Moving house can be a stressful time, but there are ways to minimise this stress. The easiest way to do this is through some careful planning. The best way to handle most situations is to break down the key elements and decide upon the best plan of attack. Once you've handed in your notice to your landlord and found yourself a new place to call home, there are just a few more things to consider....

Cleaning
Attention to detail is key when cleaning a rental: dust along skirting boards, scrub sinks, cook-tops & ovens, wipe over the inside of cupboards, mop the bathroom, vacuum all the carpet & thoroughly clean any stainless steel surfaces for finger prints - everything needs to be spotless! Once you've finished the clean, take a breather and come back half an hour later for a 'self audit'. Try and view the apartment as if for the first time. You might notice any stains etc that you had become accustomed to seeing. Put yourself in your landlords shoes: are there any noticeable stains, dents, chips, holes; run your finger along ledges, do you pick up any dust?

If your apartment is looking like it is in to much of a state for you to handle on your own, it may be worth investing in a professional cleaning company to help you out once all your furniture has been cleaned.

Photos
Taking photos of your soon to be ex-rental is essential in ensuring you receive a full refund of your bond. This is particularly important if your landlord has been known to be difficult in the past. Be quite particular and take more than you think you'll need, cover every room, taking in all their nooks & crannies! Remember to date stamp the photographs too. This way, if there is any discrepancy over refund of your bond, you'll have proof of the condition of your apartment as you left it.

Communication
Be sure to keep the lines of communication with your landlord open and positive. Aside from simply being the respectful and courteous thing to do, it's also key for two reasons: firstly, you may need to use them as a reference to rent property in the future and secondly, they still have your bond!

Also be sure to keep your landlord in the loop with any updates as to the time and date that you will be vacating the property. This will also help ensure a timely return of your bond.

Time
Be sure to set aside enough time for all of the above tasks. It is super important to not leave tasks such as cleaning until the morning you intend to vacate the property. Cleaning an entire apartment tends to take much longer than anticipated. Also leave plenty of time to physically move, or if you're using a moving company, coordinate the move. Moving companies are usually quite busy and time should be allowed in the case that they are running behind schedule on the day. A good way to avoid this is to get an early start on moving day - be their first move of the day!

Most important of all is to remember to relax, take a deep breath & smile - moving is exciting!