As flood survivors look back in sorrow at the Queensland flood disaster, and forward in anticipation of the new year, residents of South East Queensland all take a moment to think about the events that occurred a year ago. Twenty thousand people were forced from their homes when the flooding struck 54 suburbs in Greater Brisbane, and 30,000 homes and business were flooded during the floods a year ago today.

”Ten days ago the world welcomed in 2012, but I know for many of you, January 1 is not that pivotal, the wounds are still too raw for that,” Ms Julia Gillard said at a memorial service held yesterday.

”It is perhaps this day, January 10, [that should be] your own New Year. A New Year without illusions about how deep the hurt remains, how far along the path of reconstruction we still have to go.”

Your Local Movers was one of the businesses affected by the floods, with the office and warehouse inundated with 11 meters of water.

It was only because of the dedication of the team, and the decision to sacrifice the office furniture, computers and equipment that we were able to evacuate all of our customers belongings, saving them from the heartache that so many suffered when they lost their homes and personal possessions.

It was a tough year for a lot of people, but the light in the darkness was the overwhelming desire from the people of the community to help their neighbours in flood affected areas. By January 13th, 55,000 people had registered to help with the huge clean-up. Coined ‘the mud-army’ the volunteer effort was massive. Stories of strangers walking into homes and picking up a hose or broom were common in all different parts of Brisbane.

Ordinary people became super heroes, before the waters peaked sandbagging people homes, and during the clean-up driving around offering hungry volunteers, home and business owners sandwiches, cooked meals and cold water to keep them going.

Your Local Movers owner Zachary Rook said he will be forever grateful for all the help that Your Local Movers received.

“Without our amazing staff, family, friends and huge amount of volunteers we wouldn’t be here today.

“I would personally like to thank ALL their staff and volunteers who showed their dedication and swept, hosed, scrubbed and once the clean-up was over, tore down, built up and painted the Rocklea depot. Your emotional support and dedication has kept us going and kept us moving, and allowed us to be in operation again just under a week after the floods.

“Thank you to the anonymous church group who had a mini bus of people arrive, gloves and all, who picked up a broom and also set up a BBQ for the clean-up in Rocklea.

“Thank you to our customers who were not flood affected, but had to postpone their moves for a few days due to the rising waters. Thank you to the storage facilities who housed our storage temporarily for our clients, who were available on short notice and accommodating and ‘dry’!

“And a special thank you goes out to a very special couple, Alpha and Hazel, who despite both having lost their jobs just before Christmas, couldn’t stand to sit around and do nothing. They arrived at our warehouse and started cleaning up before we even noticed they were there. They continued to show up to help for two 7 day weeks after the flood. We have since been able to employ them both and remain indebted to them for their kindness and help during a challenging time.”

We have some tips to help you cope and make your move a successful event, even in the heat of this summer!

• Drink heaps of water! On a normal day you should be drinking 2 litres of water, so keep that in mind on a hot day when you are running around organising! Dehydration is more serious than we think, and once you are dehydrated, it is very hard to get hydrated again. If you start to have muscle cramps, feel dizzy or fatigued, or get hot skin flushes, use sports drinks to get yourself rehydrated. If it gets any worse, seek medical attention.

• Let us help you! Some of our clients like to help on the move day, making it quicker. In the middle of summer, leave the really hot work to the experts. Instead of carrying a box to the truck, why not just take it as far as the shady garage!

• Help us help you! Our guys get very hot and need to take more regular breaks when working in the middle of the day. You will not be charged for these of course, just expect that the movers will take a 6 minute break every 3 hours or so. It’s tough work!

• Although you need to drink lots of water, your plants don’t on moving day! Try and avoid watering  your plants on the morning of the move, as water could escape and damage your upholstered furniture during the truck ride to your new place. Once plants are unloaded, place them in a shady place and give them a small amount of water. For more on moving plants, see our article ‘Moving pot plants’ .

