Life is full of new experiences and issues that every owner has to deal with daily. However, whenever you’re juggling numerous things at once, you’re bound to make a couple of mistakes. And while to err is being human, moving to a new home or city is already a stressful task, to begin with.
Numerous things in life are better learned through trial and error or experience. For instance, driving a car, cooking, or mathematics. However, moving houses is not amongst those things at all. In fact, the more information you can learn before you decide to move, the easier your move will be. In the end, avoiding common moving errors will determine the difference between a successful and a stressful move. Working with a reputable company like Mayflower can take out a huge amount of stress out of the picture. With that in mind, let us look at a few moving mistakes that might slow down the moving process. So, without any further wait, some of them are listed down below.
Not Decluttering Your Home Beforehand
Clearing your home of any unnecessary, unwanted belonging or items before your move will enable you to save money and a lot of headaches when the big day comes around. Moreover, donating, recycling, or discarding items you no longer utilize will reduce the number of things you have to pack and transport to the new location. After all, the fewer things you have to pack, the fewer moving trucks and hours you’ll need. Moreover, it will allow you to remain organized when it comes to packing and unpacking moving boxes.
You might find it challenging to part ways with belongings that hold immense sentimental value. If that is the case, you can utilize a storage unit to keep them safe and secure until you’re settled in your new home. Moreover, a storage unit will also allow you to reduce the amount of effort, time, and money required to move many items at once. In the end, it is all about resisting the urge to hang onto things that are better off in storage, a trash can, or with somebody else.
Not Hiring The Right Professional Movers
Hiring professional movers is amongst the most critical and challenging tasks in your moving journey. After all, you’ll feel helpless and unsupported on the big day if you don’t do your due diligence and research your options beforehand. That said, finding the right professional movers is just like a first date. Both cases require that you ask the right questions to determine if you’re compatible with each other.
With that in mind, to find the right professional movers, you should shortlist a few options, ask them a few moving-related questions, and look for certifications that signify you’ll get excellent customer service. Then, once you are satisfied with a particular moving company, go ahead and put pen to paper.
Not Giving Yourself Enough Time To Pack
Even if you’ve decided to move houses as a spur of moment kind of thing, haphazardly packing things will ruin your entire move. After all, packing takes a lot of time and effort. In fact, there is a likelihood that the things you thought would take five minutes to pack actually take more than an hour. Not to mention, there are areas that you already know from the beginning will be challenging to pack, like your kitchen. So, not giving yourself enough time to pack your stuff will undoubtedly lead to stress that could’ve been avoided in the first place.
That said, to avoid such a thing from happening, it would be best to be realistic when it comes to packing. For instance, a one-bedroom apartment will take around two days to pack, while a three-bedroom one will take anywhere from five to six days. Moreover, don’t forget to add an extra 24 hours to your total packing time for items that need to be packed carefully. Lastly, acquire as many packing supplies as possible.
Giving Yourself Too Much Time
Looking at the other side of the coin, starting too late can slow down your move as starting early. In fact, thinking you have a lot of time will unnecessarily prolong the moving process and increase your likelihood of forgetting an item you need immediately. Not to mention, when you pack early, you’ll be bumping into moving boxes until the moving day comes.
That said, you can overcome such an issue by following a realistic timeline. While it is always an excellent idea to start as soon as possible when it comes to packing, resist the urge and only begin when the big day comes closer, preferably at least two to three months before the big day.
Not Getting The Right Insurance
Government regulations require that professional movers provide customers with complete value protection as well as released-value protection. Released-value protection sets your belonging’s value at sixty cents per pound. And since most homeowners know that their items are much more valuable than this, they don’t go for it. On the other hand, complete-value protection provides coverage based on the value you’ve put on your belonging. However, that doesn’t mean that the moving company will give you a blank check if your belongings are damaged. Instead, they will pay you for the repairs or give you an identical item of equal value.
Another option is opting for separate liability insurance, homeowner’s insurance, or additional moving insurance from a third-party company. While there probably won’t be a need for your insurance plan to kick in, the onus is on you to decide the amount of risk you can handle. Failure to do so will lead to unnecessary moving-related stress if something happens.
In the end, staying on top of your moving-related tasks will take a lot of stamina, organization, time, and money. However, it doesn’t mean that your move has to be a drag. So, ensure that you prepare ahead of time by looking at the moving mistakes mentioned above. Doing so will enable you to make the entire moving process a whole lot more stress-free. Sure, there will be surprises along the way, but at least you’ll be equipped with the tools and knowledge to tackle them.