Ever wonder why people don’t often move from place to place? Human beings, unless threatened, will rather stay put rather than leave for another location. It is easier to put up with things and people, unless they pose a real danger to their lives.
People don’t usually move because moving is very difficult and stressful. It’s only when they are forced by circumstances or earth shaking events will they leave the comfort and security of their homes.
That is why people who are moving often make costly mistakes. If you are forced to leave your present domicile for one reason or another, you must be careful not to commit the following mistakes so that your move will be problem-free:
1. Hiring a Dubious Mover
There are people who think they have hired a professional moving company only to find out that it cannot provide the services that it promised. Perhaps the mover did not arrive on time, or its working crew is not professional in their work, and so forth.
You can avoid this problem by limiting your choices to real professional movers like Penske, U-Haul and other companies of a similar reputation. Or you can go to your local Better Business Bureau and search their list on which companies really provide good moving services.
2. Waiting Until It Is Too Late
Moving companies will feel your sense of urgency when you call them and ask for their help when you need to move in a day or two. They might ask for higher fees just to accommodate your schedule.
You can’t really blame them for doing this because they may have to bump off a schedule move of another customer just to give in to your request. But you may have to pay much more than their regular service charges for this special consideration.
If you have no control about the schedule of your move, that’s fine. But if you are in full control of your moving schedule, give sufficient time for the moving company (and yourself as well) to get prepared.
3. Not Organizing Your Move
A major reason for projects and activities getting into problems is the lack of planning and organization. You need to organize yourself since there are many things that you need to transport to your new location.
If you don’t have a plan on how to transfer all your belongings, your move will be disorganized. This may result in some of your things getting lost or damaged in transit.
When there’s no more time to do it, you will appease yourself by saying you’ll just sort them out later. But can you imagine arriving at your new home with all those unorganized boxes needing your attention? All your family members will be in for a lot of stress.
You can’t escape the chore. When you are moving, it is very important to sort out all things, put them all in their rightful boxes, organize a checklist so that nothing important will be left behind, and do all sundry things.
Categorize all your belongings and assign a box or two for each category, as need be. Separately pack in one box the things that you will need at the moment you reach your new location, such as toiletries, soaps, toothpaste, medications, and so forth.
If you are diligent in preparing, you will have a problem free, and stress-free move. When it’s time to unpack, you can even do it in a very relaxed pace, because you know where to find each and everything.
4. Ignoring Your Insurance Needs
You need to protect your investments (your belongings) during transport because anything can happen on the road. If you don’t, you will not be compensated for any damage or loss in your household items.
So, ask your mover about its insurance policy before you sign on the dotted line. There are standing federal regulations requiring them to insure their clients’ belongings while they are in transit.
Be specific, especially if you have precious items inside the box. Ask them how much you will be paid if these items are lost or damaged by their crew. Request them to explain this to you in detail.
Also check your existing homeowner’s insurance policy. It may also cover some aspects of your upcoming move.
5. Forgetting to Set Up the Utilities In Your New Home
It would be disastrous to reach your new location on time, and finding out that you haven’t arranged for the utilities. What would happen if you arrived there on a Friday night and you can’t reach the utility office because they are already off for the week?
Setting up the utilities at your new place should be one of your priorities, one week before your scheduled move date. Or better yet, check with the utilities office as early as possible if you can transfer your utilities from where you are now.
