. Go over the kitchen and bathroom and give the floors and cupboards a clean. Leave the place as you would like to find it and perhaps include a note of the garbage days and other relevant information such as the local shops opening hours if you know the new owners are from out of the area.
      
   4. Before leaving lock all windows and doors, turn off any appliances left in the house as well as the main power supply and taps.
      
   5. Give the keys to the agent or solicitor for the new owners
      
   6. Check that all boxes and items of furniture being moved arrive at your new property (if using a removalist, you may like to check off boxes as they are unloaded from the truck).



After the move

   1. Don't try and achieve your unpacking all at once. Give yourself time to plan out how to best arrange your furniture, decorative items and personal effects. (Having said that, if you still have unpacked boxes sitting around months later, consider whether you really need the items inside.)
      
   2. Organise for deliveries including milk and newspapers to recommence
      
   3. Introduce yourself to the neighbours: Get off to a good start and let your neighbours know who you are and who belongs to your household.
      
   4. Get aquainted with the neighbourhood, local facilities and access to regular routes by taking a drive around.
      
   5. Enjoy your new house by adding a few personal touches and making it feel like home.

orangecat

好文啊，謝謝分享！！！

singingbird

刚搬过。三、五年不打算挪窝了。

帖子不过还是整理得很仔细的。有价值！

liluchina

刚买了房子,这一篇很有用.
谢谢.

tuwh

真好玩，老外就是喜欢把所有的事情都列个条条框框。不过这样也好，万事都有头绪可循。

liluchina

谢谢!刚买房,就要搬了.此贴很合用.

silky

真详细啊．先收藏了，谢谢楼主！

craigie

说实话，有看完这帖子的时间我的那点家当已经搬完了。