Common Moving Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Moving to a new home is exciting, but it’s also stressful. There’s so much to be done! And unfortunately, if you fill your moving day(s) with these common moving mistakes, it’ll be considerably more stressful that it needs to be. From not preparing for your first night and day to bringing too much stuff or simply doing everything yourself, here are the top 10 mistakes people make when they move – and how to avoid them.
- Underestimating Time
Packing takes longer than most people give it credit for, and it’s not uncommon for packing to continue into the early hours of a moving day, which is far from ideal.
Start packing non-essential items a few weeks before. Make a timeline so you can keep yourself on track the day of.
- Failing to Declutter
Relocating is a great time to declutter your stuff that you no longer need. This further does not only increase the cost of your move, but also creates clutter in your new home.
How to avoid: Decluttering before packing. Take some time to donate/sell/throw away things you haven’t been using. This way your move will be lighter and you won’t take unused stuff with you, which can lead to a bit of anxiety.
- Not Labeling Boxes
When you’re in a time crunch to get everything packed, boxes often go unlabelled which makes unpacking a guessing game and you have to open each box to find what you’re looking for.
How to avoid: Write a label on each box describing what’s inside, as well as what room it should be in. For bonus points, color code your labels for even more organizational bliss.
- Ignoring Measurements
Moving large furniture without knowing if it fits in your new space can be a big mistake. Many find out too late that some items won’t make it through a door or into a room.
Measure doorways, hallways and room dimensions in your new home before. Make sure your large items will fit, disassemble if needed.
- Overloading Boxes
It’s easy to go overboard when packing, but if your boxes break under the weight of their contents, you’ll just end up with a mess and possible damages.
To prevent: Use lighter boxes for books and evenly distribute weight in them. Do not overload the boxes and ensure they can withstand the load inside.
- Forgetting to Set Up Utilities
Many people forget to get electricity, water or internet installed at the new place and have a very rough couple of days in the beginning.
How to avoid: If you can, schedule the transfer or installation of utilities a few days before your move-in date so everything is ready when you arrive.
- Hiring Movers Without Research
Not all moving companies are this reputable. Hiring a mover without doing your homework can lead to poor service and even sometimes having your possessions held hostage.
How you can avoid (or) prevent this: Ask for the opinions, Read the reviews and get a few of the estimates before making a decision on hiring the movers. Make sure that they are licensed and insured.
