Just did the move thing. We still had way more than we bargained for and we got rid of a lot of big furniture! DH just left on his 2nd run back for the stuff we couldn't fit on the trailers. My dad and brothers came down to help. We had a standard box trailer, a caged furniture trailer and a huge car trailer (can tow a 4x4 on it) with truck gates plus 3x4bies to tow it all and still couldnt fit it all. My big hint would be to utilise ebay for anything big you arent married to and replace it when you get there. We would have had less but DH didnt get the concept of replacing it here and kept buying down there. MEN! LOL. What you cant sell that is salable, donate. Everything else, find out about council pick ups.
Dont label the boxes, number them. Then have a master sheet with everything you put in them. Futher to that as we are still refining the system, use an alpha numeric system, such as K1 (Kitchen) and MB1 (Master bedroom). That way you can get them to the right place straight up. The benefit of numbering and having the information on you instead of the boxes is if you are getting help from outsiders, they do not know what is in the boxes. Keeps your stuff safe. If you have a set of scales, weigh the heavy ones and mark which ones are 20kgs and over. OH&S recommends 2 people for 20kg+ items.
Have a 'survival bag' for everyone. Couple of changes of clothes and anything else they will need as you are unpacking. Also have a household version with the important stuff you need right up til the move and right after, such as the phone, vacuum cleaner bags, kettle and other essentials.
I will rreiterate what the other ladies have said as it is really the biggest tip ever. Be ruthless. Go Sid Vicious on your belongings. Clothes, furtniture, books. Unless there is a real emotional attachment to the item - if its ripped, torn, damaged or broken, Toss It!
1. Be ruthless
2. Sell/Donate/Give (if you can be bothered sell it on ebay or gumtree/give it to a charity/freecycle it)
3. Don't use huge boxes (photocopy paper boxes are great for books/magazines/ornaments etc)
4. Post Tubes are great for putting glasses in (as in those tubes used for postage)
5. Plastic bins from discount stores are great to store things in (you know those clearish plastic ones with wheels that are about $10 each)
6. Pack a room at a time, if you can unpack at the other end, then go and move a room at a time
7. Survival box for the other end with kitchen essentials in it (kettle, toaster, cutlery, crockery, sugar, tea/coffee, washing up liquid, a couple of tea towels)
Do not try to cook when you get to the other end, this is a time where it is perfectly ok to pig out on junk food/take away.
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