We have noticed on Lane Cove Chat by ITC that people are moving house (many times to another place in the Lane Cove Council Area). How do we know that? There are so many posts for end of lease cleaners and moving boxes requests.
Moving can be a hectic time, so we’ve worked with local Lane Cove electricity supplier, Bright Spark Power to help you put together a plan for your move. Moving home is the perfect time to reassess your electricity provider. Bright Spark Power can make your new electricity connection seamless and ensure your new home is switch on and ready to move in.
They have put together an awesome moving house checklist for you; Use the Bright Spark Power checklist to create your plan and move home smoothly.
Moving in a Pandemic
If you’re moving locally, it’s easy to understand the local restrictions, but you will need to plan even more carefully if you’re moving interstate.
Penny Walker lived in Lane Cove for over 10 years and moved three times. In 2020, she made the move to Queensland to be closer to family.
She said, “moving interstate with changing border conditions was surreal. I got closer to my family but didn’t get to see many of my possessions for over 6 months until we could get back down to Lane Cove.”
Clear Out Junk
You want to try and minimise the amount you must move to your new house, so sorting as you pack is a good way.
Donate or recycle any unwanted belongings. This is tricky now as many donations’ centres are closed. So have the unwanted items packed and put in your garage ready to donate when you can – don’t bring them into the house.
Start with larger items to create space for boxes as you pack.
Book a council clean up or recycling service for things you can’t donate or sell. Make sure you book in advance as there is sometimes a couple of week’s wait time. The link to book a Lane Cove Council clean-up is here.
Penny suggested, “if you’re using friends and family to store things, make sure you all understand that changing pandemic conditions means things could be stored longer – and be extra lean thinking when throwing out your junk.”
Who to Notify
You need to make a list of which services and when to notify the companies once the date of the move is known.
Bright Spark Power has a comprehensive list of who to notify and when to notify when moving house that includes:
- Government services
- Financial services
- Motoring services
- Health services
- School services
- Utility services
- Estate Agents, Landlords or Strata
- Moving services
- Friends and family
You want to make sure your electricity and utilities are connected to your new home. Check out the Bright Spark Power checklist – easy steps for transferring electricity, gas and utilities
Health Services, Doctors, Dentist etc., are better being notified earlier. A recommendation would be 4 weeks to ensure that relevant documents are transferred across.
Schools, Preschools and sporting activities are also best given 4 weeks, especially if there is going to be a transfer as limited spots may be available.
Pack Efficiently
Ultimately everyone will have their own approach to packing. Penny’s advice – “prepare early. It’s so stressful on the day, try to be as prepared as possible. If you need to – make a list.”
- Use one room that doesn’t get used to move all the packed items into.
- Pack one room at a time
- Label each box as you go, making sure you write the contents on each box.
- Label all of your fragile items.
- Tape up or put any liquids into bags.
- Have a box or tub for any kitchen items that can be used for when you move in.
- Try to use any the correct size boxes or packaging to pack items into.
- Pack heavier items into smaller boxes or tubs.
- Any fragile items should be wrapped with newspaper and/or bubble wrap
- Try to pack items inside each other, e.g. pots and pans.
- Use as much linen, pillows etc., to cushion any fragile items in boxes.
- Pack a separate bag for any clothes, toiletries, or medication required for the next couple of days.
- Pack any important documents or bills that may be required more urgently in a file that you can have on hand.
- Did you know that you can borrow moving boxes from The Sydney Library of Things? You have a month to borrow them, and that will encourage you to unpack. Find out more here.
Get to Know Your New Area
Take a drive or walk around the new area and get to know where your closest shopping centres, schools, parks, Doctors etc., are located. This will help you feel at home more quickly.
Contact your local Government Council for a new Resident Kit. This will provide you with all the up-to-date information you need to know about your new local neighbourhood.
