There’s no doubt about it: moving is a huge disruption to your daily routine and can cause a little bit of stress if not well-planned. And, you know what they say: even the best-laid plans often go awry! In order to keep your move smooth and painless, we thought it would be helpful to take a look at what not to do.
Check out the most common moving blunders that you should avoid come moving day!
#1 – Skipping the decluttering
It can be tempting to simply buy a ton of boxes, pack up all your worldly possessions, and deal with the mess once you start unpacking in your new place. But when you skip the decluttering, you’re creating two much bigger problems. First of all, your move will be more expensive than it needs to be, since you’ll be schlepping items that you’ll ultimately toss when you arrive at your new place. And, instead of creating a seamless unpacking situation on the other side, you’re creating more work for yourself when finally unpacking.
Try to incorporate downsizing or decluttering into your packing routine by making piles of items that you want to sell, donate or throw away as you pack up each room in your home.
- Use this rule of thumb: if it’s not sentimental and you haven’t used it in over a year, get rid of it.
#2 – Forgetting to plan for traffic
The timing of your move is most likely what will set the price with the moving company: most companies charge by the hour. You may be tempted to wake up early and take the first moving shift available but think about the timing! If your packing schedule will leave you and your moving truck sitting in rush hour traffic, you may want to rethink your plans.
Keep in mind that you’re paying each of the movers for their time, which includes sitting in traffic. Start getting estimates for your move 3 to 4 months before the date and ask about best timing practices to avoid rush hour traffic delays.
#3 – Not checking insurance
You’re moving all of your belongings; wouldn’t it be awful if something happened to an expensive piece of furniture and your moving company wouldn’t cover the cost to replace it? Many people forget to ask their moving companies about insurance. If you want to purchase more coverage, call your insurance company a few months before the move to add a rider to your policy.
#4 – Minimal labeling
As you pack up your home, you’re probably tossing labels on your boxes like “living room” or “kitchen.” We hate to break it to you, but that’s simply not enough information! You don’t have to write a detailed manifesto on the side of each of your moving boxes, but it’s important to at least list some of the important items that the box contains.
- Instead of “kitchen,” write, “coffee mugs, coffee cups, and wine glasses.” That way, when you’re starting to unpack the mess after the move, you can start with the boxes that you need the most, first.
#5 – Forgetting to pack the valuables
Most moving companies will have a few key items that they won’t move for you, like bottles of wine, documents, or even your backyard grill. Ask your movers what’s on their prohibited list a few weeks before the move so that you can make alternative arrangements.
And, don’t forget to pack up your valuables. Valuables include everything from important documents like passports and social security cards, to laptop hard drives, jewelry, and more. Arrange for these items to be stowed at a friend or family member’s home until the move is over or transport those things to the new house yourself. You’ll feel better knowing that these important items were moved safely and have no chance of getting lost in the shuffle of the move.
#6 – Tossing the receipts
If you moved this year for your job, you can probably deduct the cost of your move from your taxes, but you’ll need to have copies of the receipt! Toss the moving day receipts in your tax folder for this year and ask your accountant when it’s time to file if anything associated with moving is deductible. You may be able to deduct the cost of moving supplies, the fee paid to your movers, and even storage fees.
#7 – Forgetting an overnight bag
Once the movers have unloaded the final box, you’ll probably just want to relax for a while and order take out from the local pizza place. Sounds like a great night, right? Well, only if you’ve packed an overnight bag that includes a set of sheets, a shower towel, all of your toiletries and a set of pajamas. Don’t forget to pack an overnight bag so that you don’t have to locate the important items on the day of your move! You’ll be tired, even if you didn’t do too much heavy lifting, and it’ll be nice to have the option to just hang out in your new place and leave the unpacking till tomorrow.
Now that you have been warned, it’s vital that you don’t make the most common mistake of all—hiring bad movers! Dowell’s Moving Victoria BC is your go-to team for exceptional local and long-distance moves. Request an estimate, or call us today at 250-361-9866!