Ep 63. The stress free guide to moving house
Moving house is one of life’s most stressful experiences, but it doesn’t have to be! In this episode of the Buy Your Side podcast, Michelle May is joined by Emma O’Sullivan, Managing Director of Mums PA, to share expert strategies for a smooth, stress free move.
From decluttering before you pack to organising your new home efficiently, Emma’s approach will help you avoid chaos, reduce overwhelm, and get settled in your new home faster.
Here’s what you’ll learn from today’s episode:
How to declutter before a move, and what to do with unwanted items
Who to notify, and when, to avoid last minute problems
The importance of unpacking with intention
Why outsourcing key moving tasks can save you time, stress and money
Speakers in today’s episode:
Michelle May - Michelle May Buyers Agents
Emma O’Sullivan - Mums PA
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This podcast has been produced and edited by Snappystreet Creative
Please note that any views or opinions presented in this podcast are solely those of the speakers, and do not necessarily represent those of any business. These views and opinions are general in nature, and do not take account of your personal objectives, financial situation and needs. Please consider whether it applies in your circumstances and seek professional advice wherever appropriate.
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Michelle May
Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Buy Your Side podcast. My name is Michelle May and I am the principal of Michelle May Buyers Agents here in Sydney. Now, you know that a lot of these episodes I do by myself, but today I'm very fortunate to have Emma O'Sullivan, who's the managing director of Mums PA here with me to have a chat about the best way to move house. Now, Emma is an enthusiastic professional with a particular passion for organising and coordinating. She has been with Mums PA since the launch in 2009, stayed with the team, went out, did something else and then came back again and now you are the big boss at Mums PA. Now Mums PA is a business that recognizes the demands of working people and parents that they're not adequately catered for. Everyone is so busy and the business is a response to the fragmented domestic services industry that offers a multitude of macro solutions but ignores the fine print of life's domestic administration. I love how you put that. Mums PA’s mission is to de-stress your life through domestic project management and give you back that precious commodity time. Better than that, they essentially create it for you. Now, I always say running my own business with a team and having two teenagers, I'm a single mom, I need a wife in my life to do all those things for you.
Emma O’Sullivan
We all need a wife. We all need a wife.
Michelle May
So Emma, welcome to the show. I am so grateful that you've set aside some time to come and chat with me and enlighten our listeners who are on the journey of property buying what to do once they've actually signed a contract. Thank you.
Emma O’Sullivan
Thanks so much for the introduction, Michelle.
Michelle May
My pleasure. So first of all, where are you based, Emma?
Emma O’Sullivan
So we are predominantly in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. We do a lot of work also in the North Shore, sometimes all the way up to the Northern Beaches. It's quite rare that we would do any jobs outside of those areas. it probably makes up about 5% of our jobs with the 95% sitting within those spaces. It's not for any purpose, just because that tends to be where our clients seek our needs.
Michelle May
Now I found you on TikTok. I am on TikTok myself, not as efficiently as you are. I mean, are you posing on a regular basis, which I love. And I've gone down this deep dive of, you know, I would call it like clean talk or organisation talk. And sometimes I'm just watching video after video that's coming up on my For You page. And that's where I found you. And so I thought, hey, I need to talk to Emma because I think I've learned a lot from you just watching your videos. But there's probably a lot of people who haven't seen you there yet. So I wanted to talk about moving specifically, you do a lot of other things obviously, but when it comes to our listeners what would you say would be the top five tips that will ease your life, make it less stressful that you don't end up in an argument with your partner or your family. Let's start with point number one
Emma O’Sullivan
As you've said, it can be a really stressful experience for anyone to move. And I'm actually surprised having been in this industry for so long, even though I did come in and out, of how many people don't know some really simple things that you can do to make your move really much easier and less stressful. The first tip that I always have, so you've sold and you're ready to go, is when you're about to start packing, lighten your load before you start packing.The idea is that anything that you put into a box, you have already decided you want to keep that or you want to use that. The best opportunity to cull things is always when you move because you have to actively put things into a box. And that's you actively deciding, I need this, I want to keep this. There's lots of opportunity in terms of when you get rid of your things, and what you can do with those things. So, you know, you don't have to just send it all to landfill, which I think is why a lot of our clients are really hesitant to get rid of stuff. You know, you can try reselling. There's a lot of different reselling opportunities out there. Charities also are always looking for things and it might help your mindset to know that your stuff isn't going in the bin, but it's going to someone else who needs it more than you. There's also a lot of recycling services, depending on what it is that you're trying to get rid of. So just being open-minded and being more strategic with what you need to cull so that the only things, as I said, that you're packing are the things you know you want to keep.
