Trials and Tribulations: Avoid these 5 Pitfalls When Moving Homes
When it comes to moving, the huge undertaking of moving all your possessions from point A to point B can be wildly underestimated!
In reality, it can actually be one of life’s most stressful events! With that in mind, doing everything you can to make the process run smoothly should be your top priority. That said, ensuring your move goes off without a hitch can be easier said than done. For the novice mover, it’s so easy to make simple mistakes that you’ll end up paying for!
To help you minimize the stress of moving house, here are some of the most common moving mistakes and how you can avoid them…
- Taking Too Much Stuff
When you live in a house for any duration of time, accumulating ‘stuff’ is par for the course. Generally, you’ll have things that you no longer need or use, packed away in cupboards, laying under beds or even gathering dust on shelves. Since you aren’t using it now, you can bet you won’t use it when you get to your new home.
Before the nostalgia kicks in and you decide to transfer all of your junk, get rid of it! Put up some moving sale banners, take your unwanted items onto the lawn and have yourself a moving sale. Here’s the key though: if you don’t sell it all, don’t take it back inside! Take it to your local shelter or throw it away.
And don’t forget your pantry! For the most part, you don’t want to take boxes full of food to your new place. Plan out your meals before you move in advance and try to use everything you can. Any leftover non-perishables can go to your local food bank. Move for Hunger is a great organization that will take your unwanted food items for you and distribute as needed.
- Doing It All Yourself
No matter the size of your home, doing it all yourself is not a wise move. First and foremost, you will always assume the job is smaller than it is, only to find yourself 8 hours in, surrounded by your possessions and half-full boxes. So, enlist a family member, friend or a professional to help you pack up and ship out.
What’s more, you simply cannot move all of your furniture yourself, and it’s dangerous to try. Even if you don’t get help with the packing component, you should absolutely reach out for help for this part.
- Not Researching Your Removal Company
You must research the company you choose to help you move. Your valuables are exactly that, valuable, and by going with a company with a bad reputation, you’re effectively choosing for them to treat your possessions badly. Sure, they might be cheap and available, but that most certainly doesn’t mean they’re good!
Ask around for recommendations and do some online research before you choose who you hand over your keys to.
- Failing to Prepare For Moving Day
Of all the preparation, packing and post-move madness, moving day is undoubtedly the most stressful day of your entire move. It’s the day when everything gets picked up and taken to your new place, and if you’re not ready, you’ll be sorry.
Firstly, you must understand that it will likely be a long day. Make sure you have prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner, and you have plenty of snacks on hand.
Next, you need to consider whether your new home is ready for the influx of people, possessions and furniture. If you have wooden floors, are they protected? Are rooms clean and prepared for furniture? The list goes on but the top tip here is to consider what is going into each room and how it will be getting there so you can foresee any issues.
- Not Measuring Furniture In Advance
Will your furniture fit in your new house? Don’t know? Then it’s time to find out. There’s nothing worse than arriving at your place only for your sofa to be too big for your lounge, or your table too big for your dining room. Save yourself some hassle, measure up now and get rid of anything that won’t fit before you move.
The wasted time, money and effort of moving furniture that simply won’t fit is something many Americans experience, but you don’t need to be one of them. Don’t forget your outside appliances and furniture either!
Additionally
Something that people always overlook is thinking about their first night in their new home. You must prepare an overnight bag of essentials which can get you through the night without having to route through boxes until the early hours!Overall, moving house can be a stressful time, but with a little pre-planning and prior research, you can go a long way to mitigate the panic induced by the occasion!
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This guest contribution is courtesy of SignMission, an American owned, operated and manufactured company in Florida. SignMission offers many types of custom signs such as vinyl banners, moving sale banners, aluminum signs etc.