Moving across the country is never a simple task, but there are a few things that can make it even more of a chore than before. So if are getting ready to move into your new house or apartment, here are a few moving mistakes and things to put on your ‘do not do’ list.
Moving Mistake 1: Winging it!
Too many people make the mistake of thinking they can just improvise on the day of their move. They put off the packing, hesitate to call a cross country moving company, aren’t organized and haven’t even cleaned. Ironically, this often happens because they are nervous about the move. Do not just try and wing it at the last minute! If you are worried about the move, the best thing you can do is plan ahead and get things done as soon as you can.
Moving Mistake 2: Not getting rid of things beforehand!
Moving is a wonderful opportunity to purge yourself of things you don’t need anymore. Since you have to pull everything out anyway, there really is no better time to do so and it really doesn’t take too much more time from your packing either. From clothes to furniture to old DVDs, go through and get rid of what you can. The less you have to travel with, the easier this whole move will be.
Moving Mistake 3: Not packing your ‘open-first’ box!
Imagine that you have finally reached your new home with all of your packaged belongings. You are pretty tired from the drive and all the moving of boxes so you just want to hit the hay. However, you don’t know which box your blanket, sheets, and pillow are. In fact, you have to do quite a bit of digging to find anything at this point including for the toilet paper! That’s why you should reserve an ‘open-first’ box that will be easy to find or a suitcase that you personally take yourself.
Moving Mistake 4: Ignoring the weather!
Wind, rain, snow, and hail are all real issues that can harm your ability to move with ease. So before you schedule your move, make sure to check the weather forecast a few days beforehand and plan accordingly. For example, you could prepare tarps and plastic sheets to cover your belongings to prevent rainwater from seeping into your things.
11 Comments
Moving is a stressful and tiring time for all, thanks for the tips to alleviate some of the stressors!
It never occurred to me to have an “open-first” box–that would save alot of frantic searching for needed items that first night! That’s a good way of planning ahead along with downsizing all possessions before the move instead of the day of the move.
I have been moving every 4 years to a new country. It is stressful and difficult. But, as you say, with a lot of planning, the transition can be smoother. I definitely agree with your open-first box. We tend to put everything we will need to survive for a month before the container arrives in our suitcases. Bed and bath linen, a few basic crockery, pots/pans are essential items. Do not forget important papers and medications just in case someone gets ill. The rest can be sourced locally such as food stuff.
When we moved from the very first home we had after getting married we accumulated a lot of stuff that we could not let go. And when a relative offered to haul all our things for free but without giving as the schedule, the result is utter chaos. The open-first box would have been very helpful to help us sleep well at night and get us ready for the grueling tasks the next day.
I think we have another mistake, that is ignoring about our pets. Moving to new environment is also stressful for pets, and not to me tion the movement itself consumes lots of energy.
I must agree with you, Hari. Therefore we need to keep their daily routine and give them treatment they need like taking a walk to new environment. while giving them routine activities such as have them showered is also important.
Planning ahead before moving would be a great idea to make your moving easier. This will organize everything at your own pace.
I always wait til the last minute with as move and it is so stressful! I think I’ll try a moving company when I move next month, it sounds like such a load off my plate! I’ve heard some moving companies even box your stuff for you. And I’ll keep in mind about the pets, keeping my little ones in their usual routines might save them some undue stress too.
These are some great tips. Although, they sound very obvious and simple, there is no harm in keeping a check list of all these points before hand.
Good point about the weather. Where I stay the rains are very frequent. I always double check on the weather whenever we are changing places, to avoid any damages.
The weather should always be taken into consideration when moving as it can cause delays for some reason. Planning and organizing is a must to have a hassle free move to your new house.
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