Category Archives: Misc

How You Can Donate to Charity When Moving

How You Can Donate to Charity When Moving

When moving home we generally de-clutter and discard a number of items that we no long have any use for. Kitchen items, toys and old clothing are a large percentage of the things we discard while moving. While it’s great to take the opportunity to de-clutter when moving home, we also tend to throw away a large number of perfectly good items in the bin. But it’s possible to put these to better use- why not donate them so someone less-fortunate than you   It’s a great feeling to know that you are helping others.

When you are moving house, you go through the process of sifting through heap loads of belongings. As we grow older and our family size increases, we end up collecting a lot of things and also have multiples of certain items. We often start cleaning our closets and find clothes that haven’t been touched for years; but we don’t throw them away and they just get put back in the closet again.

In addition we also end up collecting a number of things we don’t need such as books, old TV’s, shoes and more. Only when we start packing during a move do we realise that there are so many excessive things that are in perfectly good shape that we have no use for any longer. These are the things you should consider donating to charity when moving.

The charities

Some of the charities many our clients donate their unwanted belongings to  are:

  • Red Cross Australia– Red Cross Shops rely on the local communities to donate items for them to sell. Some of the items you can donate to them include good quality summer and spring clothing and accessories and homewares. You can find a Red Cross Shop, closest to you via their site.
  • St Vincent De Paul Donating to Vinnies as they are called is a great idea. You can donate good-quality books, clothes, music and any other bric-a-brac and it will get a new life, as it helps support Australians that are having a tough time and it helps reduce landfill. Most of these shops don’t accept electrical appliances for safety and legal reasons and they don’t accept mattresses either. You can find more information on their website.
  • Save the children This organisation accepts a variety of items including school supplies, board games and crayons etc. If you have kids, there are bound to be a lot of extra things in a good condition that can be donated to a good cause.
  • Salvos– You can donate your quality used furniture, toys clothing & homewares to the Salvos. You’ll introduce far less waste into the environment and it’s a great way to help raise money for the organisation’s vital community projects. Don’t donate anything that is damaged, stained, ripped, torn or broken or faulty; if there’s something wrong the item, it can’t be sold.

If you want to know which other charities you can donate your old belongings to before moving, check the Give Now site and choose a charity you prefer.

If you want to know more about packing and moving, or need to book a service, don’t hesitate to contact us at Next Level Removals or all 1300 005 400.

Change of Address Checklist

Change of Address Checklist

When you move from one location to another, you need to change your address on all your official and unofficial documentation and ensure all your connections are informed. People often forget to change their address with some institutions and organisations, which can cause trouble down the line. Here’s a checklist that can help you:

  1. Personal Connections 
  • Parents
  • Separated spouses
  • Siblings and distant relatives
  • Neighbours
  • Friends
  1. Government organisations 
  • Australian Taxation Office
  • Australian Electoral Commission
  • Pap test registry
  • Local councils
  • Concession cards
  • Seniors cards
  • Human services like Child Support Agency and Medicare
  1. Related to work 
  • Employers
  • Colleagues and work friends
  • Business associates
  • Customers
  • Employees and contractors
  1. Education
  • Your children’s schools
  • College and universities
  • Any after school or extracurricular programs 
  1. Related to finances 
  • Banks
  • Pension
  • Brokerage firms
  • Lenders
  • Superannuation funds
  • Credit card companies
  • Bonds, stocks, and shares
  • Accountants
  1. Healthcare 
  • General practitioner
  • Paediatrician
  • Dentist office
  • Special healthcare providers
  • Optician
  • Veterinarian
  1. Related to your vehicles 
  • Drivers licenses
  • Car registration
  • Car insurance
  • Maintenance service contracts of garages with franchise branches in your new location
  • Car companies you purchased the car from
  1. Utilities 
  • Australia Post office
  • Electricity
  • Gas
  • Television subscription
  • Phone
  • Broadband internet
  • Water
  1. Insurance companies 
  • Ambulance insurance
  • Life insurance
  • Health insurance
  • House and contents insurance
  • Special insurance
  • Medicare
  1. Legal services 
  • Personal lawyer
  • Real estate lawyer
  • Corporate lawyer related to work

These are just some of the many places you need to change your addresses during the move. Others are miscellaneous organisations like gyms and libraries that can wait until you settle down. If you follow this checklist, you’ll change your registered address at all important organisations and people. This ensures you get all your mail, government documentation, school and collage communication, and other such mail at the right location. You should also change your address with any magazine or service subscription in order to ensure you get the items at your new location.

If you want to know more about packing and moving, or need to book a service, don’t hesitate to contact us at Next Level Removals or all 1300 005 400.