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People move for various reasons, be it due to having come across a career opportunity and finding themselves in the situation of having to leave their town, or just because they can suddenly afford a better apartment in a nicer part of town.
When moving, people are often stressed and frustrated by the long time it takes to switch homes, or the fact that they have to carry a million boxes all the way to their new place. There are a number of problems people often come across when moving, so here are a few of the more common ones we’ve come across.
1. Not Planning Ahead
Moving is a long-term goal, but people often don’t realize that. If you want to move, you should definitely start planning it at least a month or two before the big day is upon you. Start by creating a checklist, it will serve you well in preventing issues such as forgotten items or with organizing the move itself.
Other things you can do, if you’re a renter, is to let your landlord know ahead of time that they might have to start looking for someone else to lease their apartment. Generally, you’re supposed to give your landlord at least 30 to 60 days of notice before moving out, depending on what sort of contract you signed.
There’s also packing problems. If you don’t find enough boxes before the date of the move, you might find yourself having a big problem. You should also start packing at least a couple of days before moving, to give yourself a little breathing space before the big move.
2. Not Accounting for How Hard Moving Furniture Is
If you’re planning on moving large pieces of furniture, such as dressers or beds, and you can’t disassemble them, they might get damaged. Florin, owner of NYC movers company Empire Movers, had this to say about large items: “We’re professional movers, we do this for a living, but even we have problems with moving furniture from time to time.”
Sometimes, you just have to cut your losses and accept that some wear and tear is expected and normal when dealing with such large items. Disassembling them might make them easier to move, but not by much. The pieces themselves tend to be large even on their own, and unless you’ve asked professionals to help you, friends and family might not cut it.
3. Not Packing Properly
Packing is another important aspect of moving that people tend to not give enough attention to. Label your boxes properly, even color code them, so you don’t find yourself carrying a box of fragile items down the stairs without paying it the proper attention it requires. Start from least important items to most important, and try to keep a change of clothes somewhere in reach. You’re definitely going to need it, unless you want to sort through all of your boxes at your new place.
4. Not Paying Utilities Before Moving
This is a problem that especially renters tend to come across. You’ve packed all of your things, you’re ready to move, but your landlord calls you about unpaid utilities. Generally, you should make sure they’re all paid off before moving, and if you forget or don’t want to do so, your landlord might even sue you!
5. Not Ensuring the Safety of Pets
Some of us have pets, and they’re definitely going to be stressed when moving. Most animals prefer the comfort of their home, and since they’ll have to come with you when you move, they’ll definitely be a little bummed out of having to leave their home behind.
If your pet won’t fit into the van or car, you could call on the services of professional pet movers. Failing that, you could always ask for help from a friend with a car.
6. Not Notifying Institutions of the Move
While your friends and family might know you’re moving, the government needs to know too. This isn’t just so they know your new address, it’s for tax purposes as well. Institutions you should notify are but not limited to your current employer, your bank, your insurance company, your health care providers and especially your children’s school.
Notifying the school is important, as moving might also put you in a new school district, meaning you’d have to transfer your child to a new school.
7. Not Ensuring Your Old Home Is in Good Condition
Whether you’ve sold your old home or you’ve simply terminated your lease, it’s important to not burn bridges. Leaving your old apartment or house a mess will definitely make the new owners or the landlord angry, and might even make you culpable for legal action! Take care of your old home and leave it squeaky clean condition.
8. Not Double Checking
You’ve done it all, you’ve taken care of every single problem, you’re sure everything is in order. But what if it’s not? Take care to double check everything, from the boxes to whether or not you’ve paid the utilities in your old home. You might find out you’ve missed something, after all, we’re only human, and we make mistake sometimes.
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