Five mistakes to avoid when you’re moving home
Moving isn’t one of those things you can just wing. It can get stressful and if you don’t plan your move well, you can cause yourself a lot more grief than need be the case. The thing is, there’s also a lot to consider and it’s easy to fall foul of some of the pitfalls of the process if you’re not aware of them.
Wherever you’re moving to there is always a process you need to follow and research that you need to carry out. You could be moving to the french countryside, the glamorous orlando apartments or even relocating to the other side of the world, there are many points that you need to consider before you move.
To ensure that you don’t make any mistakes when it comes to moving I’ve listed five of the biggest mistakes below.
Doing no research on removals companies
Picking a removals company and not doing any research on them is one of the biggest faux pas that you can make. Firstly, because you have no idea of whether they’re reliable or not; and secondly, because you’ll have taken little or no time to compare prices. They could be charging you top dollar for a terrible service!
Check out their reviews and request a few estimates from different companies, so you can build a list of reputable companies who will take care of your removals responsibly. Shift Online is one place where you’ll find trustworthy people who can help you with your removals at a fair price. The platform has thousands of reliable drivers on it and when you book with Shift, they’ll find the best price and most reliable driver in your area automatically for your removals.
Leaving yourself too little time to pack
You’ll be surprised at how much stuff you accumulate, so give yourself at least two or three weeks to pack it all. Boxing everything up and wrapping it in a newspaper is more time-consuming than you think. Going through items and deciding what to keep and what to get rid of is also more demanding than you’d believe, so give yourself plenty of time to do this, too. By the time moving day is on the horizon, you should have just a few boxes to pack.
Budgeting incorrectly
In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, the costs of moving have changed slightly, so make sure you’re up to date with how much your move could cost you. Naturally, you can’t budget every single moving cost down to the last penny, but you should still have a general idea of how much you’ll have to spend and what you can afford to spend. Remember that quotes are just estimates and they can increase or decrease, so you should set some extra aside, just in case.
Forgetting to pack an essentials kit
You never know whether things will go belly-up on moving day. The removals company can end up stuck in traffic or even get lost en route to your new address, so it’s important to set aside the items you can’t do without if a hitch occurs. In any case, even if your move is running smoothly, you don’t want to have to rummage around through boxes once you’ve packed them and then have to repack belongings.
Make life easy for yourself and pack an essentials kit that gives you quick, easy access to the items you need the most, such as toiletries, fresh clothing, devices or other items. Remember to pack a separate kit for children. Not doing so would be another mistake.
Failing to advise utilities providers about your move
Just before you move, you need to advise utilities companies of your change of address as well as register with providers in your new address. Of course, moving entails a million and one different tasks and although notifying electricity providers etc is quick and straightforward to do, it can just as easily slip your mind.
However, it’s important, so remember to take meter readings in your old and new places on moving day. If not, you could end up paying more than you should and treating the new occupants of a property to free energy or other utilities, for which they’ll be no doubt grateful!
It will always help to keep an inventory of items and a to-do list when you’re moving. Not only does this help you to stay on top of the process, but it will clear some space in your head. Moving is a stressful experience and the more headspace you can free up, the easier you may find the process.