Moving under stress can lead to you making simple mistakes that cost you money, time, and (sometimes) your sanity. It is important to have a plan before starting any major tasks in life. Knowing what not to do while moving is among the best places to start.
The following list of seven common moving mistakes focuses on the ones that people make most frequently. These should all be at the top of everyone's list of things to stay away from when moving. By avoiding these moving mistakes, you can ensure a smooth and stress-free moving experience.
1. Trying to do everything by yourself
To save on moving costs, consider hiring a man with a van in Kent to handle the heavy lifting. DIY-ing your move can be more time-consuming and risky than hiring professionals, especially if you have items of significant value. Instead, be honest with yourself about your move and how much work you can put into it. If you don't have a lot of items, a DIY move may be a good option. However, if you have a truck full of heavy belongings, opt for professional help.
One common mistake is assuming that hiring professional movers will always cost more than moving yourself. This can lead to choosing to move on your own without realising the financial and safety risks involved. To avoid moving mistakes, consider the major hidden costs of moving on your own, such as purchasing packing materials, renting a moving vehicle, paying for fuel, renting moving equipment, covering road expenses, and covering expenses for property damage or personal injuries. Look at all the available move options and select the one that works best under your circumstances. Knowing you can move all by yourself is one thing, but having the experience, friends, and equipment to complete the DIY move successfully is another.
2. Not Packing Early
Not giving yourself enough time to pack is another moving mistake. Delaying the initial packing job is another moving mistake. Packing up a house is the most time-consuming, so it's essential to start packing as soon as the residential move becomes only a matter of time. Since packing takes time, it's inevitable that areas you thought would take ten minutes will take closer to an hour.
Start early with items you won't need every day, especially in the kitchen, and pack heavy items in small boxes and light items in bigger ones. Plan your packing, whether you can do it yourself, have friends help, or pay for a removal company's packing service. Pack heavy items in small boxes and light items in bigger ones, and place heavier ones at the bottom.
Be realistic when allotting time to packing, estimating a studio or one-bedroom apartment to take about two days, a two-bedroom home to take three days, and a three-bedroom home to take five days.
3. Not Decluttering
Among the countless mistakes one can make is the one that takes the cake. This one will leave you in a dilemma even after your move since it affects your unpacking process at your new place.
Packing and moving can be a challenging task, especially if you have recently decluttered your home and removed outdated, worn-out, damaged, and broken items. However, if you have lived under one roof for years without decluttering regularly, your upcoming move is the perfect time to do so. Failure to declutter your home before packing can result in higher transportation costs. It is crucial to inventory your possessions and discard any items you no longer like and won't need in the future.
During a move, it's essential to organise your personal belongings. The less time you have to move, the better, and there's no need to waste time packing and unpacking things you no longer want or need. Instead, sort items you don't want or need into donate, recycle, and toss piles while packing. Resist the urge to hold onto things that no longer serve a purpose in your life, as you won't miss them.
4. Not Maintaining a Moving Checklist
A moving checklist is essential for a successful house move, as it helps organise each stage of the move, including all tasks within that stage. A clear plan and strategy are crucial for organising time and prioritising tasks. A customised and prioritised moving checklist serves several crucial purposes, including keeping you focused on tasks, preventing time loss, motivating you by ensuring each mini-task gets closer to your goal, and ensuring you complete pre-move preparations on time. Without a moving checklist, you risk making mistakes and wasting valuable time. By following a moving checklist, you can ensure a smooth and stress-free relocation process and a successful move.
5. Packing without a plan
Packing without a checklist is a bad idea, as it is the most time-consuming task during a move. Without a packing calendar, you risk being behind schedule, which can negatively impact your chances of a problem-free move. Underestimating the time it takes to pack can be the worst packing mistake. To avoid this, start packing with a detailed calendar tailored to your specific needs. Start packing as soon as possible, starting from storage areas in your home, and pre-pack anything you won't use until moving day, such as specialised items, out-of-season clothes, shoes, collectibles, and spare or duplicate items.
6. Not getting the right insurance
Before hiring, a removal company or office movers in Kent ensure your belongings are covered in transit and that your moving company is fully insured. Choose Full Value protection for all valuable items, ensuring your professional moving company is liable for the replacement value of every item that gets damaged or goes missing. It is also important to check your insurance for breakages, especially when handling fragile items.
When choosing a moving company for small moves in London, ask about the available coverage options to make an informed decision about the level of coverage that makes the most sense for you and whether you need more than what is being offered. By doing so, you can protect your valuable possessions and ensure a smooth move.
7. Not observing the moving day safety
Moving is a significant event that requires safety measures to prevent costly property damage or personal injuries. Mistakes can be detrimental, causing lost time, wasted money, and wasted energy. On move-out and move-in days, both can be unpredictable and dangerous, making it crucial to be proactive and employ safety measures. Proper moving equipment, such as an appliance dolly with soft rubber wheels, is essential for maintaining a home damage-free and avoiding dangerous situations. Exit paths should be clear of obstacles and hazards to ensure safe passage out of the home.
Keep children and pets away from the packing and moving process, and have someone you trust to take care of them while you work. Dress appropriately for the day of the move, using comfortable clothes and shoes that provide good traction and ankle support. By being proactive and implementing these safety measures, you can ensure a smooth and enjoyable moving experience.
Stick to our checklists and avoid any mistakes to make your move "smooth like butter~"!
While preparing for a move, there are a few big mistakes to avoid: packing at the last minute, packing without a clear plan, not packing an essentials box, and NOT labelling your boxes.
1. Forgetting to keep your moving essentials in one place:
Pack an emergency box with all the moving essentials you'll need when you first arrive at your new home. Keep a couple of pairs of scissors in your moving essentials kit to open boxes too.
2. Underestimating the number of packings boxes, you need:
Instead of buying expensive boxes, try local supermarkets or online to find used ones. Stock up on masking tape, marker pens, and bubble wrap.
3. Leaving boxes unlabelled:
Leave each box with the room it's going into and a couple of items inside to help navigate where everything is going in your new home.
4. Not measuring doorways:
Take measurements inside your new property and of larger pieces of furniture to ensure they can get through doorways and into the rooms.
5. Forgetting to give people your new address:
Inform people about your new address, including phone and broadband providers, banks, building societies, pension providers, and any company with loans or investments.
These are some things people are bound to forget without a checklist. Include these in your checklist, and make sure to double-check before wrapping it up. Need any other moving-related advice? Our team of home removal specialists will gladly answer your moving queries. Contact us to get a moving estimate!
Happy Moving!
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