Michelle May
In the past when I was moving house, I donated to a specific website. I forget the name of it now and I'll put it in the notes for those who are interested. It's a charity that specifically caters for domestic violence victims and they'll put out a list of exactly what it is they need. And then you can go and drop it off at certain places where you're actually directly helping those people who may not necessarily have the funds to buy what they need. Think old children's clothes, kitchen items, all that kind of stuff, because they're quite often leaving the situation with absolutely nothing and independence in tow as well.
Emma O’Sullivan
That’s a great point. We actually partner with a ton of different charities with different purposes and objectives for that very reason. So we have access all the time through our clients to things that people don't want. And so we have direct contacts, you know, a great one is who we work with all the time, Dress for Success, they're based in the Eastern Suburbs. They actually help women who have come from some difficult backgrounds, integrate back into the workforce, which is sort of a niche objective, really, but one that these women can often struggle with. So it's actually around some specific outfits that they could use for a job interview and things like that. So it's just about you knowing if you're not going to keep these items, it doesn't necessarily mean it has to go to landfill. And if you give yourself the time to cull you can actually find a home for 90% of those things, and it's going to be better than just sitting on a shelf in your new house where you're never going to use it.
Michelle May
That's hard though, Emma. I don't know about you, but I'm sure you're not, given what you do, but I do hold on to things because it's been a memory or, it's like, oh, I remember when the kids were five…
Emma O’Sullivan
I know. And you know, that is another reason why we have a service like ours is because our clients do sometimes need that extra help. No, you really don't need two baking dishes that are the same size and do the same purpose. It's like just little conversations like that to sort of start to encourage you to really see things from the way that we see it and not just because it's hard to do it yourself.
Michelle May
That's part of but part of one of your services, do you come in and advance you do the decluttering, and you're like the bad cop?
Emma O’Sullivan
Absolutely. Yeah. We always encourage decluttering before you pack. It's the number one rule. And we do help with that. And as I said, we've got contacts who are, you know, various different charities, various different resellers who we can connect clients with so that their stuff is taken care of. As professional organisers, we're not just packers and unpackers. We're professional organisers. And so what that means is making sure we set your new home up with these new systems that make you feel like you're really organised. And a big piece of that initially is not having things that you no longer need on you.
Michelle May
Brilliant. Okay. And then is there a different way of packing things you don't need on a daily basis, for example, would you pack them differently to items that you'll be unpacking immediately?
Emma O’Sullivan
Yeah, that's a great question. So the majority of your items should just go in cardboard boxes because you're going to be unpacking them when you move. But there are some things that you may not use very often, like Christmas stuff or ski gear or something. Or there are things that you never actually use but you need to keep, stuff like keepsakes, and I always recommend that you actually get plastic tubs. And for those things, when you're packing your home, you actually pack those items directly into the tubs and label them nice and clearly. Because then what that means is on the unpack, you don't actually have to worry about unpacking those items at all. They're already nice and organised in a tub of their own and they can go into a garage or a storage cage or or whatever you have.
Michelle May
Yeah, and it's keeping the moisture out as well, which can be a big issue.
Emma O’Sullivan
Yeah, exactly.
Michelle May
Yeah. Okay. So sort your belongings before doing a real hard, you know, keep, toss, maybe.
Emma O’Sullivan
A real hard cull, yep.
Michelle May
What about, what about the next point? What's your tip number two?
Emma O’Sullivan
So tip number two is to be smart with the way that you pack, because again, going back to just trying to, the end goal is to have the most organized and set up streamlined new home so that you can just live better. And so it goes all the way back to when you're packing, Just small things like bringing all like-for-like items all together and packing them together. So, for example, if you're in the kitchen, putting all your bakeware together, putting all of your glassware together. You may have vases that could be spread out across the house for whatever reason. Gather all your vases together, pack them together. You may have medicine that's spread out across the house, some in the laundry, some in the bathroom, some in the kitchen. Gather it all together, pack it together. And the reason for that, again, is just so that when you're finding a perfect spot for all your medicines to be kept in your new home, you have all your medicines all together for your unpack.
Michelle May
That makes sense. I noticed and in our communication, you mentioned label boxes based on where they're going, not where they came from, which is that same principle, right?
