We are moving! Questions - Help please!?

After a very long 6 months of living in this 'sick' house ...3 of those months in which we were desperately looking for alternative accomodation I might add - we are FINALLY moving on Dec 12th. Just in time for Christmas too, I'm stoked.

For those that hadn't seen my posts earlier in the year we've been living in a house that was not only damp, but breeding mould like you wouldn't believe. All up the walls, window sills, carpet, curtains ...our belongings, furniture - anywhere and everywhere you can imagine! And in turn both DS and I have been horridly sick, constant Asthma and breathing difficulties, covered in eczema ...chest/ear/throat infections constantly. He'd finish a round of antibiotics for one infection and a week later would be on a new lot for another infection, I was getting chest/throat infections too. Prior to moving here we were NEVER sick. So as you can imagine very glad to be getting us out of here!

Now come the questions...

Firstly, a lot of our furniture has been damaged in the 6 months we've been here. The base of my Queen bed is riddled with BLACK mould all down one side, and the base is quite low to the ground so I wouldn't be surprised if the mould/dampness is now actually IN the base & matress. Also my sons chest of drawers are covered in mould (green powdery mould, black mould ..some parts even look to be rotting) - do you think Contents insurance would cover these things? And how would you go about asking when you phone them?

I've had differing opinions from people as to whether our furniture will be covered - has any/one made a similar claim before and had any luck?

I'm not really keen on taking the mouldy furniture into our next place, I want to start a fresh, get us healthy etc.

Amongst the other furniture affected was bookcases & my tv cabinet etc. I have discarded the bookcase as it was beyond redemption (and only a cheapie warehouse one) ...but TV cabinet is only the underneath where the chipboard is so I'm going to wipe that with janola in hope that it kills the spores, coz that cabinet matches the tv and cannot be replaced.

And in regards to moving, what do I need to DO before we move, I'm so disorganized and away with the fairies at the moment.

So far I've listed:

*Clean the place we're currently in, ready for final inspection and to receive full bond back, fill in and return bond refud form.

**Phone Power Company and get that all switched over

***Organize landline number to be switched and reconnected

****Pack up our belongings lol....that ones a bit obvious

******Already have the truck/moving help sorted. Have boxes and tape etc.

I'm sure I'm forgetting a whole heap - anything else I should be adding to the list?

And is a mail redirection necessary or is it best just to list all the companies/places I can think of that have this adress, and ring them up personally to change?...how much is a redirection?

Any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated, this is our first time moving from a rental to another rental - I don't want to forget anything!

You have to pay for mail redirection I think but I would suggest getting it as you always forget to tell someone that you have moved. But I would ring as many companies as you can before the move to tell them the new details

Try your insurance company (and remember to change your details to the new house) regarding the damage. I don't know too much about your situation but is there some recourse against the landlord? Maybe Citizen's Advice could help you on that? The insuance company may not replace the items but they may pay to have them professionally cleaned

I think your list pretty much covers it

I would talk to your landlord & show then the damage to your property from their damp place. You may be able to come to some sort of agreement, or maybe the place can be reported somewhere as unsafe, I don't know but it would be sad if a baby ended up living there.
I also would take them through the place before cleaning & show them the mold & tell them they need professionals with safety gear to clean that, see what they say.

Make a list of all bills you get then advise them over the phone or card your new contact details. Most important, power, phone, sky, bank, insurances.

When we moved I email people also.

I got heaps of newspapers old from the dairy. Since you are moving in a couple of weeks you could pack most stuff now. I packed early & used a room close to the door to store most in so people were not walking to much through the house & I could also clean rooms early.

Label boxes well, make it easier.

I was going to suggest that MrsH23 - it's www.changemyaddress.co.nz - has a handy list of stuff to do and packing checklists etc that might be useful. Means your address is changed over for car registration, phone, power, etc all at the same time

Are you moving yourself or have your got movers doing it for you? If you've got movers you don't need to unpack chest of drawers etc, they pic the whole item up and move it as is.  Great for not having to unpack at the other end.

Post Redirection is worth getting as there is of course always someone you'll have missed, esp over Christmas where you might get a whole lot of cards etc that only get sent once a year.

Thanks for all the advice guys, will go and ring insurance company soon ...never know if you don't ask, right?

Thanks for that tip on cleaning the TV cabinet Stacey I will give that a shot, where do i get oil of cloves from?

Yay just over a week until I get my keys!

You sound really sussed, we have moved twice this year from rental to rental! I would reccomend banana boxes if you are packing your own things. They are strong and stack well. Just ask in the produce department at the supermarket and get more than you think you need.

Be there for your final inspection and send away your own bond refund form if you don't and the landlord doesn't you won't get it back for ages oh and make sure that the landlord signs their copy in front of you. You can also just transfer the bond across so you don't have to fork out more money.

Stop the rent AP! You don't want to forget and keep on paying.

Ask the insurance company for transfer insurance so that all your contents are covered while moving in between houses. They should offer it but just in case they don't. It shouldn't cost you any more than normal insurance premium.

Keep out kids fave toys and a change of clothes for you and them along with daily essentials and take them in the car with you so that you know where they are when you get to the new place. I usually put bedding and towels in too so that it is easy to make up beds and have a shower etc without having to unpack much.

Good luck with your move!

Im moving too, i hae thrown out 8 bags full of crap just from the kitchen! If you get any magazine subscriptions- remember to change them! And defiantly do the redirection service, you can put up to 10 names i think! Good luck with the moving :)

you can get clove oil from the chemist - i got some a few months ago for my tooth ache and also used it on some mould!

insurance companies and policies differ but for me - we are with Tower and i claimed my pram at the begining of the year - we flooded some of the house out including Astins room and my P&T pram was folded sitting on the ground against the wall....i went to use it a few weeks later and there was a few green mould spots on the cover and me being fussy and having an asthmatic child - i rung insurance and they replaced it. (we have actual replacement policy).

yay for the new house!! good luck for the move

Tower wont cover mould or mildew damage as they classify that as wear and tear which the dont cover ...fantastic. no way am i taking my bed and his drawers into the next house and having the same probs.

I have no money and we need food, any idea what the requirements are to qualify for a food gant from winz? Obviously will have to wait till mon ...man moving is costly!