Typical packing mistakes when moving

Typical packing mistakes when moving

You’ll surely now think that you know everything about packing considering the fact that you’ve traveled many times. And while we praise you for that, we have to say that there’s a big difference between packing for a trip and packing for relocating. First and foremost when traveling you’re not required to pack everything you possess. You bring only the much you think you would need for the time being away from home. Eventually, you’ll come back home and unpack those two bags you brought with you. However, moving away requires a more serious and thorough approach. Because this is not always the case, many packing mistakes occur. In an attempt to improve the statistics, we’ve come up with a register of these common errors.

Three suitcases of different sizes and colors on one another
Packing for the trip and when relocating to a new house are two completely different things.

How to avoid packing mistakes

All you have to do is be systematic and have a goal set. Disorganization is typically something that causes a failure of the most businesses and projects. This happens due to being unknowledgeable enough regarding the issue, or not devoting enough attention to important details. The truth is that there are many things you need to do before moving out. The good news is that with a good guidance, you’ll be able to keep away from these traps. Like that, you’ll finish your packing without many problems.

1. Establish the overall budget

a closed black wallet with a white tailor's measuring meter over it
It’s essential to know the limits of your budget in order to know how much you can afford.

Since packing is just one of the things you’ll need to worry when moving, you need to expect that you’ll have additional expenses. Therefore, before making any other step, you must be sure about the amount of budget you are able to operate with.

Quick tip: We suggest you put a little bit money aside just in case something unexpected occurs.

Knowing the boundaries of your finances is making a step away from making one of the biggest packing mistakes. How – you must be wondering? Well, those who are aware of their budget won’t ever let themselves pack more than they can actually afford. It’s unwise to not inspect if there are any hidden moving costs that you need to know about. In fact, a company that’s not open about the costs is not a company for you. Once you calculate an approximate cost of everything regarding your packing and moving, you’ll know exactly what you are able to pay for. If it turns out that you won’t be able to afford certain services you had planned, don’t panic. Instead, try to make some changes that will enable you the fulfillment of the greater plan.

2. Don’t hesitate to ask for help

Most people usually think that hiring people to help them carry out certain tasks will be fatal for their budget. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. Therefore, it’s recommendable to search for a cheap NYC moving company that will be able to offer you the best deal according to the types of services you need. To manage this, you’ll need to prepare a bit for this conversation. Here’s what you can ask:

  • What types of services they offer
  • Are there any hidden costs
  • Do they offer a full service for long-distance moving
  • Do they have packing materials
  • Is full packing service that’ll help you avoid packing mistakes included
  • Are they skilled with packing and moving bulky items such as a piano, pool table, etc
  • Are they experienced with pet relocation
  • Do they also offer unpacking services
  • Can you get an insurance from them and what it covers
  • Can you rent a moving truck from them
Two hands holding
Get a help from the agent by preparing the questions you find important to ask during the conversation with him.

We are sure you can come up with more questions concerning your own situation. The point is that you should use the time during this appointment to ask everything that will remove all the doubts and help you avoid moving and packing mistakes. With this in mind, don’t get shy. There are no stupid questions to ask the movers before hiring them, and the agent is there to provide you will all the guidance you need. Additionally, after the conversation, you will have your operative plan. Hopefully, the agent will be able to offer you the best deal.

Forget about procrastination

Rule number one about avoiding packing mistakes is leaving this task for another day. Well, you may do this, but eventually, the schedule and other obligations will collide. And this is exactly what you shouldn’t do! The point of turning for help to a reliable moving company was exactly in that you wouldn’t skip any step! The soon you realize that putting off your obligations won’t bring you any good, the better. After all, you would like to finish with this before the deadline, wouldn’t you? If that’s a yes, then what you’re waiting for? Start packing!

Be sure to know what you are packing and how

A man in a yellow shirt and light blue pants carrying a heavy crate which is one of the biggest packing mistakes.
Overloading boxes is one of the biggest packing mistakes.

To make the packing process smoother, the first thing to do is get all the packing supplies you can. Then, make sure to check if those boxes and bags are not damaged. Otherwise, the stuff you put in those boxes might get damaged as well. To avoid this error, just ask your movers if they can provide you with the packing materials. So, forget about those old boxes you got from who-knows-where.

Another quick tip: Don’t overload the boxes, or not even the strongest boxes will be able to endure the weight. Plus, if you put overloaded boxes on top of another, they might collapse during transportation.

Don’t forget about labeling too

Even if you’re packing just a few boxes, it’s always a recommendation to write on them what’s inside. That way you’ll cut the unpacking process a lot. Also, you won’t make a mess by opening each and every box while searching for something you need.

The box of essentials is also a recommendation

For those of you who are packing a little bit more and won’t be able unpacking in a matter of a day or two, a box of essentials is a right solution. There you will find things you’ll be using by the time you manage to unpack the most of other boxes.

In order to evade the packing mistakes make preparations ahead. Stick to those rules and turn to help if you figure out you won’t be able to do everything alone.

We also have green bins to rent.

Plastic green moving box with Dumbo's logo

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