If making mistakes in life is considered to be human while moving on from mistakes is thought to be super human, then making mistakes when moving house should be viewed as even more human.
Interestingly enough, while we are constantly reminded that errors are the usual bridge between inexperience and wisdom, one moving day mistake, for example, can actually prove to be so costly in the end that all the inspirational quotes we have ever heard about life and mistakes will be quickly forgotten in a painful instance.
To help you have a smooth and productive moving day from the moment you open your eyes in your old residence until the gratifying moment of closing your leaden eyelids in your new home, we have analyzed and prepared for you the top 5 common moving day mistakes to avoid when moving to a new home.
Most importantly though, the very first and probably the biggest moving mistake to avoid just prior to or during Moving day is to assume that you are somehow immune to mistakes and won’t make a single moving blunder during your Big day.
1. To Miss The Beautiful Moving Day Sunrise
Moving day sunrises are said to be the most beautiful and inspiring of them all, so it would surely be a rookie moving mistake to oversleep and miss the amazing moment when the sun greets your part of the world with its first warm sunrays.
Speaking of mistakes, the genuine blunder here is not really whether you should sleep a few hours more or less because after all, you do need the energy to survive the toughest day during a house move. The real problem is that your removal crew may have woken up even before dawn and may be already on the way to your home. And the worst possible start to your make-it-or-break-it day is for you to be still in bed, or at least still in your pajamas, when your removal men arrive at your door.
Wake up early on your moving day and enjoy the beautiful sunrise.
And while asking yourself, “Is my moving day TODAY?!?” sounds more like a line out of a science fiction film, one of the worst moving day mistakes to make is to be grossly unprepared for the big occasion. Here are a few useful tips that can actually help you be more prepared for moving day.
Moving tip #1: Go to bed early the day before your moving date
Or at least try to. More often than not, that is easier said than done due to the possibility of having finishing tasks to take care of. And still, think of that special day as a tough physical and mental challenge which will test your capacity for marathon-like endurance.
Moving day tip #2: Have your mobile phone in sight and keep it within earshot
It’s important to remain in constant contact with the removal company you have hired to help you move in case there is a (slight) change of plans from any of the parties involved. Make sure your phone is fully charged and operational before you go to sleep the night before moving day.
Moving day tip #3: Set your (digital) alarm clock for an early start
Remember that the long and exhausting preparation period comes down to one single day – the day when you need to prove to yourself that your efforts have not been in vain. Wake up early so that you can be completely ready to greet the moving experts. Even if you have scheduled your move for midday or early afternoon, don’t make the moving mistake of sleeping in, but instead make sure you are as awake to start your move as you will ever be.
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2. To Leave Unfinished Tasks In Your Moving Calendar
Believe it or not, if this is your moving day to-do list, then it means you’ve done a great job.
The timely creation of a moving calendar is an essential prerequisite for the success of your moving adventure. Having a super detailed and highly personalized moving timeline at your disposal will help you bring organized structure into your moving preparations.
As you probably already know, proper organization is key when getting ready to move to a new house or apartment. As a rule of thumb, having clear and well prioritized mini goals to complete one by one will save you an insane amount of time in the end, and will keep the notorious moving stress at bay at the same time.
Yes, if you’re really serious about pulling off a smooth stress- and trouble-free move, then you must have a customized moving to-do list at all costs. However, more importantly, you need to have all the tasks in it over and done with before the arrival of moving day.
Moving day tip #4: Forget about last-minute packing and other moving related tasks
A serious moving day mistake to make is to think that there will be enough time to pack a few boxes and finish a few other quick jobs around your home before the scheduled arrival of your removal men. No one can argue that time tends to fly faster when working around the clock, but this statement can’t be any truer comes moving day.
Experience shows that there is never enough time to finish the ill-timed “quick” moving tasks simply because unpredictability is one of the nasty little tricks that moving days are notorious for playing on inexperienced home movers. Besides, your moving calendar clearly states that all moving jobs, including packing, should be effectively handled at least one full day before your moving date.
3. To Think Moving Day Safety Is Overrated
Arguable the costliest moving day mistake you can make is to think that you could never fall victim to a moving accident, and therefore to fail to take the necessary safety measures during the most chaotic stage of a house move. Even if you have prudently hired an experienced removal crew to take the edge off that frightful day, you still want to make sure that no dangers of any kind are lurking behind the corners for you and your dear family members.
By no means being anywhere near overrated, the overall safety during your moving preparations, and especially on moving day itself, is one of the truly fundamental elements for a successful move, so don’t make the mistake of turning your back on it. Moving day safety comes in many shapes and colours, but here are the absolute fundamental safety measures you should implement:
Your pet will still want their daily portion of fun. It’s too bad you’re kind of busy, right?
