While everybody knows that it’s only human to make mistakes, you won’t be particularly happy to make a serious blunder when you’re getting ready to move out.
The thing is that moving mistakes can prove to be too costly for you, forcing you to either lose additional money in the process or waste valuable time during the preparation period.
Sometimes you can even end up losing both time and money due to a rookie mistake and that’s exactly what may really hurt your chances of having a smooth, stress-free move.
Pay attention to the following 12 most common mistakes when moving and do all in your power to avoid making them at the most inopportune moment of all – the time when you’re moving from one home to another.
Mistake 1. You decide to move out at the wrong time
Mistiming your residential move can be a big mistake, followed by regretting your decision to relocate after the move is over.
You just have to make sure you’re making the right call – after all, a residential move is a radical change that will lead to many other smaller changes in your life.
So, do ask yourself if it’s the right time to move out. Weigh the pros and cons of moving to another place and analyze carefully your current situation.
It’s important to remember that one of the most common mistakes when moving is to decide to do so without having saved enough money to neither cover the inevitable moving expenses nor handle the numerous immediate post-relocation costs.
That’s right – proper timing is critical to the success of your residential move.
Mistake 2. You hire a moving company without researching it
Arguably, the most serious moving mistake you can make is to hire professional moving services without researching properly the company itself.
The truth is that there are many moving companies out there and not all of them offer an outstanding moving service. Therefore, you want to make sure you’re working with one of the best movers in the country – for your own sake and for the sake of your prized possessions.
Don’t just trust movers blindly. Instead, do your homework and check
- their legal status with the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT),
- their membership status with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and
- their online reputation in the form of customer reviews.
See also: 10 Steps to select a good mover
Mistake 3. You don’t request in-home surveys from movers
Get free moving estimates from the best moving companies in your area regardless of whether you’re moving across the country (long distance) or locally. Once you get in touch with licensed, reputable, and insured movers, remember to request in-home visual surveys from the pros for accurate cost estimation.
Don’t make the rookie mistake of agreeing to a price estimate that’s been prepared without an on-site inspection. Bear in mind that cost estimates received over the phone or sent by e-mail can never be precise enough and, at least in most cases, won’t reflect well the final cost of your move.
You should never trust a moving company that refuses to send representatives to your home for a survey.
Mistake 4. You don’t create a moving budget
Another mistake you should avoid when moving to a new home is to fail to create a budget early on in your preparations.
Now, why will a moving budget help you manage your finances during the residential move?
- A preliminary budget will give you a clear idea of whether you have saved enough money to complete the move.
- When moving locally, creating a budget will help you decide whether hiring local movers or organizing a DIY move will be better for you from a financial point of view.
- A moving budget will enable you to monitor your move-related expenses and to take action when a specific task requires more money than you allocated to it in the beginning.
Read also: How to make a moving budget
Mistake 5. You delay the start of the packing job
One of the most serious mistakes you can make when moving to another home is to underestimate the task of packing.
What you should keep in mind is that the process of packing for a move is, by far, the most time-consuming task you’ll have on your moving checklist. Therefore, what you should do is begin packing up your things, little by little, as soon as the residential move becomes only a matter of time.
In reality, there’s absolutely no reason for you to postpone the packing task. The more you delay it, the more stressful you’ll become simply because you’ll be more and more uncertain whether or not you’ll be able to finish packing by the day of the move.
Do yourself a favor and start packing ASAP.
Mistake 6. You start packing without a good plan
Beginning the packing process as early as you can is a great start.
However, do you know where to start packing? Which room should you pack first when getting ready to move out?
Don’t make the dreadful mistake of starting the packing job without a good packing strategy. You will need to know not only how to begin but also how to continue packing up your things. Of course, it’s also a great idea to know what you should pack last of all.
A foolproof packing plan is key to the success of the most important task of them all when moving out – PACKING. And this is exactly why you are strongly recommended to follow a Packing Timeline – a detailed to-list that’s specialized for packing only.
