Moving to a new home is both an exciting and stressful experience. With so many logistics to take care of, there are bound to be a few mixups along the way. Forgetting to put socks in your moving essentials bag? Not that big of a deal. Forgetting to confirm with the movers? Now that could cause some problems! So to save you some major headaches, here is a list of common moving mistakes and how to avoid them. Check off these tasks, and moving day will be a bit smoother!
Procrastinating on hiring a reputable moving company
Leaving things until the last minute is almost always a recipe for disaster. You may not be able to find a company that can handle your move, or maybe even worse, you end up with a suspicious group of movers. When you’re in a pinch you may feel pressured to go with whatever company is willing to do the job.
Solution: Get at least a couple of estimates, and plan to book your movers two months in advance. Keep yourself on a moving schedule! If you don’t have that much time, just book them as soon as you can. But don’t rush into the contract! Be sure to ask questions about rates, what is included in the quote, and how the company determines the fees. Look up the company’s reviews on Google Reviews or Yelp and check their status on the Department of Transportation FMCSA website. Choosing a moving company is a big decision. Make sure you get a good feeling about the company you decide to move with!
Forgetting to change your address
A week or so after you complete your move, you might start wondering why you haven’t gotten any mail. Realizing that you forgot to change your address isn’t fun! You’ll need to track down any mail that was delivered incorrectly or returned to the sender.
Solution: Using the USPS Address Change form, let the Post Office know when they need to start forwarding your mail. Make sure you fill out this form a week or two in advance to give the Post Office time to update their records. Then, manually update your address with your subscriptions, banks, insurance, and other important institutions. Make a list of any bills or mail that would be an issue if it arrived late due to the forwarding delay, and take care of those first.
Being disorganized with receipts and paperwork
When moving day comes and the Packing Team arrives, you don’t want to be scrambling to find important paperwork. This could slow down the moving process and result in lost items, not to mention a giant headache.
Solution: Create a Moving Binder that holds not only your Moving Checklist but also has a space for all receipts that are related to moving. Keep notes of what calls you’ve made and what still needs to be addressed on a small calendar. Designate an area to catalog all of your communications with the movers, including what time they’ll be arriving. And when the movers provide your Certificate of Insurance, keep a copy of that in your binder, too.
Not packing at all before the movers arrive
If the movers arrive and you haven’t even packed your overnight bag, the day will go much slower than necessary. Although the Packing Team can handle most things, you need to clear the way so they can get to work.
Solution: Leading up to moving day, take care of your personal effects that the movers won’t be handling. Perishable food, garbage and recycling, lawn tools, plants, pets, and dangerous materials can’t go on the moving truck. Do an inventory and plan ahead so you’re not stuck scratching your head as the moving truck drives away!
Not getting moving insurance
Your movers are required to offer baseline or Minimum Value coverage, but in most cases this only covers your belongings up to 60 cents per pound. In the unfortunate case that something is damaged in transit, your movers are only liable for that small amount of compensation. A big pothole could mean you’re out hundreds of dollars for your damaged items!
Solution: Choose Extended Valuation Coverage, also called Full Valuation Coverage. This will be an additional cost, but gives you peace of mind in case something goes wrong. You will be reimbursed for the full value of the item that is damaged, or for the cost of repair. Have a look at our blog to find out more about how moving insurance works.
Hopefully, this of common moving mistakes will save you some stress! Be sure to get your moving binder-ready, write out your checklist, and tick off the items on this list. Let FlatRate Moving give you a guaranteed moving quote today!
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