Moving your home can be an overwhelming and stressful time. Unfortunately, the more stressed we are the more likely we are to make mistakes and overlook important tasks. To make sure your moving day goes off without a hitch, our professional home movers have put together a list of five things to avoid when getting ready for a move.
Going the DIY Route For Everything
Although it may seem cheaper, tackling everything yourself can end up costing your more time and more money in the long run.
Cleaning your home, getting rid of junk, sorting through and packing all your belongings, scheduling and renting the moving truck, loading and unloading the truck, driving the truck to your new location and moving all your furniture to their proper places – these are all tasks that must be done prior to, during and after your move.
If you work full time or have a household full of children, it can be difficult to find time to take care of all these tasks. That’s why it can sometimes make more sense to hire professionals to take some of that weight off your back.
Not Doing Your Research
You definitely don’t want to choose the first moving company you find while browsing the internet or searching through the yellow pages. Doing your research ahead of time is one of the key things you can do for a stress-free move. Shop around, get a handful of different quotes, ask friends and family for recommendations and look at customer reviews. You want to make sure the moving company you hire is professional with a stellar reputation.
Not Planning In Advance
Moving companies are often booked months in advance, especially during the busy spring and summer seasons. If you don’t book your movers and moving truck at least four weeks ahead of time, you may be out of luck. The best thing to do is to start planning your move the second you know you are moving.
Not Leaving Enough Time To Pack
A moving company can only move your belongings on moving day if they are packed and ready for transport. The worst thing that can happen is for the moving company to show up, find you still packing, and have to come back another day. Because moving companies often book months ahead of time, you may find it difficult to reschedule if you aren’t ready on your appointed moving day.
Choosing The Wrong Packing Supplies
Although it may seem like a good deal to get second hand cardboard boxes from grocery stores, it is in fact one of the things you should avoid the most. Not only are these boxes not always as sturdy as official moving boxes, they are sometimes battered and unable to hold much weight. Let’s not forget boxes that have held fruits, vegetables and other foods might carry unwanted pests.
The best thing to do is call up a moving company or packing supply store and ask for their recommendations for supplies based on the contents of your house. Any professional moving company will be able to give you an estimate of how many boxes, and of which type, will be best suited for packing up your household items.