Emma O’Sullivan
Yeah, that's a really important point that often when people are packing, they don't think about. So an example, again, maybe that you have kids that may be in a room together and in their new home, they're getting a room for themselves. And so it's about, so Emma and Michelle share a room and we're packing those boxes. And then in the new house, they're going to be in separate rooms. It's making sure that all of Emma's things are labelled in a box labelled Emma's room and all of Michelle's things labelled in a box for Michelle's room. You may have a huge kitchen in your old house and you're downsizing to a smaller kitchen. So you've decided that you want to keep your platters and your more sort of, fancier crockery or whatever it is fancy crockery in the dining room so it's labeling that box to say dining room not kitchen and the reason for that is when you have removalists placing your furniture and moving the boxes in the right rooms, you want them to be what they'll do is they'll go through they'll walk through and they'll find out which room is which, and then they'll go through and they'll look at what's written on top of the box and they'll place that box in the right room. So it's all just about streamlining to make the whole process move faster.
Michelle May
Yeah, that makes total sense. But there are also some things that you say don't pack, keep them with you. What are they?
Emma O’Sullivan
Yes, this is a really important one that, again, lots of people don't think about. And it's sort of two pieces. The first piece is anything that's really precious to you. So really precious jewellery. Some things can be quite sentimental, irreplaceable stuff, high value, but then also documents, passports, stuff like that. Anything that's really precious to you, keep with you in a bag that doesn't go in a box with the removalist. It just goes with you in your car. The second piece is any of those sort of basic everyday living things that you may need. So just like some spare clothes, just your basic toiletries, a set of bed sheets, maybe some basic kitchen stuff. Put it all in a bag and put it in your car. The moving process is so intense, you are moving at a million miles an hour that by the time you just wanna drop and go to sleep, you don't wanna then have to open up 100 boxes to try and find your bed sheets. Grab your bed sheets out of your car, you've got a spare change of clothes to wear that next day. It's just about having on you those things that you're going to need to be comfortable in your new home, assuming the worst happens and you manage to get nothing done once you're in your new home sort of thing.
Michelle May
Yeah. Yeah. And make sure you have the Uber Eats app on your phone so you can just get takeout.
Emma O’Sullivan
Uber Eats. I say to our clients all the time, don't worry about cooking. What are you cooking for?
And I mean, sometimes it can be so stressful that it's just not even about remembering to eat. So, just Uber Eats It. We actually offer as a service, we can organise food for you as well if it's like your last night in your home with your kitchen all packed up or if it's your first night in your new home because your kitchen's still packed up, whatever it is. Because we know food is a key thing that people forget to do when they're moving.
Michelle May
Well, and even if you use all of your tips or use Emma’s services, there are things that are beyond your control. Sometimes the movers show up late because they're stuck in traffic, sometimes the settlement is delayed. You're waiting outside of the house and you can't get in. All of these things. And you know, there's things that this is why I've got you, you know, talking with you today is that these are the things you can control, set you up for the best possible day or days. And then, yeah, whatever else will happen will happen. But at least you've got yourself sorted. So take us to point number three, notify the right people at the right time.
Emma O’Sullivan
That's right. So this is one I know lots of people don't think about, even those who are really organised. You actually have to be tactical about when you are letting your various different people who need to know you've moved, move. So what I mean by that is some utilities actually, and i've seen it and I've witnessed it a ton of times, the message between this is when I'm moving and I need the transfer of my internet and when it actually happens can very often get lost. So I've had clients who three months out of their move date have called up their internet provider and said, we're moving in three months on this date. Can you please cancel my internet membership for this current house I'm in for that date and start it for this new house that I'm moving to for that date? And then for whatever reason, they get a notification 24 hours later that the internet's been cut off, and they're now paying for the internet at the new place that they don't live at. It's just like little things like that. You just want to make one phone call to those guys. You don't want to make 100. And so places like your banks and stuff like that, they actually need your proof of address before you can change any of those details anyway. So you'll need to receive your first bill. And then, as I said, like any electricity, gas, internet, just let them know once you're in. It seems crazy because for those who are organised, you think it's something that you want to get done sooner, something you can get done in advance of the move. But I wouldn't recommend doing that. Another really good tip in terms of in terms of your mail is AusPost has a great redirection service where you can pay for, I think it's one month, three months, six months or 12 months where everything that's addressed to your name at your old address will be redirected to your new address. It does cost a little bit, but it is really, really worth it because we have so many automated purchase opportunities now that you know you quite often you just quickly order you know your Uber Eats is a perfect example like you like you order your uber eats and you're just in autopilot which you know very some of us are when we're ordering uber eats and then and then all of a sudden your your meal is turned up at your old house.
