If you have purchased a new home – congratulations! Now the hard part is over, it’s time to move into your new home! The problem is that moving isn’t always plain sailing. Sometimes you forget a few steps, resulting in long delays and your moving day ends up more frustrating than enjoyable. So if you are getting ready to move to your new home, here are seven mistakes you need to avoid.
Trying to do it all yourself
Packing up all your belongings and furniture and then hiring a van to drive yourself to your new home is no mean feat. Your move is going to take extensive planning, particularly if you do it all yourself, often ending in stress, frustration, lack of sleep and a very long day. If you can’t afford to hire a moving company, then obviously, you need to do it yourself, but if your budget allows – hire someone! You can hire a company that not only transports everything to your new home, but also packs everything for you, and loads and unloads the truck. This will make your moving day go much smoother, giving you time to supervise, rather than do it all yourself.
Not booking your removalists early
If you have a set moving date, it pays to book your removalists early so you lock-in your date. This is particularly relevant if you are moving during school holidays, because everyone tries to book removalists during these holidays, so the kids can start at their new school after the move. Always ask for quotes from reputable companies and compare these quotes to ensure that you are not being overcharged. Also, ask the removalists if they overbook (similar to airlines!), because you don’t want to be the customer that’s bumped!
Neglecting to consider insurance for the move
If your furniture is scratched during the move or your Great Aunt’s glass vase worth a fortune is smashed, who will pay? Well, if your removalists don’t have the right insurance, your insurance provider will have to pay (hopefully!). So you need to make sure that the removalists are insured, but also ask them about loading and unloading insurance. That’s because if they are insured, it’s likely to only cover damage caused during transportation. When you realise that most damage is cause during loading and unloading, you realise why you need to check on this extra coverage with your moving company.
Forgetting about your pets
Most pet parents won’t forget to take their pets with them, but there are a few tasks that you might need to cover before you move. This depends on how far you are moving, but you might need to ask your vet for copies of their vaccinations and medical history for the new vet. You might also need to register your cat or dog at your new address. Knowing how you will keep them safe and secure in your car is also important before moving day, and don’t forget about motion sickness!
Not judiciously culling your belongings
Every box and item of furniture will increase your moving costs, so it pays to get rid of anything you don’t want before you move. We all have items tucked away in cupboards, sheds, garages and even storage lockers that we haven’t used in years. So why not sort through everything and only take what you want to your new home? Give the rest to a charity, friends or relatives, sell it or put it in the trash.
Overlooking an emergency kit
This kit should contain everything you need immediately you enter your home. So include items such as tea and coffee, mugs, milk, sugar, chocolate biscuits, toilet paper, pet bowls and food, kettle, cutlery, dishwashing liquid, tea towels, kid’s toys and anything else you know you will need on the day. Also make sure that you have your wallet and your phone handy.
Not making a list
An inventory list might sound like a big job, but you will be very happy you have it at the other end of your move. It can be as simple as the number of boxes for each room, so you will know if a box has been lost in transit. Numbering these boxes is a great help, particularly if you write the number of the box and the total number of boxes on each box. Also list the items of furniture for each room, because again, you will know if anything has gone astray. It’s much easier to find an errant box on the day of the move than two weeks later when you suddenly realise that something is missing. So a list is vital on moving day and will also give you peace of mind!
Using these simple tips from Switch Real Estate for your moving day, you will soon have everything sorted at your new home. Who said moving day had to be stressful?
