You are ready to move, you have bought everything you need (cardboard, tape, bubble wrap, blankets, markers ….): Bravo!
Be careful though to organise everything, it is the key to success to move without pain. To help you prepare your move step by step, we present in this article the 15 mistakes to avoid during your move.
Basic mistakes that only insiders know.
Here are the 15 mistakes to avoid during your next move and how to avoid them:
Mistake 1: Moving During Holiday Season
The equation is simple: holiday season = no friends, they are all between Thailand and Brazil. At best, you may have a helping hand from the neighbour’s son, or from the geek friend who spends his summer playing World of Warcraft. With this kind of arrangement, you will fight with the fridge on the stairs.
Mistake 2: Thaw The Freezer On the Same Day of the Move
If you leave this task for the last moment, you can sit and stay in your fridge for 3 hours with a hair dryer instead of moving. As for the solution to move anyway with the fridge still filled with ice, forget that immediately, to put ice everywhere (which turns into slush), in the van, in the apartments, on the stairs, on the box of books or that of the hi-fi … there is nothing positive. After reflection, it may be better to predict this thawing 2 days before the move.
Mistake 3: Fill The Big Boxes to The Brim
“Fewer boxes = fewer trips”, yes it’s true … But with heavy boxes, you can hurt your back. So do not put in the same box, encyclopaedias and a TV. Better to use small boxes for books, comics and records (if you still have) and large boxes for duvets, sheets, towels and clothing.
Mistake 4: Forgetting to Warn Neighbours of Your Move
It turns out that it makes people aggressive to be woken up by surprise on a Saturday morning at 8:00. Blocked elevator, furniture banging on the walls, laughing friends, friends screaming after slipping on the stairs, etc.
Mistake 5: Disassemble Ikea Furniture Without Taking Notes or Photos
“Do not worry, we’ll get it back when we get there,” he says. How cute … The reality is different: nuts, screws, “stuff” … and we do not know where to put them and in what order. Take photos and notes during disassembly or at the simplest, try to transport them without disassembling them. You may have plenty of room in the moving van.
Mistake 6: Put The Boxes First in The Van
Yes, I know, everyone likes moving boxes, we can line them up and stack them. Well know that it will be much more complicated to fit furniture, lamps and all other things with if the truck is already half filled with boxes.
Mistake 7: Move Out Regardless of Peak Times and Days
“The truck is full, that’s it”, this enthusiasm will be quickly tempered at the first intersection when the traffic situation and a quick glance at the time, will make you understand the problem. 2 and a half hours to cross the city, it is not necessarily what you want to add to your moving day. This may dull the will, irritate some, bring stress, nothing good anyway. You risk losing one or two friends who “have an urgent appointment” and who cannot stay. They will remember, beware of the day of vengeance …
Mistake 8: Write “Miscellaneous” or “Stuff” on the Boxes.
Know one thing: fleeing the move as fast as possible is the goal of all your friends. So first do not let them do your cards, there is little chance that they do a conscientious and organised filling, that’s your job, since it’s you who will unpack everything. Secondly, by making your own labels, be specific about what the cardboard contains and the destination because your “movers” will deposit the boxes as fast as possible and you will spend 3 days putting everything in the right place. You can also put numbers and take pictures of the inside of the boxes.
Mistake 9: Believe That Packing Your Stuff in Newsprint Is Enough.
By doing this, you save time, however when you discover your dishes in pieces because you have braked too hard at a stop. Use a lot of bubble wrap, protective blankets for furniture corners, etc. Better than picking up pieces of your favourite statue.
Mistake 10: Forgetting That Your Pet Needs to Move Too
With all the other things to prepare for a move, it’s easy to forget that your pet has to move too, and that he will not want to get into a box. Go see your veterinarian before moving day to be sure your pet is up to date with vaccines etc. Ask him about travel precautions and possible discomforts, he may well vomit on your boxes.
Mistake 11: Transport The Plants in The Van with The Boxes
In most moves, we do not really think about plants, especially for long distance removals. A few weeks before the move, move your plants from your breakable and heavy pots into lighter and unbreakable pots, it will already be easier to move. If possible, travel them in a car of friends, rather than stuck between 2 stacks of cardboard in the van.
Mistake 12: Do Not Take Advantage of the Move to Do Some Housework
Look at it this way, you keep tons of things you have not used for 10 years. You may not have to move everything to your new home, especially the unused items. Start thinking about it a few weeks before, what you can give to friends, family, and what you can sell. It will save you time and money😉
Mistake 13: Do Not Have a Survival Kit
Experienced movers ensure that they have a survival kit (or bag) with them for all eventualities on the day of the move. This includes essentials such as a pair of scissors, screwdrivers, a note pad and a pen, an electric light, GPS with a cigarette lighter battery charger, medicine, tape, disinfectant, soap, toilet paper, and cash too, to buy a pizza for your Sydney removalists etc.
Mistake 14: No Inventory of Your Belongings to Move
Yes, I know, it’s annoying but still try to make an inventory of all items, boxes and their contents.
With your “checklist” make sure that each box, or other items, is loaded onto the van. Make another check when you arrive in the new home. It is easy to locate something missing the day of the move, it is much less 1 month after, when you look everywhere for your old compromising photos of your cousin’s wedding.
Mistake 15: Do Not Warn Your Suppliers of Your New Address
The hard part is done, you are in your new home but you no longer receive your favourite magazine, your bank statements etc. … Remember to notify all your suppliers and friends of your new address in a few clicks!