Settling the Family
Children tend to get stressed when moving. A way to ensure they settle into the new home quickly is by establishing their living quarters and providing a safe space by unpacking items that they are familiar with to settle into their new routine. If you are able, take them to the area and create a calm build up so they feel prepared.
Pets
Animals get stressed when they move. They also can easily escape with gates left open by removalists or tradies doing work. Animals may need to be housed inside for a couple of days or in a separate room until they become familiar with their surroundings. This is the time when ITC gets involved as pets try to go back to their old home.
Make sure your phone number update your details with the NSW Pet Registry. Update your details so that the new details are available on the day of your move; More information on updating the details of your pet is here.
Always have two phone numbers registered (we did have a situation where the owner was overseas, and the only way the owners knew their pet had escaped was they saw it on ITC);
Do not just rely on a microchip; sometimes, it can be difficult to read a microchip (particularly on older pets). Make sure your pet has a collar, and your phone number is embroidered on the collar. We have had many pets where their details are on a tag hanging from the collar. A hanging tag can come off it if the pet gets stuck on a fence or in bushes.
On the Day
On her three moves in Lane Cove, Penny offered, “Parking and traffic around Lane Cove is a nightmare. Particularly our place that was on Longueville Road. It was hard to manoeuvre as well as have enough time to unload. We tried to avoid peak times, but this failed when the truck was late! It was definitely easy to grab a coffee, though, which was great.”
See the full Checklist for Absolutely Everything You Need to Remember When Moving House on the Bright Spark Power website. What else would you put on your ‘moving preparations’ list? Contact Bright Spark Power and let them know!!
Change Locks
You don’t know who the previous owners gave keys to. Always change locks. Alert Locks and Security is a local company that can help you. If you are renting you won’t be able to do this without the consent of your lessor.
Who is Bright Spark Power?
Bright Spark Power are an independent and 100% Australian-owned and operated electricity provider, founded in and operating locally out of Lane Cove. They famously gave all their customers free electricity for a day for their first birthday in May 2021.
The Bright Spark Power Aussie Flat Rate plans for homes in Lane Cove and NSW feature:
- No credit card fees
- No exit fees
- No move-in fee
- Our Best Rate Guarantee
Give Bright Spark Power a call if you have any questions about getting electricity sorted for your move date – they can quickly assess what’s best for your business, including assessing if you’d be on a better tariff by switching meter types, which they offer at no charge – call 1300 010 277.
Mr ITC switched to Bright Spark Power, and he could not believe how easy it was to change.
Submit your comparison to support the Cats ‘Let there be Light!’ Fundraiser until 30 September or Switch your electricity here.
Supporting Local Business
Bright Spark Power focus their marketing efforts on supporting their customers, rather than spending a load of money on advertising. They feel that a longer-term investment in their customers and community’s success will set them apart and embed them in the local areas where they operate.
Their premier programme for promoting local business customers is ‘Powered by Bright Spark Power‘. It’s a popular programme that donates marketing time to businesses to help promote what that business does, in exchange for helping Bright Spark Power show off the different types of local businesses it has connected.
The best support any local business can get from Bright Spark Power is a free energy needs analysis. It takes just one bill for the Bright Spark Power team to identify if a business could benefit from changing meter or tariff types. Arran says ‘many businesses who operate standard 9-5 business hours could benefit from changing tariff types from flat rates to time of use. They can then benefit from lower off-peak usage rates.’ While many electricity providers would put this service in the ‘too hard basket, Bright Spark Power is committed to helping a business achieve cost certainty with simple rates and a high level of service that truly understands a business’s energy needs.
The energy needs analysis is a free service for all local businesses and is accessed by emailing a bill or starting a conversation via email at [email protected]. There is never an obligation to sign up, but it’s a great way to test their customer service for yourself.
Contact Details
See: www.brightsparkpower.com.au
This is a sponsored post.
Bright Spark Power is an ITC Business Community Supporter. Please support those local businesses who support In The Cove.