• Finally, be organised! The whole moving process is much easier when any goods that can fit in a box, are packed in a box and you have a clear idea of where the furniture and items will go in your new house. This means it is quicker, more efficient and you don’t have to lift a finger.

We know that while its not ideal, sometimes moving near Christmas in unavoidable. Below are some tips to make the whole thing much much more bearable!

• Organisation is the key! Try to book the moving day as soon as you know when it is. This way you get your pick of time frames for arrival, like 7:00 am, which will ensure you get it over and done with quickly!
• Let us help you! We can do all your packing, and you would be surprized at how affordable it is! Think about what your time is worth to you, especially at this time of year, and let us take away the pain of packing.
• Think about the events going on in the area- We do our best to know what is happening on the streets over Christmas, but it never hurts to plan and know if there are any roads on route to your new home that are closed. Planning a detour in advance is always better!
• Distract the kids- We can work around the kids, so if they are colouring in at the kitchen table or watching tellie, we can wait til the last minute to pack up and move what is entertaining them- they can also help by carrying small things out or packing their own toys. You will be surprized how helpful they can be!
• For our moves in Melbourne and Brisbane especially- let us know what settlement times are happening on the day. We have found in Melbourne and Brisbane this Christmas period that settlement times have been a little tricky for our customers recently, so if you let us know we can do a whole range of things to make sure you are out of your old home and into your new home with as little down time as possible.
• If your having a BBQ in the weeks following your move, dont forget to label the box with your platter plates and entertaining kitchen wares! If your kids have special stockings, make sure you pack them in a box with all the other vital Christmas things that you would normally just pack anywhere.
• Finally, our experienced team are here to help you with any other queries and plan all the ins and outs of the move. Take advantage of us! Let us know what you need- 1800 004 065.

All the team here at Your Local Movers wish you the very best for Christmas and New Years, and for moving too! Happy Holidays!

Here are some events that will make this Christmas the best one ever, especially if you have just moved to Melbourne and are not quite sure what to do when you are out and about in Melbourne this holiday season…

Did you know? Melbournes hottest ever Christmas day was recorded in 1907 at a sweltering 41 Degrees! This year, they are predicting a day with a top of 22 degrees.

• Melbourne Christmas Lights Tour-  A tour run from dusk til dark that thrill the whole family! Some homes go all out with mist machines, electric moving displays and music displays to put a smile on your face. Look online for your nearest suburb, check out Brunswick, Fairfield and Greensbourough on the North side, and look online for more!
• What about a charity raceday? Western Health Community raceday supports vital health services for Melbournes Western Suburbs, and is coming up on Saturday the 10th Decemeber 2011 at Flemington. Get your fascinators out gals and get ready to back a horse for a gtreat cause this Christmas season!
• Time for Christmas shopping, head down on Sunday the 11th December 2011 to Akoonah Park Market in Berwick. Don’t fancy a long drive across Melbourne? Try Alliance Francaise Christmas Market – a french style market in St Kilda, boasting many unique and special finds. For a market you can get to know and go to regularily try Melbournes oldest market- celebrating its 35th year now, Ararat Trash ‘N’ Treasure Market on Collings st, Ararat.

• And finally who doesn’t want to really get into the spirit with Carols in the Cathedral- a spectacular and traditional performance by the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic at St Paul’s Cathedral (Cnr of Swanson st adn Flinder st, Melbourne) held on Monday the 19th December 2011. This is one of the biggest carol nights in Melbourne and promises bundles of joy and Christmas cheer!

So even if you have just begun living in Melbourne, and don’t quite feel like a tried and true local, get out and about and you will soon feel right at home in the city of Melbourne!

Melbourne and Southern Victoria should expect a drier outlook as persistant above average temperatures across the central to southeastern Indian Ocean from now until Christmas.

Your Local Movers have put together a couple of helpful suggestions for moving to minimise the worry if unexpected grey skies loom above Melbourne.

