5 Common Moving Mistakes to Avoid
Even when it goes well, moving is a major undertaking. It involves sorting, packing, and relocating everything you own, from that heirloom you inherited from your great-grandmother to the bath towels you use every day. You can, however, significantly reduce the amount of work and stress moving creates by avoiding mistakes people sometimes make when relocating. The following five are the most common and most troublesome of these errors. By being aware of, and taking steps to avoid, these mistakes, you can create a far smoother and more pleasant moving experience.
1. Trying To Move Yourself
One of the most common, and easily avoidable, moving mistakes is trying to move yourself instead of hiring help. It may seem less expensive to pack your own boxes, load your own car, and unload your own belongings, because you don’t have to pay the professionals. However, this practice has several downsides that can make it more difficult than simply hiring a local mover in Tucson. For instance, using your own vehicle will require many trips back and forth between your old residence and your new residence that will consume both time and gas. In addition, moving your own things risks injury to yourself or dropped boxes and damaged belongings. The end esult is generally a longer, less efficient, and more taxing moving experience. Alternatively, hiring one of the local moving companies in Tucson can provide you with professionals who can quickly and safely move your belongings for an upfront price.
2. Waiting Too Long To Book A Mover
Another common moving mistake is waiting too long to book a mover. Moving tends to happen seasonally, with most people moving during the late spring and summer. The reason is simple: The weather during these times of year is much more temperate than the late fall or winter months. As a result, moving during these times of year is more pleasant and less likely to be hindered by bad weather. Unfortunately, this also means that most movers are booked for these times of year well in advance. If you wait too long to find movers in Tucson, you may have a difficult time locating one that is free on your chosen moving date. And, the ones you do find may very well be available because they are not reliable and will not give you a pleasant or professional moving experience. As a result, plan ahead and book your movers at least three months before you want to move.
3. Hiring A Bad Mover
Many of the movers around Tucson, AZ, are professional and reliable. However, bad movers do exist and can cause more problems than they solve for you. For instance, they may be careless with your items, leading to breakage of your valuable possessions. They may overcharge you for packing materials. Even worse, you may find yourself the victim of a moving scam.
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There are several steps you can take to make sure you select the best out of the moving companies in Tucson, AZ. First, you should make sure that the company is licensed by Arizona’s Department of Transportation. Second, you should also check the company’s ratings and reviews from the Better Business Bureau. Third, you can check references from the moving company or consult family and friends who may have used the movers in the past. Finally, you should get estimates in writing from the movers so you know how much you will be paying, and you should know how much the final costs might vary from the original estimate (typically, costs should not vary more than 10 percent from the estimate). The mover you choose should possess stellar ratings and reviews, be willing to answer all of your questions, and provide you with an honest, straightforward estimate that you can rely upon.
4. Failing To Sort Before Packing
Many people jump into the task of packing with gusto. They buy boxes and start filling them with little thought to what they are packing. Unfortunately, there are far more belongings tucked away in the cracks and crevices of your home than you may realize. In addition, you may find as you pack that many of these items are things that you do not want, do not use, or that may even be broken. The result of packing before you go through your belongings is a longer packing job, many more boxes than necessary, increased moving expenses, and the sinking realization when you get to your new place that you have brought things with you that you will never be able to use.
A wise way to avoid this moving mistake is to sort through your belongings before you pack and load the trucks. For instance, set your belongings into three categores: Things you want to keep, things you want to throw out, and things you want to sell. You can even add a fourth category for valuables that may require extra care when packing or specialized transportation during the move. For instance, when packing your bathroom, you may choose to pack your new bath towels, throw out the faded towels and washcloths, sell the hair dryer you haven’t used since you purchased it last year, and store your medications in a separate bag to keep with you in case you need them before you unpack at your new location. You can also create an inventory of your belongings to get an idea of what is being packed so you can more easily keep track of your things throughout the moving process.
5. Poor Packing
Finally, many people make the mistake of packing carelessly. There are many ways to pack poorly, but all of them have the result of creating a slower, more stressful move, and increase the risk that your valuables will end up broken over the course of the move. One common packing error is to pack heavy items, such as books, in large boxes. This results in boxes that are almost impossible to move. Another packing error can be purchasing cheap supplies or trying to recycle boxes. While this is a way to save money, these materials are more likely to give out and spill or damage their contents. Other packing errors include storing the boxes in a way that makes it difficult to move, or packing materials that cannot be moved by Tucson movers, such as flammable items or weapons like guns.
By avoiding these five common moving mistakes, you can significantly improve your moving experience. By hiring a reliable Tucson moving company, sorting your belongings, and packing carefully, you can easily, quickly, and successfully move into your new place.
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