Moving isn’t fun, but by avoiding the six mistakes listed below, you can make your move easier and your unpacking process much simpler.
1) Moving Too Much
Moving is a great time to purge things you no longer use. If you have time, sell as much as you can or donate whenever possible. Get receipts for tax savings.
2) Spending Too Little
Don’t use borrowed or discarded boxes. Purchase new whenever possible, especially for heavy things or if you’re going to be stacking them in the moving truck. Borrowed boxes having probably already been shipped once and are not as sturdy as you need, and will not be of uniform size and may create dangerous, wobbly towers in the truck More importantly, paying for your boxes will make you more mindful of how many of your belongings you really need to move.
3) Spending Too Much
Bubble wrap and packing paper can quickly add up if you use them for everything. Instead, start with your linen cupboard. Everyday dishes and ordinary household items can be wrapped in layers of linens to keep from banging around. Of course, your precious objects are worth the expense of bubble wrap. Also, make sure that your fragile items are the last thing on and the first thing off the truck.
4) Forgetting To Use Your Luggage
One of the simplest things you can do to make your move easier is to put your luggage to work. Everyone in the household will need a suitcase assigned to them. In that suitcase, place toiletries, bedding, a couple of towels, and a few changes of clothes. If you can, try to wad a pillow in there as well on the morning of moving day. When you get to your new home, everyone will at least have somewhere to sleep, the necessaries for a bath and clean clothes.
5) Paying Someone Else To Pack Your Belongings
To paid movers, your precious objects are a job. To you, Aunt Annie’s antique tea set is priceless. Hire a babysitter, take some vacation time and pack your own belongings. If you run out of time and must hire a moving company to do the packing, make sure they are licensed and insured!
6) Driving Your Own Moving Truck
If you’ve never driven a large truck before and are afraid about safely getting yourself, your family and your belongings across the country, pay someone to drive the truck. It is possible to hire a moving company for a transport-only option.
Yes, it’s an added expense. However, frightened drivers can make bad decisions, and bad decisions behind the wheel of a large and unwieldy moving truck can be catastrophic. In this case, your safety is an investment!
Final Thoughts
Moving is more than taking everything you own from Household A into Household B. By carefully monitoring exactly what you want where in your new home, you can go to work selling or discarding things that no longer serve you and your family.