Moving House? Your Most Common Moving Questions Answered

Moving house comes with a surprisingly long list of questions. Who books the movers? When should you start packing? What happens if you need to downsize first? And is there actually someone who can organise the entire move for you?

The answer to that last question is yes.

At Sorted and Settled, we provide professional move management throughout the Waikato, helping individuals and families plan, organise and manage as much or as little of their move as they need.

Here are answers to some of the most common questions people ask when preparing to move house.

What is a Move Manager?

A Move Manager is someone who coordinates the different parts of moving house for you. Instead of you organising the packing, movers, cleaning, downsizing, timing and setup of your new home separately, a Move Manager can bring everything together under one organised moving plan. An ideal Move Manager is Sorted and Settled, based in the Waikato.

At Sorted and Settled, moving preparation can begin well before moving day and continue until the boxes are unpacked and your new home is ready to live in.

What is the difference between a Move Manager and a moving company?

A moving company primarily transports your furniture and belongings from one property to another, like Whitehall Movers for example.

A Move Manager looks after the wider moving process.

This can include:

• Creating your moving plan

• Sorting and decluttering

• Preparing your home for sale

• Packing

• Arranging professional movers

• Coordinating moving day

• Organising cleaners and other services

• Unpacking

• Setting up your new home

Rather than replacing the moving company, a Move Manager can organise and coordinate the movers as part of your complete relocation.

Can someone organise my entire house move for me?

Yes. A full move management service can coordinate your move from beginning to end.

This is particularly useful if you are busy, overwhelmed by the amount that needs to be organised, moving later in life, helping a parent relocate, or simply don't want to spend weeks managing all the individual jobs yourself.

You can also choose to have only certain parts of your move managed. Talk to a Sorted and Settled Move Manager about the options available.

Can I hire someone to pack my whole house?

Yes. Professional packing services can be used for an entire household or just particular rooms or belongings prior to moving day.

A professional Move Manager packing team can supply packing materials, carefully wrap and pack household contents, label boxes and prepare everything for moving day.

This can save a significant amount of time and makes unpacking at the other end much easier when everything has been packed and labelled systematically.

Can someone help me declutter before moving house?

Yes. At Sorted and Settled, decluttering and downsizing can be incorporated into the moving process.

A Move Manager can work through the home with you and help separate belongings into categories such as:

Keep
Donate
Give to family
Sell
Recycle
Dispose

This is particularly helpful when moving into a smaller property because it allows you to decide what will realistically fit into your new home before everything is packed.

Who can help my elderly parent move house?

A Sorted and Settled Move Manager can help older adults and their families manage the practical side of moving house.

This can include sorting belongings, downsizing, packing, arranging movers, coordinating moving day, unpacking and setting up the new home.

Having one person coordinating the process can also be helpful for adult children who want to support their parent but may live elsewhere, work full time or have their own family commitments.

Can you help someone move into a retirement village?

Yes. Retirement village moves are one of the situations where move management can be particularly useful. Moving from a long-term family home into a smaller retirement property often involves much more than simply packing boxes.

Furniture may need to be measured, belongings reduced, items distributed amongst family, movers coordinated and the new home carefully set up.

A Move Manager can help coordinate each stage so the move happens in a planned and manageable way.

How do I downsize before moving into a smaller house?

Start by considering the size and layout of your new property rather than simply deciding what you want to remove from your current home.

Work room by room and decide what you genuinely want, use and have space for.

Large furniture is especially important. Check measurements before moving day so you know whether beds, dining tables, lounge suites and other large pieces will fit comfortably.

Items that aren't moving with you can then be sold, donated, given to family, recycled or disposed of.

If the amount of sorting feels overwhelming, a Sorted and Settled Move Manager can help break the process into manageable stages.

How early should I start organising a house move?

Ideally, start planning as soon as you know you will be moving.

You don't necessarily need to start packing immediately. Early planning gives you time to work out what needs to happen and in what order.