Michelle May
Do you know, that actually has happened to me.
Emma O’Sullivan
Yeah, I bet. And AusPost can't intersect your Uber Eats, but that's just an example that unfortunately, not yet, but that's just an example of how like autopilot you can be on in terms of not recognising that you need to update your address for every single thing that you're getting sent to your home. So having that redirection there is like a really good sort of safety net.
Michelle May
And on that note, letting people know that you're moving... My tip to that add on from what you've been saying is if you're moving into an apartment or a unit, something that's Strata titled, contact the Strata manager ahead of time to let them know that you are the new owner because there may be rules and regulations around what time, what date you can move in. Some buildings don't allow moving on weekends, for example. So you really need to do that well ahead of time. Because if you've got your movers coming Saturday morning, there might be an issue. So...
Emma O’Sullivan
Absolutely. That's a really good point, Michelle. Lots of big buildings as well actually require you to book out the lift for a certain time period. Also, if you may have an apartment that may be in Pyrmont or an area where parking isn't super accessible for a big truck, then you'll need to book the loading docks as well. So, yes, you're very right, contacting Strata, having a communication ASAP with whoever is managing the building is really crucial.
Michelle May
Absolutely. Okay, so that's point number three. Point number four. What's the next one?
Emma O’Sullivan
So point number four now is we're unpacking our home. And my point is to unpack intentionally, to be really strategic and considered with the way that you unpack your things. And as I've said before, the reason for that is this is your opportunity, you're in your new home, your new space. This whole process has been stressful enough, not just the move, but all the way back from what you're talking about all the time, finding a home, buying a home, settling on a home. Like the moving is just one tiny piece of the puzzle of chaos that some people have been on a journey for years on. And so you're in your new home, finally, you're almost there. Set yourself up in the best way possible to have processes and systems in your home that are easy to maintain, where you have all of your things accessible, especially because of how busy our lives are, especially if you've got kids, you know, just be thoughtful.
Michelle May
That sounds good. Take a bit of time ahead of just ripping open every box. And with that also, like if you have children or pets and anything like that, if you can ship them off just for a couple of days to grandparents or daycare or something like that, so you've got your hands free and you can really focus, that obviously would help too.
Emma O’Sullivan
Very good points, especially with animals. You know, sometimes kids can be helpful, depending how old they are. But also the less you have to think about at that time, the better. Animals, very typically, take a few days to warm up to a new home, even if it has got fantastic space and is much better for them. So having them taken care of elsewhere just while you're going through the nitty gritty of the actual removeless and the core of the unpack is a great point.
Michelle May
Yeah, absolutely. Your last point, number five. Hit us with it.
Emma O’Sullivan
Yes. So my last point, so we've only just moved ourselves like six weeks ago or something like that and it was, it was actually a really great experience for me because having been in in this industry and working with people who are moving every day, to then actually experience it as what my clients feel, just grows that empathy. And though I know so much of what to do and I have so many contacts at my fingertips, you know, it was still really stressful. It is just stressful. And again, I go back to it not just being about the move. It's about everything that went into selling and buying and settling etc. So my tip is to outsource where you can, so that you try and make this experience a little kinder to you. So, if you decide that you are quite an organised person and you want to be across everything and where everything goes, then you've decided you want to unpack yourself. That's fine. But then make sure you're paying someone to move all of your heavy items from house A to house B and if you've got great family members who've decided that they want to help as well by cleaning the house before you move in, then that's great. But then just make sure that you've got someone who's going to set up your internet for you. There's so many different things. It's like tech guys, art installers, packers and unpackers, removalists, cleaners. I mean, the list goes on of all the different things you need to consider for a move, decide what it is that you want to own and really own that and outsource the rest. You can set a budget that you'd like to spend and then you outsource as much as you can till you meet that budget. But it's really just about not trying to do it all. Because if you're settling on the same day that you've got removalists, but you've not got removalists, you're moving yourself and you're unpacking and you're cleaning the house, it's going to be too much, it's going to be too much. And I actually often have clients who try to take it all on themselves and I get a call at 6pm saying, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, do you have any space tomorrow? Please, please, please. I'm desperate. I'm desperate. My kids have got school and this, that and the other. And usually, unfortunately, we can't turn things around that quickly. We're already booked out. So I'll have to say, I'm so sorry, but there's nothing we can do to help you. But it really is just something that you shouldn't take on on your own completely because it is harder than you think.
