5 Common Mistakes People Make When Moving

Moving can be a wonderful time to start fresh. If you’re moving into a smaller home or are just wanting a new space, moving is exciting.

However, some people have more overwhelming moving experiences than others. To avoid too much drain from moving, learn five common mistakes that people make when moving.

Procrastinating on the Packing

As soon as you know you’re moving, start collecting supplies. You’ll need boxes, so you can get boxes from office supply stores.

Reach out on social media platforms for supplies. Go through your linen cupboard and bathroom cabinets and pull out worn towels and odd sheets to wrap your delicates. Visit local coffee shops on your way to work and pick up yesterday’s newspaper before it gets recycled. Every donated box and free crumpled newspaper will cut your moving costs and enable you to start packing now.

Skipping the Decluttering Step

Once you have packing supplies, you will need some trash bags to throw away things you no longer want or need. If your move is coming up quickly, you may need to have a moving sale to reap any benefit from your unwanted possessions. If you’ve got some time, you may be able to make some extra cash by selling on Poshmark or Mercari. You may also be able to bundle up boxes and bags and sell them through ThredUp.

You will likely make more on Mercari or Poshmark. The challenge will be that you need to maintain that inventory until you sell it. If time is short, have a moving sale or donate the items for the tax break.

As soon as you seal up a box you want to keep, label it and tape it closed. If you know you’re downsizing to a smaller home, sell or donate a bedroom’s worth of furniture and use that as your stacking room.

Doing All Their Own Driving

If you have several drivers in your household and your vehicles are dependable, it may make sense to drive to your new home and move your own possessions. You may also have a pet that will suffer too much during a flight to your new home.

However, there are times when hiring a moving truck, shipping a car across the country, and flying all the people may be a better choice.

If you have small children, flying may be much easier for everyone. A very long road trip can be exhausting, especially if you’re in the midst of potty-training a toddler.

Not Using All the Family Luggage

Luggage management can make your move much simpler if you plan to sleep in your new home on the first night of your relocation. Everyone needs their own bag.

If you get to your new space with the time to set up the beds, you don’t want to have to unpack everything to make them. Having easy access to a bath and a bed can make the move in much easier and more comfortable. Do your best to keep the people and the luggage in the same vehicle to make overnight stops easier.

Put an older child in charge of a backpack that contains all the family chargers. If you need to stop at a hotel along the way, everyone can have their own electronics plugged in overnight for use tomorrow. Consider also investing in portable batteries to add to this backpack if something runs out of power on the road.

Finally, pack a large tote bag of cleaning supplies. You may have booked a service to clean your new home, but it’s nice to have the products necessary to give everything a wipe down on that first night in your new home.