How to Avoid Common Moving Mistakes

New York City is the most populated city in the USA with a population of over 8 million.

Each year, about a quarter of a million people move to NYC and approximately the same

amount of people leave.¹ Most of the moving happens during the summer months, and it

therefore stands to reason that this is the busiest time for moving companies.

However, if you are planning to move, even if it’s in the off-peak seasons, you might

want to take note of some of the most common moving mistakes. Below we’ve compiled

a few moving pitfalls and how you can avoid them.

1. Failing to hire movers well in advance. Movers should be hired months or at least

weeks in advance. Many people only think of organizing a moving company the day

before, which leads to one of two outcomes: either no movers are available or you will

end up with the scenario in point two.

2. Hiring unreliable or corrupt movers. This mistake usually results in the moving

company not showing up on the day of the move, or worse, movers that show up but

leave your property damaged. This can be avoided by doing research. Friends, neighbors,

and colleagues can point you in the right direction. There are also other institutions you

can consult such as The Better Business Bureau, Angie’s List, and the U.S. Department

of Transportation.² Also, don’t hire movers that give you a quote without coming to your

home and assessing the workload beforehand. Finally, always ensure that you have a

written copy of the estimate. This way you’ll safeguard yourself against the movers

taking advantage of you.

The next two mistakes have to do with the packing process and largely result due to a lack of

planning and inefficient time management. Let us take a closer look at these mistakes and how

you can prevent them from happening:

3. Packing unnecessary items. Before you start packing, it is best to sort through your

belongings and throw or give away the items you no longer need. If you haven’t used

something in a year, chances are you’ll never use it again. Doing this will make packing

easier and will also ensure that you don’t end up at your new residence with loads of

boxes that are filled with things you no longer have any use for. If this is done before

packing and before contacting the movers, you might be able to save some money on

moving costs, seeing as there will be less to move.

4. Not packing ahead of time. A 2013 survey by the Austin, Texas self-storage units

supplier, SpareFoot, revealed that most people find packing and unpacking to be the

worst part of moving.³ This explains why most people leave packing until the last minute.

Going this route always leads to an overwhelming amount of work that needs to be done

in a very short period of time. The solution is to do it gradually and over time. Even if

you’re only moving in a month or two, start packing one or two boxes a day. If you do

this every day, there won’t be that much left to pack come moving day. Start with the

items you know you can do without, like ornaments, books, and photographs. Then move

to the kitchen. Plan out meals for the rest of your time in your current residence and pack

away the dishes, cutlery, pots, and pans that you won’t need. If you’re moving in a week,

enlist the help of family and friends and reward them with a delicious meal and

beverages.

Bio

Shleppers Moving & Storage started in 1978 and over the last 36 years has grown to become one

of the leading moving companies in New York. Shleppers prides themselves on adhering to high

service standards and being dedicated to meeting the needs of their customers. Some of the most

prestigious NYC business and organizations, as well as numerous celebrities, have moved with

Shleppers.