Congratulations! You’ve just done all the hard work and bought your new home, and now it’s time for the fun part: getting organised to move in.

But to make sure it stays a joy, instead of descending into a chaotic nightmare, take the time to get organised.

First things

Last-minute jobs: Do you need to repaint, re-tile or clean the carpets or have any other odd jobs done to your new house or apartment? Better to try to organise them before you move in. That way, all the work will be done and there’ll be no tradies trying to work around you and your furniture.

Declutter: Work out what possessions you’ll be taking with you, and which you’ll sell, give to charity or chuck out. Some of your existing furniture, for instance, might not fit your new place, or you might plan to buy a couch that will suit your new dimensions.

Set the date: Resist the temptation to move into your new home on the same day as the current owners or tenants move out. There are always delays, and you might find yourself, and your expensive removalists, sitting around, waiting, for hours.

Gather your troops: Book the removalists, or your own DIY van, for the move and investigate where your removalists will be able to park. If you’ve bought an apartment, you might need to let the building manager know and find out if there are any restrictions on the day or time you move in, and available parking spaces.

Second things

Utilities and admin: Connect all the utilities like electricity, gas, water and internet, and change your address with all your existing contracts, like your traffic toll passes, the Electoral Commission, doctor and dentist, your employer, banks and credit card companies. Redirect all your mail via Australia Post.

Protect your assets: Organise home and contents insurance for your new home, and check to see if your car insurance might change with your new address. You might also want to ask your removalists if they insure against damage, or if you need to take out special insurance for the day.

Check and measure: Check the measurements of your new rooms and, if you plan to buy furniture, consider ordering it now as some companies have up to a six-month waiting time. Always make sure, however, that it will fit into the dimensions of the rooms, that the staircase is wide enough to manoeuvre bigger beds upstairs and if the apartment block’s lifts or stairwells will also accommodate the pieces.

Third things

Get packing: This is the biggie: the packing. Take a plan of your new home, divide it into numbered areas and make a number of copies. Then, when you pack, mark each box clearly with the number of the area you want the removalists to leave it in as well as its contents to help you with the unpacking. Give a copy of the plan to each removalist. Also, buy some FRAGILE stickers and put those on your glassware, crockery and any other valuables.

Packing always takes much longer than you think, so start packing early – all those things you’re not using at the moment. Encourage other family members and friends to help.

Lock it up: Consider changing the locks to the new home. You never know how many spare keys are in circulation from the former owners.

Fourth things

Secure your valuables: Pack your car with any of your most delicate, or valuable, items, like laptops, jewellery, precious photographs or important documents. Make sure it’s parked in a safe place throughout, and transfer those items into a pre-determined out-of-the-way spot in your new home as early as possible.

Separate your essential items: Put the items you’re going to need soonest – like your toothbrush, hairbrush, any medications and a change of clothes – in a suitcase or holdall so you’ll know where they are, instead of having to rummage through everything. Another suitcase could hold all the bedding everyone is going to need for the first night.

Moving day

Last checks: Count the boxes and suitcases, and keep a running tab on them, to make sure you leave nothing behind and nothing gets lost on the way before everything arrives at the other end.

Fuel up: Buy some snacks to keep all members of the family going and in good spirits. Plan an easy-to-eat takeaway for your first evening, like pizza, that doesn’t need knives, forks and plates.

Say hello: Greet any neighbours who come out to say hello. Be friendly and genial, however rattled you might be by this stage. You never know, they might end up your very best friends!

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