While moving home when its raining is not always fun, it does not have to be a disastrous experience.  Regardless of the weather, your moving team always reverse the truck as far as possible to the main entrance point into the house.  However there is always a chance of being a gap.  If there is not a clean path between the moving truck and the main entrance, consider laying down old blankets or a carpet cut-off.  Although we can’t help the wet shoes, this will help to avoid tracking in mud or debris into your home.  Avoid laying down plastic sheeting, as it is extremely slippery when wet.

If you have polished floorboards laying down cardboard, old blankets or carpet cut-offs will help to protect them.  If you use cardboard, you might need to replace it a few times during the day as it becomes wet and soggy.

On request, we can supply a range of plastic furniture covers such as mattress protectors, sofa covers and chair covers etc.  For the other furniture items we will cover them with removal pads (similar to thick blankets) for transporting to and from the truck when deemed safe.

Wet weather can weaken the strength of moving boxes, so handle boxes at the bottom if you help transfer them from the truck to the house.  Cross-taping boxes across the bottom before the move will add strength.

Last but not least, even though moving in the rain can be a little extra stressful, with a positive outlook think of the story you can tell when it’s all over and you are comfortable and warm in your new home.

Your Local Movers are proud to announce that our very own Director Zachary Rook and Office Manager Kate Dillon will be participating in Break the Cycle (BTC) Cambodia from 28^th October – 4^th November 2011. Joining the support crew, Kate and Zachary will be helping out as 100 cyclists ride 144km, to raise funds for child focused projects whilst raising awareness for vulnerable children, families and communities in developing countries who are affected by extreme poverty. The event takes place from the historic 1300 year old Angkor Wat temples to Poipet, a town where children are suffering from poverty, neglect and abuse.

In three short years since BTC began, 16 cyclists and support crew has quintupled raising an incredible $215,000. The raised funds have gone towards school building projects, education programs to empower women and children through quality vocational training and life skills development, foster care and assisting local churches develop programs to assist vulnerable children within their own communities.

Partners of Break the Cycle include Be A HERO – a non-profit organisation who set up programs to help over a billion children at risk due to poverty, homelessness, child labour, slavery, plague and war etc.
Eagle Wings Australia – a Christian aid and development for non-profit organisation assisting orphans and vulnerable children within the region of Southern Africa.
Global Development Group – an Australian charity organisation carrying out humanitarian projects with approved partners, providing long term solutions and aid to relieve poverty.

Zachary Rook was honoured by becoming a member of Be A HERO Australia’s (BAHA) board of directors in 2010. Zachary feels that his mix of entrepreneurial skills and passion for others can be used to fight for those in desperate need. October 2010, Zachary spent two weeks in Cambodia, working on one of BAHA’s projects, Safe Haven Children’s Village, located in Poipet. The project focuses on building secure homes for children and single mothers who have been trafficking, or at at risk of being trafficked into Thailand. The project provides care, skills, training and counseling while they are in the safe haven and re-integrated back into the community which enables them to set up their own business using the Micro – Loan scheme.

“Its exciting how quickly our local Cambodian business’s are growing and we’re really looking forward to getting over there, supporting the riders and then pouring some bricks.”

This is the second time Kate has personally be involved with BTC. In 2009, she drove one of the smaller trucks from the Your Local Movers fleet, in aid of the riders, carrying food, supplies and equipment from Brisbane to Canberra and back.

“I’ve been itching to get involved again this year, being the first BTC in Cambodia. It is a very important and challenging event, not only for Be A HERO Australia, but the history of Cambodia to acknowledge the rights of women and children.”

In 1975 the Khmer Rouge regime seized power of Cambodia, forcing radical social reform process that was aimed at creating a purely agrarian-based Communist society. City-dwellers were deported to the countryside where they were combined with the local population and subjected to forced labour. Approximately 1/5 of Cambodian citizens died in waves of murder, torture and starvation, particularly targeting the educated and intellectual elite. The Khmer Rouge believed parents were tainted with capitalism, consequently, children were separated from parents and brainwashed to communism as well as taught torture methods with animals. Children were a dictatorial instrument of the regime and were given leadership in torture and executions.

