Moving is one of the most difficult household task and it can be quite daunting. However if...
Guides & Tips
Moving is one of the most difficult household task and it can be quite daunting. However if you are very organized and start the process early enough, you should survive this daunting process and be ready to enjoy your new home. To help provide some expert guidance, Christchurch movers make it their business to help thousands of people move all over New Zealand each year, here are some professional suggestions to help you get organized and prevent moving day confusion.
Get organized well ahead of time
Don’t leaving anything undone until the last second. Except in situations where you have to pack up and leave at a short notice, there is a good chance that you have between one and two months to plan ahead and ensure that everything runs smoothly on the moving day. Make a schedule and list out everything you need to complete each week as you count down to the moving day.
Organize your packing
If you have more than one person handling the packing, it is important that you make sure the packing is organized. Give each of the packers a blank inventory sheet and assign them a particular room to pack. Give them the right packing materials that will aid their packing, e.g. packing tapes, markers, pen, boxes etc.
Work out your moving strategy
How are you going to move from one point to another on the moving day? If you are not moving to a far distance, you’ll probably have to get some of your very good friends to bring their muscles and think about hiring a truck for the task. If you have a lot of furniture or you’ll be moving across the country, you may want to consider long distance movers.
Pick a suitable transport
If you are moving a short distance, you can escape making multiple trips. However if you are moving far, you’ll need to ensure that you have a suitable sized truck that will carry all your belongings at once. Choosing a suitable size transport is extremely crucial when moving long distance since it is difficult to make multiple trips.
Use the opportunity to clear out
Moving is an excellent opportunity to organize your possessions and get rid of stuffs you no longer need. You can sort and donate good clothes to charities, you can put up your electronics and furniture for sales on website like craigslist.
Take inventory
It is very important that you take inventory particularly if you’re using professional movers. This will really help you if something goes missing during transit. Have a spread sheet of the contents of each box, then assign a number to each box so that your items can be easily sorted out when you unpack in your new home.
Get prepared for your movers, whether friends or hired
Whether you have professional movers or your friends showing up at your door on the set day, ensure that you are ready before they arrive. This is even more important if you are using a moving company, make sure you are already packed before they arrive. If not you might incur extra costs if you delay your move because of slow packing. If you cannot handle the packing yourself, you might consider hiring a packers to help you out.
Safeguard your valuables
Look for a secure place to keep your valuables on moving day. Make sure you insure anything you consider valuable or any breakable item if you’re making use of a moving company. Also, if you’re moving important items such as a computer, you are advised to do a backup of your important files in case anything goes wrong during moving.
Take care of your movers
Whether you use the services of professional movers or got your friends to help you move, make sure you have food and drinks freely available for everybody. A cold drink will certainly lift the spirits of your moving crew on a hot summer day.
Having a water pipe burst at home can be classified as a major problem and can quickly...
Having a water pipe burst at home can be classified as a major problem and can quickly become an unbearable nightmare for any homeowner. It is crucial to stay calm and not panic, think fast about how to contain the broken water pipe to reduce the damage that can potentially occur.
Dealing with a burst pipe is one of those tasks you wish you never have to do, however such incidents do occur more frequently than you think, just ask any plumber and they’ll tell you 30% of their call outs are somewhat related to burst water pipes. This can happen for a number of different reasons including drops in temperature, pressure gauge failure, faulty or damaged plumbing and is more likely to occur if you live in an older house. Regardless of how a burst pipe happens, it is almost a guarantee that a huge mess will follow and you could be up for an unpredictable large clean-up bill.
In this article we will go through the 10 fundamental steps you should take should this ever happen so you can be better prepared for such a situation.
Step 1. Turn water off at mains
If you don’t know where the water main valve is or what it looks like, then it is a great time to get familiar with it as soon as possible. Turn the valve off and use your hose in the garden to test if the water has stopped after running the water for a few seconds. The water should eventually stop, preventing further water damage inside your home.
Step 2. Disable your electricity
Find your switch box and turn the electricity off with the switch panel. This will provide a safe environment for you until you can determine none of the electrical wiring and circuits in your home is compromised. Depending on where the burst water pipe occurs, there may be general power outlets in the vicinity that has been affected. If so, call your local electrician to determine the area is safe.
Step 3. Get your local plumber out
Unless you have the necessary tools and extensive knowledge on repairing a burst water pipe, it is recommended that you call your local plumber to attend at the earliest possible hour. At this stage, you will have no water supply to you home, so the quicker the pipe is repaired, the earlier you can get the water running again.
Step 4. Protect non tiled areas
If you have carpet or laminated flooring that could be compromised by water leaking out of the wet area, quickly take steps to reduce the damage the water can do. Allowing water to stagnate on carpet can cause bad odours whilst laminated flooring can be severely damaged by water seeping through which can be costly to replace.
Step 5. Soak up water and dry the area
Be thorough with the clean-up, burst pipes normally sit under the sink or inside the vanity. Remove all the items in the affected areas and try with a lot of towels. Keep cabinets and windows open to aerate your home, this will help introduce warm air in the environment and reduce the drying time.
Step 6. Take photos of the damage
It is a good idea to take photos of the damage when a burst water pipe occurs, this will help document areas in the home that has been affected and can be provided to your insurance company if you decide to put in a claim.
Step 7. Contact your insurance company
Burst water pipes that cause damage to your home should be covered under most general home insurance policies. The best part about purchasing home insurance is that your provider will be there to arrange everything from inspection to resolution. They will work with registered plumbers to expedite onsite attendance within short time frames.
Accidents can happen at the worst of times and having a burst water pipe inside the home may be one of the more disastrous scenarios. Time is of the essence when water is not contained and keeps pouring out, however knowing how to tackle it if it does occur can help minimize the damage and prevent an expensive repair bill.