Michelle May
It is, it is all encompassing. The delegation of things is vital. I think if you can afford to, I know it's an incredibly expensive process, let's not even think about standard costs and all that kind of stuff. But also what I wanted to mention was that when you buy a property, the vendors are not legally required to clean the property. And so If nothing else, if you don't do anything else and you do it all yourself, pay for a cleaner to clean the property before you move in, because it's so much easier. They'll have free reign of an empty property and you'll go in knowing that it's been done properly. Because, unfortunately, I have seen properties where they literally just picked up their stuff and left and it was gross. It was so disappointing for the people coming in, but I always tell my clients ahead of time. Like also do not move on the day of settlement, you know, because settlement usually in New South Wales occurs two, three o'clock in the afternoon. Then it takes about an hour for the agent to get what they call, the order on the agent, which allows them to release the keys for you, which means that potentially you would be or your movers wouldn't be unpacking till late that day, right? And you haven't got the time to clean it if something doesn't happen or doesn't go right, if the settlement doesn't occur, then what do you do with your movers? Where are you going to sleep? All that kind of stuff. So leave a couple of days to allow for the cleaners, for that settlement to occur, and then move in. I think that is one easy way to already lift that mental load just a tiny bit. I know it's not always possible, we're seeing more and more simultaneous settlements happening, so people selling and then moving in, because they need that money to move straight from the the sale to the purchase, you know, sometimes it can't be avoided but if you can at all do it do do it
Emma O’Sullivan
Yes, yeah, I absolutely agree. It's a stressful situation as it is. And there are people who are experts in every single thing that you're going to need. So figure out what you want to own and outsource whatever else you can afford.
Michelle May
Yeah. And it's so important, isn't it? As a business owner, when you're providing a certain service, when you then go through it yourself, it just gives you a whole nother perspective. I'm the same. You know, I always say to people, when you go to auction, don't blow your own limit. You have to have a limit. I went to auction, bought my place. I blew my limit. How did that happen?
Emma
That is so funny.
Michelle May
You know, but it's just that whole stress, the heartbeat in your throat. I know I've done it obviously numerous times and I really have that empathy for clients. You saying that really resonates with me as well, that you know what people are going through and that you can come in as an outsider, like particularly ahead of time going, okay, do you really need that fifth oven dish? Like, let's think about it. How often do you bake, actually?
Emma O’Sullivan
It's made a big difference. It's been really good, actually. Even with a whole team of wonderful people who do what we do, I still found the whole thing really stressful.
Michelle May
Yeah, absolutely. Well, thank you so much, Emma. I've certainly learned a lot from you coming on and just taking us through it bit by bit. Obviously, this will be in the transcription as well, so people can read it back, take all your tips on board and plan themselves better. But if people wanted to reach out to you, how would they best do that?
Emma O’Sullivan
Thanks, Michelle. It's been so nice to chat. Our best way to be contacted is through our website and you can reach us at https://mums-pa.com.au/. And all of our contact details are on the website, including my number, best email address, things like that. And that's the best first port of call because that'll also give you a good insight into anything else that we may be able to help you with.
Michelle May
Yeah, excellent. And make sure to follow Emma on TikTok as well. And that's mums-pa, right? Same handle as your website.
Emma O’Sullivan
Yeah. Mums.pa, I think the TikTok handle is, I believe.
Michelle May
Okay. All right. We'll make sure to tag you properly when the episode comes out. Thank you so much, Emma. So Emma, I believe you also have a special offer for people who are listening to us right now talking. If they wanted to reach out to you, tell us all about it.
Emma O’Sullivan
Yes, thanks, Michelle. So do let all your listeners please know that if you mention that you did come across us through Michelle's podcast or her socials or however else, then do just mention that to me in our enquiry phase and we can make sure that we look after you with up to 10% off your total invoice.
Michelle May
That's awesome. Thank you, Emma.
Emma O’Sullivan
Yeah, exciting.
Michelle May
That's really appreciated. You know, that's wonderful to have a special offer there. So anyone who's got any questions for Emma or myself, you know how to find us, hello@buyyourside.com.au or reach out through any of the socials or the website too. Thank you, Emma. It's been such a pleasure having you on. Thank you for taking the time. And I will definitely be hitting you up for a de-clutter of my space for sure.
Emma O’Sullivan
Thank you, Michelle, thank you so much, thanks for your time.
Michelle May
Thank you. And anybody else, if you have any questions for me, or ideas for a new podcast episode, do always get in touch. Thank you for listening this time and until next time.