The Seven Biggest Moving Mistakes

Did you know that an average person like you and me can move up to 10 times throughout their life? Me personally, changed address 26 times in 30 years and moved across five continents. Through this journey I probably made every mistake that can be done, forgot a fair share of things in my old apartments and wasn’t the best tenant a landlord would want . Taking the time to look back, these mistakes have costed me not only money but time as well. Time is precious, trust me, I’ve learned that in my life. So savour it. To save you time, me and my team have put together a moving guide to help you out.

1. You Didn’t Plan Your Move.

Jumping in the unknown is not necessary a bad thing. It can help you live your life to the fullest for sure. That’s not the thing with moving, though. Even if you have to move overnight or in less than a week, you should carefully wrap your moving, no pun intended. Everything, including packing, boxes, moving truck, helping hand, utilities and so. There are plenty of moving out checklists out there to choose from. Remember, we talk about the process of moving. Going to some exotic place also requires planning but improvising is so much better when you’re young.

2. You Hired the First Company You Came Across.

If it’s either Google, or the old school yellow pages, a little research of the background of the company is never a bad thing. Remember, most of the time you’ll be paying a lot of money for this. The good thing is that we live in the age of the Internet and it has all of the answers you seek. Check online business directories such as Yelp for movers. It’s a platform which collects reviews and its algorithm makes unbiased reviews pop out on top of the list. Unfortunately, there are bad movers out there and only you can stop them!

3. You Didn’t Get a Written Quote.

Getting a quote in writing is a form of contract. This will insure your belongings in case something doesn’t go as planned. Even though It’s not exactly a proper way of protection it does provide a written agreement that you and the company settled upon a deal. Too many people decide to take the company’s word over the phone or an e-mail and end up overpriced when the bill shows up. When getting a quote of any kind it’s always a good idea to know the difference between binding, non-binding and not-to-exceed quotes.

4. You Didn’t Book the Moving Truck on Time.

When I lived in London for a few years I had to move from a suburban area to the central parts. Prior to that my dad did all the work so I didn’t know a thing about moving. So I decided to call the moving truck the night before the move and the guys couldn’t show up. I ended up paying extra to the landlord. So, always call the truck on time. This can be included in the first paragraph, but you have no idea how many people forget.

5. You Didn’t Take an Inventory of Your Items.

Days before the move when the process of packing begins take a inventory. Don’t be too detailed. Don’t count every book you have (of course, unless it’s a valuable book of sorts). Instead count the big items — chairs, tables, number of boxes, etc. I’m not pointing fingers but sometimes during the move things do get misplaced. If you hired a company, be sure that they write down every box. Experience has taught me that an inventory is required for customs if you’re moving overseas.

6. You Didn’t Think About the Heavy Items.

Inform the movers if you have any heavier items or in fact any items which require special care — delicate statues, pieces of art, pool tables etc. Make sure you have a plan on how to move the awkward items so no time is wasted on figuring out what to do. Don’t be like Ross from Friends, okay?

7. You Didn’t Give an Early Notice to Your Landlord.

Informing your landlord about the move is essential. Here’s where you can lose a load of money if you don’t do it on time. We are not talking just about a safety deposit but for a whole monthly rent. And if money don’t mean something to you, just like to a previous room mate of mine, then think of the notice as a good practice. You don’t know when you’ll be needing a place to stay in the city, so keep the relationship between you and your landlord on the good page.

So here were the seven tips. The seven essential tips of moving. If you have enjoyed reading these like I enjoyed writing them then be sure to share and like this article! Thank you and good luck with your move! Also make sure to check out the guys who helped me twice when I were in London — Removals Chiswick, Chiswick’s top movers!