These are a few of my favourite things: Pets and Moving

Pets can be a great joy and true companions. However, despite landlords taking an increasingly flexible approach to pets, there are many examples of pets limiting your options for current or future housing, and they can be very expensive, especially if they get sick.

Think carefully about acquiring a new pet unless you have long-term secure housing. Could your skills of caring for animals be turned into extra income by pet sitting or walking?

The RSPCA offers a number of services which assist in caring for animals and provide relevant information and advice to help educate the community on animal welfare.

Decluttering

Is your stuff holding you back? Is it making your current home hard to live in, or making the thought of moving too much for you to even contemplate?

We live in a society where, regardless of your income, it is easy to acquire things. Decluttering is an ongoing activity for many people, so you are not alone. There are many private providers offering assistance to declutter, however these can be expensive. Depending on where you live, you may be able to find a local service that can help you with this task.

The cost of moving

A recent study by ING found that the average cost of moving home in Australia is $1,618. This includes removalists, cleaning and reconnecting utilities. It can be a lot more, especially if you need to store your stuff for a period.

Experienced movers recommend that you:

1. List all the costs - bond, transporting your things, selling or buying furniture, connecting and disconnecting electricity, gas, phone, internet etc, redirecting mail, cleaning and yard maintenance before you leave and when you arrive, insurance etc
2. Get more boxes than you think you will need. It’s so much better to overshoot the mark than to fall short with this one. You can hire or buy boxes; plan for over 30 boxes if you are in a 2-bedroom apartment.
3. Moving is dirty. You can wipe down all the furniture before going over to the new place and then have to re-wipe it again once it got there. Have plenty of cleaning products.
4. If you’re looking to save as much money as possible, don’t hire removalists as it is usually the biggest expense in a move.
5. However, professional movers are much quicker, and generally make your move on the day less emotionally and physically stressful. Get a couple of quotes before you decide on a mover.

Services

RSPCA

'Pets in Crisis' is operated by the RSPCA throughout Australia. The Pets in Crisis program offers a temporary home for pets from households experiencing family and domestic violence while their owner seeks refuge or temporary accommodation of their own. This helps to alleviate some of the logistical stress of removing themselves and their loved ones from a dangerous home environment.

RealEstate.com.au

The site realestate.com.au is used mainly for sale and rental of residential property but is also a source for lots of useful advice on both decluttering and moving.

Buried in Treasure

Another place to start might be to read “Buried in Treasurer” a book by Americans David Frost, Gail Steketee and Randy Frost. Buried in Treasures outlines a scientifically-based and effective program for helping compulsive hoarders dig their way out of the clutter and chaos of their homes. This approach provides the basis for many workshops. Your local library can source a copy for you.