Moving is stressful and takes a lot of planning to accomplish. No matter how many times you have moved, or whether you hired the best local movers, or you believe you are already equal to professional movers, there are some mistakes that many people do repeat. Local moving can be very complicated and takes extensive advance planning, which is almost equal to the complexity of the long-distance move. There are a huge number of potential pitfalls, including wear and tear on your body, damage to your household goods, and unexpected fuel costs. This can happen even when you hire local movers. That is why we gathered many experiences from the users of moving services and many movers San Diego in order to gather the list of mistakes that are often during the move. And not just that, we are here to offer the solutions on how to avoid them. Let’s start!
- You think you can do it on your own
No matter the distance or the size of your household, if you think you can wing the hiring of local movers, we will have to disappoint you. Don’t think that you will save money if you are trying to perform a DIY move because nowadays there are many cheap movers all around California. Some items are simply irreplaceable, so you want to avoid any damages, injuries, or delays. However, if you do decide to perform a move on your own, instead of local movers, make sure to reach out to your friends and family for help.
How to avoid this: You should at least do research on professional movers before you make a final decision regarding the help for your upcoming relocation. As previously mentioned, there are many cheap movers that can offer you a quality moving service. If you are certain you don’t need local movers to help you due to the amount of the items you have, call your friends in advance in order to let them know what is the date when you will need their help. At the end of the day, there is some heavy furniture that you cannot handle on your own.
- You don’t protect your valuables
Regardless if you are moving on your own or you have hired local movers, you want your valuables to be safe and sound during the whole process. Those valuables don’t have to have material value, but emotional, and you want to make sure they are safe. You should always pack up these separately, even if you hired the most reputable local movers San Diego. We don’t think they will try to take something from you, but during the move, some boxes might be misplaced, and you don’t need that stress in your life when you can pack a box and move it on your own. Some of the items that should find their spot in that box are passports, social security cards, jewelry, watches, stamps, prescriptions, documents, and similar.
How to avoid this: Dedicate one box where you will be placing all of your valuables. Seal that box and move it on your own, maybe even before your local movers arrive at your location. This way you will avoid any headaches along the way.
- You pack up literally everything
Can you think of a better event to get rid of unwanted belongings than moving? Local movers witnessed that many people do not declutter anything before the move, and they end up with many unwanted belongings in their new home. After that, they usually call professional movers again to move the items they don’t have where to put in the storage unit. Don’t make the same mistake!
How to avoid this: You should make a list and go through your personal belongings to determine what you want to get rid of and what local movers should take to your new home. If you’re struggling to decide whether or not to kick it to the curb, keep this in mind: have you used it in the last two years? If not, don’t hesitate. For the items that are not usable, throw them away. For some furniture pieces that you want your local movers to declutter, make sure to find the official dumping area. Otherwise, that won’t be possible, since professional movers are not allowed to get rid of anything for you. And what with the items that are in great shape? For those, you can organize a yard sale and even earn some money that will cover the part of the expenses for local movers. If that sounds too overwhelming, you can sell the items online. Maybe an even better decision is to donate the items to charity. If you can’t use them, someone else can certainly benefit from your donation.
- Procrastination
Moving is a complex process that requires a lot of time, patience, planning, and effort. That is the main reason why many people decide to hire local movers to help them with a portion of the tasks. However, no matter how skilled local movers are, there are some things that you have to do on your own, and you must not procrastinate with them. Unless you have decided to hire local movers for packing as well, the biggest mistake you can make is not to pack up your items in time. Just imagine, your local movers are arriving, not ready to help you with packing, and you are not even halfway there. This situation will cause a lot of stress because your move will last longer, so you will have to pay more to your local movers. On the other hand, they won’t be ready for packing, so it will be stressful on their side, so it might lead to some damages.
How to avoid this: There is a simple rule, you should be packed up and ready to go at least one day before your local movers arrive. This can be achieved by being realistic when it comes to the number of belongings you have to pack and making a plan on how and when to start. Local movers always say that you should start with the least used items, and continue towards the items that you are using daily. Also, you should pack at least something every day. Packing is tiring, that is why many people decide to hire local movers to help with this as well. If so, make sure to let your professional movers ahead of time that you will like them to assist you with this. That way, they will prepare for the service and make sure that the whole moving process is done in a timely fashion. At the end of the day, you will see that a smooth move is done only when it is planned properly.