Must-read: Packing timeline for moving – a personalized packing calendar
Mistake 7. You don’t prepare all packing supplies in advance
Although it’s considered a minor moving mistake, starting to pack up your things without having secured all the necessary packing materials will definitely slow down your packing progress because you’ll have to interrupt your work to go and get extra supplies.
As you might suspect, you’re going to need a lot of cardboard boxes of various sizes to pack up your belongings. It’s useful to know that the average number of moving boxes needed to pack a home for moving is around 60.
In addition to packing boxes, you’re also going to need plenty of packing paper and bubble wrap to protect your breakable items for safe transportation.
Don’t make the mistake of skimping on padding materials when you’re packing breakable items such as ones made of porcelain and glass.
Good to know: Where to get free moving boxes
Mistake 8. You fail to duclutter your home prior to packing
Ultimately, some moving mistakes will cost you much more than others in the long run. The perfect example for a judgment error that can really hurt you is the failure to declutter your home prior to packing up your things for a move.
The most important thing you have to understand is that the more things you choose to take with you to the new place, the more money you will pay for their transportation simply because the overall weight of the shipment will increase.
So, ask yourself this: do you REALLY need to take all those things with you to the new home? Inventory your possessions and discard any items that you no longer like and you won’t need in the future.
See also: How to declutter your home before moving
Mistake 9. You don’t pack any essentials boxes
Think about this: while your stuff is being transported between the two homes, you won’t have access to any of your things… unless you’ve been thinking a few moves ahead and have taken those most essential items with you.
Don’t forget to pack a few essentials boxes for each family member – things that you will absolutely need to survive the period until you get reunited with your normal everyday things. Toiletries, medications, a change of clothes, important documents, children’s items, pets’ items, and even a few basic tools are just some of the items your survival kit should contain.
Failure to prepare such Open-First boxes will only make the whole moving trip to the new place much more uncomfortable and unpleasant for everyone.
Read also: What to pack in an essentials box?
Mistake 10. You underestimate the task of labeling boxes
Probably the most common mistakes when moving out that people make is to fail to label their boxes properly after packing them up. Such a failure can be caused by variety of reasons but mostly it’s underestimation of the labeling task by whoever does the packing.
You shouldn’t make this typical packing mistake and here’s why – you’re likely to lose a crazy amount of valuable time after the move when piles and piles of unlabeled cardboard containers get delivered into the biggest room in the new place.
How could you possibly find what you’re looking for when all those cardboard boxes look almost identical from the outside? Wasting precious post-relocation time won’t help your adaptation period either.
So, make sure you label each box as soon as you pack it – write the content and destination room on at least two sides for easier identification.
Useful info: What’s the best way to label moving boxes?
Mistake 11. You fail to observe moving day safety
The day of your move can be really dangerous unless you’ve taken all the necessary precautionary steps to keep trouble away from your doorstep.
Costly property damage and painful personal injuries can never be ruled out on Moving day so you must do all in your power to make that day as safe as possible.
- Ask friends to help you out with the heavy lifting if you’re not using professional moving services.
- Use the right lifting techniques when handling big and heavy furniture pieces.
- Wear closed shoes with rubber soles for maximum traction and a set of clothes that won’t restrict your movements.
- Keep young children and pets safe in a room far away from the packing and moving action.
Must-read: What to do on Moving day: Moving day checklist
Mistake 12. You assume moving by yourself is always cheaper
Possibly the most common mistake that too many people make is to assume that it’ll be cheaper for them to move by themselves than to hire professional moving services.
While organizing a DIY move can, in fact, be the cheaper option when you’re moving only a short distance, you’re not taking too many things with you, and you know you can rely on your good friends to help you out, a long-distance move is always better handled by experienced cross-country movers who have the experience and the know-how to complete the job in the best possible way.
Besides, you should always factor in the hidden costs when moving by yourself before you make up your mind which way to go.
Get free moving estimates from the interstate movers near you and do the math.
