Relocation is a serious task and when preparing it there are a few mistakes that can make your move unreasonably more expensive. In trying to simplify things for you and find ways to help you save money we have prepared a top ten of the most common moving mistakes. They will help you stay organized during your relocation and keep the costs down as well. Here are the top 10 mistakes when moving.
Top 10 Moving Mistakes You Can Avoid
- Not organizing your relocation in advance. While exploring what moving options you have you need to decide early enough on your preparation – that is at least 2-3 months before moving day. Doing things in the last minute may leave you with no choice for reputable movers and you may end up paying more than you need to. One of the most common moving mistakes can be easily avoided if you just take your time in the moving process to organize it well. You can learn how to make your moving checklist on this link.
- Not researching the area well. When you are relocating take in mind the area where you are planning to live. There are cities and neighborhoods with lower crime rates that are safer which is important especially if you are going to live with your children there.
- Not planning the right time to move. The summer, holidays, weekends, beginning/ end of the month are very busy periods for the movers as people relocate a lot. One of the mistakes people do when moving is not researching the costs for moving at different times. During those busier periods moving companies may apply higher charges.
- Considering that a self move is cheaper than hiring a moving company. When you are moving yourself you have many things to take care of: hiring a truck, paying its insurance, paying for the gas, hiring moving labor, buying boxes and other packing material, packing, loading/ unloading the truck, etc. Try to calculate each one of these costs and you may be surprised to find out that actually hiring a moving company to do all of them is cheaper.
It is important for your relocation to avoid the mistake of not getting multiple quotes and an in-home estimate. The number of quotes can help you compare prices and the visual estimate will give you a more precise cost for your move.
- Not getting multiple quotes. It is important because different moving companies work with different pricing and some movers charge way too high. There are great professional moving companies that will do a quality work for a reasonable amount of money. Also, different movers provide different services. When you ask for a quote talk to the rep and make sure that you understand what the quote includes – some companies may put in it packing, for example. At the same time remember that the lowest quote is not always the best choice. Avoiding the low-ball estimates is one of the ways to avoid moving scam.
- Not asking for a visual estimate. When you are looking for packers and movers online one of the common moving mistakes is to trust that an estimate over the phone or e-mail is enough. It is important to ask for an in-home estimate. Usually, people miss telling things to the movers. Sometimes furniture does not fit through the door or go through the staircase. When the moving company understands these things on moving day it will take a longer time and will be related to extra costs for you that you can’t avoid. On the opposite, if you ask a mover’s representative to visit you (a visual estimate should be free) you can talk with that person and plan better the moving day.
One of the common moving mistakes is not researching your mover. This is important because you need to know who you trust for your belongings.
- Not showing everything to the movers. When the moving company representative arrives at your home show them everything for moving. Go through every room in your home and draw the person’s attention to easily breakable items. The movers also need to know what is the access to your home, the flights of stairs to climb, is there going to be an elevator available on moving day, will you use extra services like crating and storage. These are all price-forming factors. If you ignore to plan them movers will charge you on moving day. Arranging those details in advance means that you can get different pricing from different companies and choose the mover with the estimate you prefer.
- Not researching the movers well. Don’t hire a company on a random principle. You can use the BBB database for more information on a moving company. You can also check the movers’ license with the US Department of Transportation.
- Ignoring to do the packing right. Use strong boxes especially for heavier items. Don’t overfill the boxes as they may tear during carrying. Sign the boxes with their content in order to avoid confusion after unloading. These things can save you both time and money during your relocation.
- Not acquainting yourself with the moving documentation. You should definitely read what the movers give you and learn your moving rights. You should be aware of what you are signing. Never put your signature on blank papers.
Do you think that there are other cost-saving common moving mistakes you can avoid? If so, please share them with us below!
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I found that Moving can be a very stressful experience that is made all the worst by little nuances that always has a habit of popping up! Whether you’re doing it yourself or hiring a moving company it’s important to get it right the first time to avoid time consuming delays and ultimately costing you more money/time. Price is obviously important. Price can largely depend on your location.
We all know moving and shopping around for local and interstate removalists can be stressful. It’s why removal services focuses on making things go smoothly. So smoothly, in fact, you can relax and have fun on the day. Seems like this are all the things I should bare in mind.
In moving, one of the challenges is to categorize and box the items. But with removal and moving companies these tasks can be made easy.
That probably is the ultimate blog when you need to move! Fascinating!!!!