Moving house can be challenging at the best of times, but for people who are renting, moving into a new home comes with an additional set of tasks. Whether you’re moving to another rental property or into your own home, we’ve compiled a short guide to help your move go as smoothly as possible.
Start the whole process by reading your lease agreement.
Find your lease agreement and check what you have to do to terminate the lease and how much notice you have to give. The standard period in New Zealand is 21 days if you’re terminating the agreement. You’re not obliged to stay in the property for 21 days, but you are obliged to pay rent for this period.
When you give notice, make sure you do it according to the requirements in the lease. Typically, it should be given in writing, so you can prove what date the tenancy was terminated if it’s ever questioned. Certain properties can have different termination requirements, so make sure you’re clear about what you have to do and follow it to the letter.
If you’re staying in the property up to the termination date, you’ll need to plan and time your move carefully.
Make sure you book movers for no later than the last day of your tenancy. If you’re planning to move yourself, three weeks is a reasonably short turnaround for preparing to move, so start right away. Dispose of anything you no longer need, eat down the kitchen cupboards rather than buying more food, organise your packing materials and start packing non-essential items.
On top of this, you’ll need to organise everything else associated with moving house, so take a look at our moving house checklist to make sure you don’t overlook anything.
Give yourself plenty of time to clean the property when it’s empty. If your landlord believes the property hasn’t been cleaned properly, they may hire cleaners and pass on the charges. Don’t forget to clean any appliances that belong with the property, such as the oven and fridge. You’ll also need to clean the bath, shower and any fixed cabinetry inside and out.
Given how much there is to do when moving, it’s easier to hire cleaners to do this for you. You can also talk to your moving company about cleaning services to save yourself from having to organise another task.
Take photos of every room after they have been cleaned in case there is any dispute about the condition of the property. Make sure you remove any rubbish from the grounds and take photos to show you also left it in good condition.
Because of the short time frame and extra tasks, moving into a new home from a rental can be one of the more stressful moves people have to do in life. Hiring professional movers will remove a great deal of this stress. If you’re on a budget, talk to us about hiring movers and a truck by the hour to help you with the awkward or heavy items.