- You don’t label the boxes
If you are packing on your own, and you think that it will be easy for you to unpack once the local movers arrive at your new home, you are wrong. We must say that straightforwardly. Or if you think that unpacking will be done the same day or the day after. You will be living surrounded by boxes for quite some time, so you should make sure they are labeled properly in order to unpack the items that you need sooner.
How to avoid this: Always label the boxes in a visible place with a waterproof marker. Add notes for your local movers, such as ‘this side up’, ‘fragile’, or ‘delicate’. Make sure that boxes are labeled more specific than ‘kitchen’. Good labeling will also help your local movers to bring the boxes where they should be, and you won’t be carrying them around the home.
- You don’t pack the essential box
Another one related to packing, because this task is the one the most complex, so it can lead to many mistakes along the way. Before your local movers arrive, you should pack up the essential box or bag with the necessities. Most people forget this, and they end up in their new home with a bunch of boxes and they have no idea where to find the necessary items, such as toothbrushes, glasses, linens, etc.
How to avoid this: Make sure to pack up the box with necessities such as toiletries, linens, phone chargers, and similar. This box should be moved by you, not by local movers due to the easier organization.
- You don’t check restrictions that local movers have
Local movers always have some restrictions on the items they can or cannot move. Those restrictions might be related to the weight of the items. Just imagine, having your local movers over and it is the last day for you to move out so you don’t have any penalties from your landlord. Professional movers arrive and they see you have a grand piano they cannot move. This will certainly be a stressful event! Professional movers will always refuse to move any items they cannot guarantee they can move safely. And that is why they are professionals.
How to avoid this: In case you have some items that are not regular household items, such as a pool table, a grand piano, a safe, or anything that is excessively heavy – make sure to let your local movers know before booking them. There are many specialized movers San Diego that can help you out with particular items, but you should know ahead of time whether your local movers can or cannot move some items. Sometimes, local movers can move some heavy items under special circumstances, and you have to learn more about this. The same goes for flammable items, liquids, and similar – professional movers will refuse to move those because they don’t want to jeopardize the safety of the rest of your belongings.
How to avoid this: Be honest with your local movers! You should never try to hide something or not tell them something they need to know. It is better to learn that your local movers cannot move something ahead of time, so you can see what you can do, rather than learning that on a moving day. Also, always read the agreement or the confirmation email you receive from local movers, there you will find much information that is important and related to your move.
- You don’t defrost your freezer
Another thing that local movers will refuse to move is a freezer that is not defrosted. This can lead to multiple damages to the rest of your belongings, and it is definitely not safe. On the other hand, local movers will probably refuse to move food, so don’t forget to check this as well.
How to avoid this: Try to be creative and come up with receipts that will include using the food you already have at home before your local movers arrive. A few days before the move, turn off your freezer and defrost it. It should be dry and clean before your local movers arrive.
- You don’t forward the mail
You have remembered everything – transferring utilities, canceling subscriptions, you let everyone know that you are moving to a new address, and similar, but you forget to forward the mail. However, many people forget to forward their mailing address. Not only can you be missing out on important documents, but you might also be putting your personal information at risk. When no one is available to pick up your mail, it might end up in the wrong hands. Don’t forget this vital moving step.
How to avoid this: It is simple, you just need to write down on your to-do list this task. It should be done at least a few weeks before your local movers arrive.
- You don’t check the truck
The moving process is chaotic, so no wonder you forget to check if your local movers have loaded or unloaded everything. This leads to losing the items, especially if your professional movers are going to another move, your items might get mixed up with someone else’s.
How to avoid this: In order not to lose anything during the process, make sure to check your old home once your local movers load the moving truck. Before your local movers leave your old home, go through the home to see if anything is left behind by accident, so your professional movers can go back and take it. Also, an important step is to inspect the moving truck before your local movers leave for good. Professional movers might also ask you to inspect the truck and sign that nothing was left behind.
The Movers is the right moving company if you are planning an upcoming relocation because we will help you avoid all of these mistakes. That is why we are the best movers San Diego. Reach out to our team and get your free moving quote, and we will make sure to send you the team of skilled local movers who will perform your move in a timely fashion while keeping everything safe. We are here for you every day of the week, and we are looking forward to working with you.