Whether you are moving to another city within the state or a different state altogether, moving brings with it a fair share of stress that you will have to deal with. There are some things you can avoid to make your move less troublesome while some might be out of your control. If you are moving for the first time in your life then chances are your lack of experience will cause you to make mistakes that will cost you both time and money.
In this article, we have listed five common mistakes that you as a first time mover can avoid to ensure that your experience is less stressful.
#1 Underestimating the Tasks Involved
Many people tend to underestimate a moving task and they believe that they can do it themselves without hiring an expert moving company or taking help from friends. No matter how less your belongings are or how nearby your destination is, chances are you will make mistakes that will cost you more than you expect to save. Packing expensive and fragile things without professional help may cause damage or you may hurt yourself carrying heavy weight boxes down the stairs. Driving a big truck laden with household things is not the same as driving a car and you may get into trouble while moving. When you are moving to California from New York, the first thing you should do is list the tasks involved and get the right help.
#2 Not Hiring a Professional Moving Company
This is one of the biggest mistakes that can cause a lot of unwanted stress. There are many moving companies across the country but not all of them are the same. It is important to get enough information about the company you are about to hire and for this you can rely on the Internet or ask for recommendations from friends. A low quote does not mean that they will provide quality services. So, before you hire a moving company for your move from New York to California, inquire about the number of staff, how long they have been in business, ask about insurance, free estimate, hidden charges and license from required authorities.
#3 Poor Planning
If you make an unplanned move, chances are there will be many things you will forget to do or simply fail to do. So, plan your move in advance and make sure you have all the things in place. Get all the paperwork done from your kid’s school, book your tickets, get all your medical records sorted, and arrange for the transfer of utilities and so on.
#4 Organizing While You Pack
If you do not sort your things in advance, you will end up dumping all the things into huge boxes and this will make unpacking all the more stressful. To ensure that you do not damage your belongings, sort them well so that the right things go into the right boxes. When sorting your stuff, you can discard, sell or give away things that you do not need any longer. These things might get you some extra cash!
#5 Using Cheap Packing Supplies
The fifth in our list and most common mistake people do is use cheap packing supplies to save on cash. However, this can be a really bad idea because the cheap boxes you got from the grocery store can fall apart on the moving day making things worse. Thus, we recommend that you leave it on the professional from a good moving company to pack your stuff in the right way, using strong boxes, bubble wrap, packing tape and moving blankets to make your experience stress free when you are moving to California from New York.