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General Tips to save you time and money when moving locally with Townsville Mini Moves. 

KEEP THE NUMBER OF ITEMS TO A MINIMUM: Every trip to the truck takes time. Tape brooms, mops etc in bundles and leave drawers in dressers etc.

DISMANTLE Beds, cots, swing sets, trampolines, and those items of furniture designed to be dismantled for moving, remove mirrors off dressers. Do this before the removalists arrive to save time. Keep all screws and bolts in bags and remember where you put them. Remove unfixed shelves from wall units, entertainment units and desks. Disconnect cable connections between stereos, televisions and videos. Disconnect the washing machine hoses, and place in the bowl. Place the rubber seals and mesh filters from the hoses in a plastic bag and put in the bowl. Remove cushions from lounges

MATTRESSES: Stand these on their end and lean against the wall to make it easier for the removalist to put plastic covers over them.

BOXES

• Mark on each carton the room it is going to, this will avoid the removalists having to ask the destination for each box, allowing a faster unload.

• Unbreakable items such as folded clothes, linen, soft toys are quite safe in large, good quality heavy-duty garbage bags

• Try and use the proper "moving" cartons. It will make your task easier, your items will be safer and your move will be completed quicker. Using the same size boxes allows the removalist to build stacks of boxes to the same level and makes loading faster.

FRIDGES / FREEZERS: Spillable and breakable items should be removed and put in an esky. Non-breakable, frozen items may be left in freezers. However too much left in the freezer may make it too heavy to be moved safely, most chest freezers can be left about half full. If the fridge / freezer is going into storage, it should be defrosted several days before moving. These must be stored with their doors open to prevent mildew growth. On local moves, the fridge need not be defrosted, and can be loaded on as of the last items, allowing it to be unloaded first.

PAINTINGS, prints, mirrors, glass / marble table tops and wall unit shelves etc. Mirror and picture cartons can be purchased from THE BOX SHOP or simply leave them bare for the removalist, who will wrap them in protective pads and place between mattresses. Never place glass or marble on or against concrete, tiles or steel without protection such as a blanket or cardboard between the glass and the hard surface. 

OUTDOOR FURNITURE: Check to ensure that the PVC pipes on outdoor furniture do not contain water, remove table legs where possible and stack chairs together.

POT PLANTS: Do not water them for a few days prior to the move. Spray for ants around and under the pot the day before moving.

WATER BEDS: Siphon out the water the day before the move. Some local waterbed retailers offer an emptying service for a small fee. If your bed has baffles, carefully fold the mattress. If the bed has a timber frame, you may only need to loosen the screws to disassemble.

WHAT TO EMPTY: Many larger furniture items may have to be tipped to one side, or even upside down, so wardrobe and desk drawers must be emptied. Chests of drawers need only the spillable or breakable items and any heavy items removed. Light clothing may remain. As a rule furniture with doors should be emptied.

DO NOT STACK: Stacking all the furniture in one place ready for the removalists is not always a good way to save on time or money. The removalists have to be able to get to the heavier items first to provide the foundation on which to stack the lighter items. People normally stack their furniture this way as well, so the removalists will have to �unstack� your lighter furniture before they can get the heavy items. If you wish to stack some things, ensure the larger items are toward the front so the removalists can load these first.

VERY HEAVY ITEMS: Pianos, pool tables, spas, marble etc. Where possible leave them to the removalists. When booking, please let us know about these heavy items. If you have to move it yourself, do not attempt with less than four able persons and always carry slate pool table and marble table tops on their edge as their own weight unsupported can crack the table top across the middle.

Dangerous Goods: Such as partially full BBQ gas cylinders, fuel tins, and fuel in mowers, lawn trimmers, chainsaws and motorbikes cannot be transported. They may cause fire or an explosion if the vehicle is involved in an accident. These items must be emptied before being transported or placed in storage. 

COMPUTER / STEREO components unplug cables, cords, leads, adapters etc. and bundle them.  If such items remain attached to the equipment, they should be taped.

CARPETS should be rolled firmly pattern-in, not folded or crushed.