7 Most Common Moving Mistakes You Should Avoid

7 Most Common Moving Mistakes You Should Avoid

The good news about moving is that it doesn’t happen often. The not-so-good news is that it takes a lot of effort for it to run smoothly. With that in mind, we have prepared the list of most common moving mistakes that can unnecessarily cost you money, time, and nerves. Here are the 7 most common moving mistakes you should avoid.

1. Not having a plan

The worst thing you can do for yourself is take the moving process lightly. Instead, start planning how you are going to handle it, including the simplest tasks, like cancelling cable. At this point, you must know your new location so you can prepare to unpack at the same time. 

Go to as much detail as possible and start with one room at a time. This should also be the moment to include that family member or friend with excellent management skills.   

2. Doing everything last minute

Procrastination is your enemy! Don’t wait until the last minute to pack and go through your belongings. It may seem like a fun part in the beginning, but you will quickly get tired of making decisions, folding, and wrapping things up. Even with help there, this is not something to do close to the actual move. So, figure out what you can do without during the moving process and start from there. 

3. Forgetting to pack essentials separately

Essential belongings are things you will need for the first day after the move into your new home. This can be anything, like a coffee maker, toiletries, and favourite sweat pants. For this reason, essentials should be packed separately since it will be the first box you will open at your new place. If it makes you feel comfortable, you can pack essentials and take them to your new home yourself.  

4. Being a disorganized packer

Being well organized will get you a long way when moving, especially if you have a lot of things to pack and deal with. If you are not using packing services from the removal company, then buy lots of stickers and felt-tipped pens for labelling. You can also use a colour-coding system, numbering, and other ways that will help you organize your belongings. 

This is important for you and the movers since it will let you know where to place boxes, how to handle them, and make the unloading easier. Moreover, it can make a lot of difference if you know that something is heavy from the label and not by trying to lift it. 

5. Choosing a removal company in a hurry

Finding reliable moving services shouldn’t come down to choosing the first company that you come across. Instead, start looking for your future movers early on by asking your friends and family for referrals, as well as online. Once you have your list of potential removal companies, ask them for quotes and see which one fits your needs. The cheapest one is not necessarily the best, so focus on more aspects of these offers than just the price.   

6. Having a hard time parting with things

Decluttering is not only hard because it takes a lot of physical work, but because of its emotional toll. Parting with your belongings may have you postpone packing and introduce disorder into your moving strategy. This is easily remedied by not doing it alone and asking others to help you decide what to throw away and what to keep. You may feel better if you donate to charity or sell at the yard sell some or all things you don’t need to move to your new home. 

7. Saving on packing materials

No skimping on packing material! Fragile items can use an extra layer of bubble wrap and Styrofoam to keep them in one piece and safe from mishandling. Buy quality boxes made from sturdy cardboard, but also opt for waterproof materials, especially if you are moving during rainy and snowy seasons. Always have at least one duct tape by your side to secure the box openings and strengthen the edges in case of heavier items.

The bottom line 

Approach moving as a project that you need to have control of from start to finish. Planning, packing, labelling, decluttering, hiring a removal company, and getting rid of unwanted things are part of that project. It can even be fun if you invite people to help and avoid procrastination, or at least don’t wait to do things at the last minute.