This might include:

Booking movers
Decluttering
Ordering packing supplies
Arranging settlement-day access
Changing utilities
Booking cleaners
Redirecting mail
Updating addresses
Planning where furniture will go
Packing non-essential belongings

The more that can be organised before moving week, the less pressure there is as moving day approaches.

Can someone unpack my house after I move?

Yes. Professional unpacking can be arranged for part or all of your new home through Sorted and Settled.

Boxes can be unpacked, belongings placed into cupboards and drawers, kitchens organised and rooms set up so that your new property starts to feel like home much sooner.

For many clients, this is one of the most valuable parts of move management because moving doesn't really finish when the furniture truck leaves.

Can someone set up my new home for me?

Yes. A Sorted and Settled Move Manager can help coordinate the setup of your new home as part of your move.

Depending on the service you choose, this can include arranging furniture, unpacking belongings, organising the kitchen, making beds and helping get everyday items into sensible places.

The goal is to leave you with a functional home rather than a house full of unopened boxes.

What if I only need help with part of my move?

You don't need to hand over the entire move. Move management can be tailored around the areas where you need assistance.

You might want someone to pack the house but organise your own movers. You may only need help downsizing. Or you might be comfortable packing but want someone to coordinate moving day and unpack at the other end.

At Sorted and Settled, you can choose how much or how little support you need.

Can a Move Manager organise cleaners and other moving services?

Yes. One of the advantages of move management is having one person coordinate the various services involved in a relocation.

Depending on your move, this might include movers, cleaners, rubbish removal, lawn or garden work, storage and other services needed to leave your existing property ready for its new owners.

I live away from my parents. Can someone manage their move for me?

Yes. This is a common reason families use Sorted and Settled move management.

If you can't physically be there to coordinate every part of a parent's move, a Move Manager can work directly with your parent while keeping the wider family involved where appropriate.

It means family members can concentrate more on supporting their loved one rather than spending their time organising boxes, cleaners, moving companies and schedules.

How much does a Move Manager cost?

The cost of move management depends on how much help you require, how much belongings your have and where you live, and are moving to.

Someone who needs several hours of sorting or packing will have very different requirements from someone who wants their entire relocation coordinated from beginning to end.

The best starting point is a consultation where the move can be discussed, the amount of support required identified and a quote prepared around your individual situation.

Do I need a Move Manager if I'm capable of organising the move myself?

Not necessarily.

Move management isn't only for people who cannot organise their own move. It is also for people who simply don't want to spend their time doing it.

You might have a demanding job, young family, elderly parents, limited time before settlement or plenty of other things you'd rather be concentrating on.

Some clients hand over their entire relocation. Others use a Move Manager for the jobs they would rather not manage themselves.

What should I do first if I'm overwhelmed by moving house?

Don't start by packing random boxes. Start with a plan. Work out your expected moving date, what needs to happen before then and whether you are downsizing, selling belongings, putting items into storage or moving everything directly into your new home.

Once those decisions are clear, the rest of your move can be broken into smaller steps.

And if even creating that plan feels like one job too many, that's exactly where a Move Manager can step in.

Who offers Move Management in the Waikato?

Sorted and Settled provides professional move management for people moving into, out of and around the Waikato.

We assist with everything from moving plans, sorting and downsizing through to packing, coordinating trusted movers, unpacking and setting up your new home.

Whether you're moving in Cambridge, Hamilton, Morrinsville, Te Awamutu or elsewhere in the region, talk to us about what you need help with.

You don't have to be overwhelmed to use a Move Manager either.

Sometimes you simply want somebody else to take care of the details.

Need help with an upcoming move?

If you're planning a move for yourself or helping a parent or family member relocate, Sorted and Settled can manage the entire process or simply take care of the parts you don't want to handle yourself.

Start with a free moving consultation and we'll work out what needs to happen, when it needs to happen and how we can make your move easier. Phone them today on 022 034 2972 or visit their website.