Nobody is perfect, but there are some mistakes you can make throughout your moving process that can be easily avoided. Our friends at Safebound Moving & Storage put together a comprehensive list of things to avoid. Continure reading if you want to avoid some common, silly moving mistakes!
Don’t Try A DIY Move If You Can Afford to Hire Movers
If you can afford to hire a moving company, then you have to be a glutton for punishment if you’re thinking about moving all on your own. Sure, the thought of saving money by renting a U-Haul and recruiting some friends might sound appealing because you think you’re saving some money. Well, the bad news is that you aren’t saving much at the end of the day.
By the time you take off work to spend days packing, you’re already out of money. Once you factor in the back-breaking work you’ll have to do on moving day to get furniture in and out of the house, you’ll realize why it makes so much sense to hire a moving company.
Don’t Have A “Take It All” Mindset
This mistake is far too common among the 15 million Americans that move every year. They think that because their life is moving, everything has to come with them. This just isn’t the case. It’s more a mental block than anything.
More often than not, it’s far easier to sell your furniture and buy new furniture for the new house. You end up saving plenty of money on the move because you’re moving a lot less. Remember, moving companies price their moves either on the weight of your belongings or the space they take up in the truck.
Get rid of some of the excess. Have a yard sale. Stop by your local Goodwill with your old pots and pans boxed up. List some furniture for sale on Facebook Marketplace.
Here’s the key. Make an inventory of all your belongings. Then, go through that list, decide what you should get rid of, and make a plan for getting rid of it before the moving date.
Don’t Go Cheap on Insurance/Valuation
By law, all moving companies have to insure your belongings by $0.60 per pound. That means if they break your $5,000 chandelier that weighs 30 pounds, then they’re only liable to give you $18. That doesn’t sound very appealing, does it?
Make sure the local movers you hire offer full value protection and pay whatever fee that requires. If something were to go wrong, you want to be sure your belongings are insured.
Don’t Put Your Valuables in Boxes for Movers
Keep all of your important documents and sentimental belongings with you on moving day. Don’t throw your birth certificate, passport, tax documents, or car title in with a box of plates for the movers to put in the moving truck. We have heard of nightmare scenarios when a box gets lost that happens to include all of those important documents.
All you need to do to avoid this is put all of those irreplaceable documents in a box that you keep with you the entire moving day. On the morning of the move, put that box in your vehicle so you don’t risk getting it mixed up with boxes the movers will load onto their truck. Save yourself the potential headache and get it done.
Don’t Forget to Label Boxes
Every box should have the name of the room it’s going to in the new house written on it. That’s the very least you should do in terms of labeling. Get creative and color code boxes. Write what exactly is in the boxes. If it’s a box of silverware and plates, then write “Kitchen: Silverware + Plates” on the box. You’ll thank yourself later when you begin to unpack.
Moving Doesn’t Have to Be Stressful
If you take all of these tips into account, you’re already a few steps ahead of the game. Moving is typically a stressful time for those who don’t properly prepare. The simple key to moving is to properly prepare! The main ingredients include a bit of planning and execution with a positive attitude.