Be A Hero work with communities in and around Poipet on Cambodia’s northwest border with Thailand. The local non-Government organisation targets the needs and opportunities presented in the community, projects include
– home and school vegetable gardening
– water sanitation
– animal husbandry
– vocational training (sewing, motorbike repair, computer training)
– HIV/AIDS education and home care
– financial assistance to disabled families
– restaurant management, food prep
– hygiene training
– awareness training regarding child trafficking and domestic violence.

To speak with Zachary personally about how you can Be A HERO in the lives of others, please call 1800 004 065.

You’ll be seeing more of the blue and yellow logo, covering local streets and suburbs in Melbourne. Introducing our new depot in Thornbury, we are based within minutes of suburbs like Brunswick, Carlton, Collingwood, Fitzroy, Ivanhoe, Moonee Ponds, Preston and Reservoir.

Melbourne! Remember to keep an eye out in the mail. Our current Gift Certificate promotion is making its way to you, saving you $50 off any removal service including professional packing, moving and unpacking services.

Selecting boxes
The boxes at your local supermarket or hardware store might be free – but they’re not designed to hold household items! Read the box! The chances are it says something about breakfast cereal or paint brushes. And a box full of either of those products is much lighter than a box of your kitchenware or novels.

Packing boxes are specifically designed for moving. They are strong, they are reinforced where they need to be reinforced, and there’s a convenient spot on the side for you to clearly label them. They are designed to pack neatly and flush next to, and on top of the next, making space for all your furniture and other belongings.  But choosing the right number and types of boxes for your move can sometimes be a bit tricky.

And remember if its smaller than a Moving Box it needs to be in one.

Below you will find the types of moving boxes Your Local Movers can supply in Melbourne, their purpose and dimensions.

Large Box (Tea Chest Carton)
Tea Chest Cartons are larger boxes ideal for lighter and bulky items such as linen, cushions, toys, pots and pans etc.  Dimensions: Length: 431 mm Width: 406 mm Height: 596 mm

Small Box (Book Carton)
Book Cartons are smaller boxes ideal for packing heavy and fragile items such as books, CDs, DVDs, glassware etc.  Dimensions: Length: 406 mm Width: 298 mm Height: 431 mm

Clothing Box – (Porta-Robe or Wardrobe Box)
Porta-robe boxes allow you to hang clothing directly onto a steel rail. Perfect for business suits, dress or fragile/delicate clothing.  Dimensions: Length: 595 mm Width: 479 mm Height: 1106 mm

Picture, Mirror or Painting Box
Ideal for small to medium sized pictures, paintings and mirrors.  Dimensions: Length: 1040 mm Width: 75 mm Height: 775 mm

Archive Box
Designed for reliable stacking and great for documents, magazines, CDs and DVDs.  Dimensions: Length: 390 mm Width: 306 mm Height: 260 mm

Now that you know which boxes you require, you will probably be pondering over how many you will need.  You might surprise yourself with the amount of stuff hiding in cupboards or on shelves that need to be packed.  We recommend ordering a few extra packing boxes just in case.  We will always buy back any unused boxes at the full price you paid for them.

Below is an estimate of how many boxes you may need per number of bedrooms your home is.

1 bedroom                2 bedroom               3 bedroom               4 bedroom
10 x Large Box          15 x Large Box          30 x Large Box         45 x Large Box
15 x Small Box          20 x Small Box          35 x Small Box          50 x Small Box

5 + bedroom              Wardrobe                              Filing Cabinet
60+ Large Box          1 x Porta-robe/3ft space     2 x Archive boxes/draw
80+ Small Box

Marking Boxes
Marking your packing boxes will help you as much as it does us. There are two main reasons to list the contents of your boxes, or at the very least, label them so you know which room the content belongs in:

1.  It saves you having to cart boxes to the designated room after the removalists have gone.
2.  You won’t be opening every single box to find that “must have” item in a hurry.

