As moving to a new home is basically a new life, there has to be extensive planning and thinking involved. You will need to decide what items to carry to your new location and which you leave behind. Leaving behind an item might overwhelm you at the mere thought; however, a number of those items simply need not be carried. After all, not everything in your old home needs to make the journey to your new place. Below are some items you should consider leaving behind when moving out with one of the best Packers and Movers in Adelaide.
1. Appliance Manuals
It’s easy to forget about those instruction booklets you’ve collected over the years for your appliances, but they can be quite helpful to the new homeowner or tenant. If your microwave, dishwasher, refrigerator, or water heater has manuals, these should remain in the home. The new occupants will likely need these guides to understand how to operate the appliances, especially if they are unfamiliar with the brand or model. These items are usually meant to stay with the appliances and should not be packed up with your belongings.
2. Unused or Leftover Paint
If you have leftover paint from previous touch-ups or home projects, it is usually best to leave it behind. Although it may seem like a waste to give up something you already bought, it can be messy in your moving with the packers and movers in Adelaide and elsewhere, and it can be hard to store in your new home. Leaving the paint behind can also be a kind gesture. This would be useful for future repairs or touching up any areas that require maintenance. It is a practical way to help them out without the hassle of moving bulky, often unnecessary, items.
3. Light Fixtures and Ceiling Fans
While it may be tempting to take the stylish ceiling fan or the attractive light fixtures you’ve installed, these are typically considered fixtures of the property, meaning they’re meant to stay. The lighting in your home was likely included with the house when you first moved in, and they should remain as part of the property for the next residents. Trying to move and transport them can be such a hassle and hazardous, not to mention a difficult process. And the fixtures, being usually cumbersome, are very hard to set up or carry without causing breakage, so it’s much better to let the new owners keep them as they are or change them, replace them as they want.
4. Clothing You No Longer Wear
You will probably find boxes of clothes you haven’t worn in years when preparing to move. These clothes are outdated, don’t fit, or are just not your style anymore. It is best to leave these items behind or donate them to lessen the charges taken by packers and movers in Adelaide to move due to decreasing weight. Instead of packing up all your clothes, consider donating them to a local charity or leaving them behind for the new owners.
5. Fixed Kitchen Appliances
More and more, kitchen appliances like built-in ovens and dishwashers, as well as stovetops are considered part of the home itself. These constitute “fixtures”; that is to say, you usually own only the property – not the item. You definitely should not pack up these “fixtures” if you are planning to move; it would hurt the value of the property significantly, and this is just very impractical for you. Many of them are also fixed in the place in a way that will make it quite difficult to shift, and thus when you unmount them, there is the likelihood of damage both to the appliance and to the house. Just leave those appliances behind and let the next person enjoy them.
6. Outdoor Plants and Garden Fixtures
If you have a garden or plants outdoors, it would be a natural temptation to take those along with you. However, unless you are moving very close, it’s better to leave them behind. Plants are quite hard to transport, especially when moving a long distance. Some may not survive the journey, and moving them can be stressful for both packers and movers in Adelaide and you. Instead of hauling everything with you, you could ask neighbors, friends, or local gardening enthusiasts to take care of them. They may be happy to adopt your plants and help them continue to thrive in their new environment. Read more here about Eco-Friendly Moving: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint During a Move.
7. Security Systems and Alarms
If your home is equipped with an alarm system or security cameras, these are often linked to your service provider, and removing them without informing them first could lead to complications. If you plan on taking these systems with you, it’s important to contact the security provider to cancel the services and ensure a smooth transition. Additionally, informing the new owners about the existing system will help them arrange for new equipment or activate the service in their name. As these are considered fixtures of the home, it generally is a good idea to leave them in place and allow the new owners to take over the system.
Final Preparations Before You Leave
As you finish packing up and prepare to leave your old home, be sure to tackle some final tasks:
Forward Mail:
Don’t forget to forward your mail to your new address. You don’t want to leave any important letters behind for the new occupants to deal with.
Disconnect Utilities:
Cancel or transfer utilities like electricity, gas, water, and internet before you leave. This will prevent unnecessary charges after you have moved out with the help of packers and movers in Adelaide.
Cancel Home Insurance:
If you had home insurance, make sure you cancel the same or shift your policy to the new place.
Pack the Boxes:
Organize your moving boxes by category. This makes it all flow quite smoothly.