Moving day tip #5: Avoid having running feet all around the house
If you have young children and/or pets, then consider it your top priority to guarantee their safety on moving day. Having too many playful feet around your own two feet would be a big moving blunder on your part, so do whatever it takes to keep your little ones 100% safe. Hire a trusted babysitter and/or a petsitter to look after your loved ones in a safe room in your home, or even consider leaving your kids or pets with a family member or a good friend until the moving day madness is over.
Moving day tip #6: Keep paths and hallways clear of obstacles
Some paths both inside and outside your home will be trodden more than others, so you should make sure there are no dangerous obstacles on them – obstacles that can compromise your moving day safety in split seconds. Also, the usual pathways should be free of all traces of hazards, including but not limited to dust, water, mud, debris, and especially ice.
Moving day tip #7: Dress the way a remover would
Often wrongly downplayed as being unimportant, dressing inappropriately on moving day is another one of the common moving house mistakes to avoid. The type of clothes and footwear you choose will determine not only how comfortable you feel during the entire time, but also how safe and protected you will be in the course of the most injury-prone day of a residential move.
Opt for clothes that will give you an excellent level of protection and comfort – non-baggy garments made of breathable fabric which you wouldn’t mind getting dirty or even ruined in the process. Pick your most comfortable pair of closed shoes, ideally with good flexibility and excellent traction to keep you firmly on the ground.
4. To Behave Hostile Towards Your Removal Crew
It’s surely not a well-kept secret that qualified professional assistance will guarantee, at least to a certain extent, the successful end of your relocation journey. Having gone through the time-consuming process of finding the best cross country removal company for you, you must be relieved and maybe a little excited to have highly experienced and trained professionals in your home on moving day to take care of business – that is, all the moving tasks you can’t do on your own.
However, one of the most common mistakes to avoid when moving to a new city is to act as a bad and inconsiderate host would, and even go as far as being hostile towards your removal crew.
Moving day tip #8: Pay attention to what your removal men need
Proper communication with your hired removal men is key.
First of all, you should be present in your home when your removers are scheduled to arrive so that you don’t keep them waiting for one reason or another. If you can’t greet the moving experts in person, have somebody else do it for you, or else you’ll only end up paying for periods of downtime without getting something in return for your money.
Thus said, you must provide your removal crew with free access to the toilet and free access to potable water /bottled water works best/. Also, you are half-expected to offer your hired labourers some kind of snack /biscuits, sandwiches, pizza/ to keep their energy up.
Moving day tip #9: Do not assume your removal men are infallible
Even with all the relocation experience they possess, your removal men are just humans, and human beings can never be insured against errors. To err is human, remember?
To avoid unpleasant moving day mistakes, as soon as your hired helpers arrive, you should explain to them exactly what you expect from them in a clear and unambiguous way. From that point on, you should still keep an eye on their actions but you are strongly advised to just let them do their job. Inform them of any concerns and worries you might have regarding your own move, and let them know immediately if they do happen to make a moving mistake on their own. Keep in mind that any house moving mistakes can be resolved peacefully as long as both parties are willing to listen to what the other one has to say.
5. To Assume Your New Home Will Welcome You With Open Arms
Another moving day mistake to avoid is to assume that your move will be over as soon as you reach your new home. Yes, it’s highly probable that your moving day will end soon after your household items are delivered, but your relocation is not really over until all traces of unpacked cardboard boxes are gone and all depressing thoughts from the post relocation period are out of your head.
To make sure your moving day ends without sudden unpleasant surprises, here is one big moving error you should not make during the moving preparations.
Moving day tip #10: Don’t forget to have your new house utilities connected
How often did you consult your detailed moving calendar prior to moving day?
“Never fear shadows. They simply mean there’s a light shining somewhere nearby.”
There’s nothing like entering your new home after a truly exhausting day only to find out that there’s neither electricity nor running water due to the rookie moving mistake of forgetting to have your new-home utilities connected. That lapse on your part alone can really dampen your relocation mood knowing that besides the temporary halt of all emergency post-move tasks, you won’t even be able to take a shower before stumbling around in the dark to find your bed /assembled and sheeted in the best case scenario/.
So, to avoid that common moving mistake when moving to a new house, arrange for the connection of the most essential services in your new residence, such as electricity, water and gas. The less urgent utilities such as Internet access, cable TV, telephone, etc. can wait a while longer until you get your new-home bearings.
You can never be completely immune to moving day mistakes when moving house, but you should at least do your best to minimize their number and thus lessen significantly their negative and detrimental collective impact on the moving adventure of your life.
Learning from mistakes and moving on is a good thing, but it’s even better to avoid the mistakes altogether, right?
Can you think of any other moving day mistakes that can really slow down a home mover’s inertia?
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If making mistakes in life is considered to be human while moving on from mistakes is thought to be super human, then making mistakes when moving house should be viewed as even more human.
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