7 Moving Mistakes That Can Cost You on Moving Day

Looking to plan a move soon? Make sure to be prepared. It may take up to 6 to 8 weeks prior to your moving day to get everything organized to avoid many mistakes that you might make if you take yourself at the last minute. Many of your friends, family or coworkers might share some moving experiences with you, or also refer you to a mover they’ve used and that provided great service. However, many might not make you aware of some major mistakes you can make that will make your move a living hell. By avoiding a few common pitfalls, you can ensure that your moving experience is pleasant and enjoyable instead of chaotic and stressful.

Mistake #1: Not utilizing the help of a certified and accredited professional mover

Friends, family and coworkers are willing to help you look for a moving company but might not be willing to physically help you move. It is a very daunting and requires lots of physical strengths to move furniture with no damages. You also want to avoid anyone getting injured. If anything breaks, who will you accuse? Will you require your friends and family to reimburse you the broken item? It can put you and your friends and family in a very uncomfortable situation. Eliminate all of these worries by hiring an insured and professional moving company. Let them take care of all the details of the move.

Professional movers also have the right equipment, materials, and training to ensure that your move is seamless and stress-free. Whether you just need a moving company to load and transport your belongings to your new home or you think a full service move that includes a variety of moving services will be best for you, hiring qualified movers is often the best option, as it will allow you to save a lot of time and reduce stress. At the end, it might cost you a bit more, but it will save you headaches in the long run, especially if you damage heirlooms by doing the move yourself.

Mistake #2: Going for lowest price quote

Going cheap will always be expensive in the long run. Do not focus solely on price. It will end up costing you way more then you anticipated. Also, with so many rogue/scam movers, many utilize the bait and switch technique, which low ball estimate to lure you in and changes the price once all your items are in the truck. Do not be fooled by these scammers. Low price estimate will always end up costing you more. While affordability is certainly a factor to consider when hiring a mover, it is also important to ensure that the movers provide a comprehensive, quality service. In order to determine whether a moving company is reputable, check for testimonials and objective reviews about the company.

Online reviews available across the web can help you hire the right moving company without spending thousands of dollars on your move. It takes more time to choose a company but you will be happy about the result.

Mistake #3: Moving during peak hours of the day.

Since most movers work on hourly rate, you need to be careful what time of the day you are moving. For most local movers, any services between origin location and destination location is considered labor time, so if it takes them 3 hours to get to your destination location because of traffic, you are paying for that. Make sure to start either very early in the morning or late in afternoon so by the time they have to drive to your destination location, there will be no more traffic.

Mistake #4: Packing delicates and hazardous items

Many companies, which possibly being the law, are unable to move flammable, hazardous materials, or weapons into a truck. Other moving company will refuse to move pianos, grandfather clocks or heirloom, as them being expensive to replace. Make sure to ask the mover what can they pack or load into the truck PRIOR to moving day. If they are limited to some items, you need to determine if that mover is the right one for you.

Mistake #5: Forgetting the essentials during transit

Before moving day, make sure to stow a survival kit in a place that will be easy to access in case you need it. Your kit should include clothes, towels, snacks, toiletries, important documents, a first aid kit, and anything else that you will need on hand in the event of emergency. Never put important documents such as passports, insurance documents, tax documents into a box and in the truck. If this box is lost, you will have tons of difficulties in replacing these items. Be proactive.

Mistake #6: Sell, Sell, Sell

Less items you move, cheaper it is for you on moving day. Throughout the years, you have accumulated a LOT of stuff, and probably stuff that you don’t need. Why move it again? Just sell it on any other website of your choice. If you organize yourself well, you may sell everything that you don’t need and the proceeds might pay for your whole move. You get two advantages here: Free move and removing the cluster. Its a win-win situation for everyone.

Mistake #7: Not Backing Up Your important file in the computer.

Chances are, you will put your desktop company and all its peripherals in a box for the movers to move. Make sure to have all your files backed-up in a external hard-drive. Accident happens, and movers, even thought very careful, might drop the computer and all your information is lost. Do not take these chances. Have everything backed-up so if anything is lost, your can restore all the information back into the hard drive quickly and efficiently.