A Guide To The Do's and Don'ts of Moving


Do use appropriate packing materials. If you're moving a couple of suburbs away or across the country, it's important to pack your goods in appropriate cartons, bags and other materials. In most cases, furniture and other items will be loaded into the truck from floor to ceiling. If you're using inappropriate cartons (like flimsy supermarket cartons) and other cartons are loaded on top then the whole load could come crashing down if that carton were to give way. Wherever possible, try to use purpose built furniture removalist boxes to pack smaller items. We can supply these or they can be purchased (even second hand ones) from most storage facilities. We don't recommend plastic tubs. While at a glance they seem like a good option, the plastic is often flimsy and open to cracking. Removal cartons are relatively cheap and designed exactly for this purpose.

Don't transport liquids. As a rule, we don't transport liquids. Sometimes these can be hard for us to see (packed away in cartons) and people often don't consider liquids to be hazardous to the rest of their load (or other clients on the same truck). However, it's not hard to picture the consequences of a can of paint or a bottle of wine leaking, cracking or smashing during transit when it's in a carton at the top of a load - on top of cartons of linen, surrounded by couches, paintings, whitegoods and home entertainment systems. It's important, therefore, to empty containers carrying liquids and empty the fuel and oil from machinery (apart from the fact that these liquids can be highly flammable!).

Do start packing early. Packing can take much longer than you might expect. Looking around at rooms where things are packed away neatly, it can be hard to get a grasp on how long it is going to take. Starting early can make moving less stressful and will enable you to pack properly, without being rushed. Don't overload your cartons. It can be hard to get an accurate idea of how many boxes you'll need when moving. For this reason you may be inclined to run out of boxes last minute. We expect that this may happen and allow you to add or remove boxes (or other items) from your inventory right up until the day before you move. Overloading your cartons is inherently hazardous to the contents as cartons may give way - costing much more than cost of adding a few extra cartons to your inventory. If you overestimate the number of cartons you'll need in your original quote simply call us or remove them from your inventory online at least 24 hours before your move is scheduled and we'll be able reduce the price accordingly.

Do mark each carton clearly with your job number, name, pickup and destination suburbs, the carton contents and the room it is destined for. This is more important for interstate or inter-regional moves than it is for local moves, as you're likely to be sharing the truck with other client's goods and it is not always the same driver delivering the goods that picked them up.

Don't transport hazardous goods. BBQ gas bottles should be emptied completely at a refilling or swap and go station. Our removalists cannot do this for you due to Occupational Health and Safety issues. Lawn mowers, line trimmers, and other mechanical devices should be emptied completely of fuel before transport. Please dispose of fuels and other materials in an environmentally responsible way. Fertilisers, flammables, corrosives, explosives, etc. cannot be transported.

Do relax, take your time and get excited about your big move. You may not move often, but we've moved thousands!

Disclaimer: The information found on this page is for information purposes only. backloads.com will not be held liable for any damages arising from the use of this material.