5 Major Moving Mistakes

No one said that moving house is easy, but did you know that it doesn’t have to be this hard? While it’s generally seen as one of the most stressful life events possible – right up there with divorce – there are many commonly made mistakes that only make things harder.

To make your move go as smoothly as possible, we’ve put together this list of 5 major moving mistakes so that you don’t have to make them.

1. Not researching your moving company well enough
   When you hire a moving company, you’re putting a lot of faith into their services and their reliability. After all, you’re trusting your removalists to safely handle, keep track of and transport all of your belongings.Unfortunately, not all moving companies are made equal.Before committing to one, make sure to vet them and ask them as many questions as you see fit, including:
   • Are they licensed and insured?
   • Do they have any additional fees?
   • What additional services do they offer?
   • What references do they have for their past work?
2. Not labelling your boxes
   
   Once you’ve finished moving everything into your new home, the last thing you want is a bunch of unlabelled boxes that you don’t know what to do with. Clearly labelling your boxes means that you know where to put them and how to find specific items if you need them.To make your life easier, label each box with what’s inside and what room it should go in. Alternatively, you can use different coloured packing tape to indicate which boxes go in which room.
3. Leaving things last minute
   When it comes to moving, organisation is king. Packing takes time, especially if you want to do it right and keep all your belongings secure and well-organised. Make sure you give yourself at least a week, if not more, to pack up your house and have everything ready for the big day.While this will depend on how big your house is and how much you have to take with you, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Generally speaking, the kitchen takes the most time to pack, especially if you have fragile items you have to wrap up. So, make sure you plan ahead and get everything done well ahead of time.
4. Not downsizing and getting rid of items you don’t need
   Moving is a great opportunity to do a major cleanout and get rid of those items that you just don’t need anymore. The fewer things you own, the less you have to move, so why not make the process a little easier for yourself?Downsizing can mean less time, money and effort spent on your move, and also you won’t have to waste as many resources such as boxes, fuel and padding. Whether you donate, sell or recycle what you no longer need is up to you, but whatever you do we guarantee you’ll thank yourself for it.
5. Not having an essentials bag
   After you arrive at your new place, you’ll need quick and easy access to items over the next few days while you unpack. If you don’t set aside an essentials bag like this, you’ll have these first couple of days in your home much more challenging than they need to be.Items like toiletries, chargers, wallets, keys and medication are hard to live without, so make sure you set some aside while you’re packing.