Don’t forget to use a good marking pen so you can read what you have written. You can also use different coloured pens, labels or stickers for different rooms to make moving a breeze.

Now that you have worked out what type and how many boxes you need, how do you get them?  Your Local Movers deliver boxes free of charge for all orders over $50.

Need a Melbourne Removalist? Need boxes and packing materials?  Give us a call on 1800 004 065 today.

There are a few basic things you need to know before you start looking for Melbourne removalists, here is a short list of things to check for:

1. Are they offering a repair guarantee or insurance?

If the companies you look at are offering a ‘repair guarantee’ you need to check that it is a written document, not just a catchy phrase to get you to book with them. If they are offering insurance BEWARE!  Removal companies cannot sell you insurance because they are not an insurance broker or agent.  Often a company will claim you are 100% dinky-di insured, this is not true.  If you have not provided them with an estimate of the value of your goods, filled out paper work and paid for it, there is no cover on your goods, do not be fooled.

2. Have they covered all the cost you can expect?

Make sure you know how much you are being charged – by the hour or at a fixed price, and what travel charges there are?  Other cost to check are surcharges for cumbersome such as a piano and pool table. Make sure these are all the cost and there are no hidden charges for things like blankets or lifts, if the company is charging extra for these then they probably are not the kind of company you want to move with. Another important price question for movers that charge an hourly rate is, ‘what increments do they charge in? If they charge in hour or half hour blocks, you will likely be charged for large amounts of time you do not use for going a couple of minutes into their next block.

3. Have their removalists been trained or are they students, backpackers and labor hire?

Even some of the largest moving companies still have labor hire and untrained workers. And with Melbourne being a popular tourist destination there are plenty to go around.  This is particulalrly true with large office moves and smaller operators.

This puts your goods at risk form inexperienced staff that don’t know what they’re doing. Check all the movers you are getting are trained. Also check you’re not being referred to a subcontractor, subcontractors are notorious for passing the buck on damage and not having well trained employees.

4. Will they turn up and do the job at a specific time or within a time period?

Some movers do not turn up at a specific time. Often they give you an estimate or a confirmation for say, between 12:00 and 1:00 pm, this can really affect your move and how organised your day is.

There are plenty of other good questions to ask and things to know when you are moving locally in Melbourne, stay tuned for more.

Terms and Conditions

Gift Certificates are limited to one voucher per local Melbourne relocation, not in conjunction with multiple services.

Relocation Services include professional packing and/or unpacking services, home and office relocation services.

Gift Certificates cannot be used or redeemed without the authorised claim code, cannot be redeemed for cash, cannot be replaced if they are lost or stolen, cannot be used or redeemed towards previous purchases, cannot be resold, and are not refundable.

Gift Certificates are valid for use until March 31st 2012 (or as otherwise extended by us).

Gift Certificates must be mentioned when booking over the phone with Move Consultant and presented to Team Leader on removal day.

Gift Certificates are valid for moves with a minimum of 3.5 hours only.

Changes to Terms of Use

We reserve the right to change any of the terms contained in these Terms and Conditions at any time where the change is required:

• To add or remove services which may be redeemed with purchase
• To increase or decrease minimum hours required for certificate to be valid
• For infrastructural, systems, administrative or operational reasons or to prevent the occurrence of fraud or other unlawful or unacceptable conduct;
• To comply with any contract, law, regulation or statute or order or judgment of any court, tribunal or other body having competent jurisdiction; or
• Where we, acting reasonably, consider that it will not be to your detriment.
• Changes to these Terms of Us

Privacy and Confidentiality

Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle the personal information that we may collect from you with respect to Gift Certificates. A copy of the Your Local Movers Privacy Policy is available at www.yourlocalmovers.com.au/privacy-policy