What to have ready before your movers arrive

1. Everything packed, sealed and labelled

Movers load; they cannot pack a house and load a truck in the same booked time. Have every box packed, taped shut and labelled with its room at the new place before the truck arrives. Unsealed boxes cannot be stacked, and unlabelled boxes get unloaded into the wrong rooms — both cost you time at the other end.

If packing ran out of week, say so when you book. Our packing services can be arranged ahead of moving day so the crew arrives to a house that is ready to load.

2. Clear access at both ends

Walk the carry route yourself: front door to truck, truck to front door. Move cars, bins, toys, pot plants and anything narrowing hallways. Measure the largest piece against the tightest doorway or corner and warn the crew about stairs, steep driveways, gravel, low branches or awkward turns. Crews plan carries around this information — surprises slow the day.

3. Parking for the truck

A removal truck needs a long, straight park as close to the door as possible. Every extra ten metres of carry, repeated fifty times, adds real time. Confirm where the truck can sit at both addresses, check for clearways and bus stops, and if inner-city parking is tight, have someone ready to guide the driver in.

4. Appliances disconnected and ready

Defrost fridges and freezers a day ahead. Disconnect washing machines, dishwashers and dryers, secure hoses and drums, and tape doors shut. Empty petrol from mowers and line trimmers. Anything with liquid in it should travel empty and upright.

5. Your essentials and your people

Keep one bag with chargers, keys, documents, medications, snacks, water, toiletries and first-night bedding — it travels with you, not in the truck. Arrange kids and pets away from the carry routes. And nominate one person to answer questions on the day: where boxes go, what stays, what needs extra care. One decision-maker keeps a move flowing.

With these five sorted, the crew can do what they do best: carry, load, strap and shift. Whether it is a full household through our house removals service, heavy pieces via furniture moving, or a workplace through office relocation, a ready house is a fast move. Call Arthur Paine Removals to book your day.

The forgotten jobs that delay moves

Redirect your mail, update your address with power, internet, insurance and the electoral roll, and book cleaners for the old place before moving week fills up. Return library books, pick up dry cleaning and prescriptions, and confirm key handover times with your property manager or lawyer so the truck is never waiting on a door.

Measure twice at the new address: the fridge cavity, the washing machine nook, and the largest furniture against stairwells and lifts. Christchurch homes range from narrow character hallways to modern wide entries — knowing which you have avoids a lounge suite parked on the lawn while everyone rethinks the plan. Photograph power and water connections behind appliances before disconnecting, and label every remote, cable and wall bracket as it comes down.

Need a hand with the move itself?

Arthur Paine Removals shifts homes, furniture and small offices across Halswell and Christchurch, open Monday to Sunday, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. Call +64 3 322 8361 to talk through your move, or browse our moving services and contact details and map.