5 Common House Moving Mistakes

Moving house isn’t something that most people would call fun. It takes time, effort, money, and a lot of self-control and motivation to get it done successfully! At Amazing Grace Movers, we work hard to make sure everyone’s moves go successfully and quickly. However, we’re also privy to seeing a lot of common moving mistakes. To make your next move and preparation easier, consider these five common moving mistakes and learn how you can avoid them!

Packing Improperly

There are a few common mistakes when it comes to packing that we run into quite often when helping people move houses. The first packing mistake people make is packing too much. Moving is a great opportunity clean out your knick knacks, clothing, and old furniture that doesn’t serve you anymore. This also saves time and money, since you don’t have to worry about packing and unpacking them. If you have stuff in good shape, you can even sell it online for a bit of extra cash to cover moving expenses.

Another packing mistake we see is procrastination. If you start packing early and give yourself plenty of time, you can organize your items in boxes to make unpacking even easier. Leaving packing to the last minute runs the risk of throwing things into boxes haphazardly, potentially not wrapping them as thoroughly as you should and leading to damage.

Taking Friends for Granted

Even when you hire a moving company, a lot of people will still ask their friends or family for some extra help packing, unpacking, or arranging furniture as they settle into their new home. One big mistake a lot of people make is taking this extra help for granted! No one enjoys moving, and for someone to volunteer to help you out in packing or unpacking is a big favour. Always make sure you thank your friends with something tangible. Most good friends won’t accept money, but providing ample amounts of pizza and drinks and ‘thank-yous’ can be a great way to show how much you appreciate their help.

Underestimating Your Supplies

You never realize just how much stuff you have until you move houses. One of the most common mistakes people make is in not buying enough supplies – particularly bubble wrap and tissue. When you’re buying boxes and wrapping supplies, always buy more than you think you need. Once you start to open your cupboards and drawers, you remember just how much stuff you actually have!

It’s also easy to forget how many fragile valuables we have. It’s not just the fancy dishware, it’s also paintings, picture frames, knick knacks, glasses, decor, technology – the list goes on. It’s always better to go overboard with the padding and wrapping instead of opening boxes to unpack shattered glass and ceramic.

Not Updating Your Addresses

The seemingly never-ending process of updating your addresses begins as soon as you know where your new home will be. You of course want to update your address on relevant government documents, the bank, utilities, and appropriate credit institutions. You’ll also likely notify your friends and family of a change in address so those precious holiday carts don’t get lost. But what about the mail you forget about?

Head to Canada Post’s website to sign up for mail forwarding. You can choose to do it for a full year or a few months at a time and you can be sure that you never miss a bill or an important letter.

Not Hiring Professionals

You might think that renting your own truck and begging your friends to help carry your stuff will save you a ton of cash. Of course, sometimes DIY moving makes sense – if you’re moving to another unit in the same building, or leaving most of your stuff behind and starting fresh in a new province, for example. Most house-to-house or apartment-to-apartment moves, however, can definitely benefit from hiring professionals.

A reputable moving company offers more than just the legwork. They have insurance to protect your items (in most cases) if there is damage or something gets lost. Moving companies can also help with packing, disassembling and re-assembling furniture, and arranging it in the correct room. Not to mention, you remove the risk of causing yourself an injury when you let the professionals with the right equipment take care of it!

If you’re moving houses soon and need a professional and reputable company, look no further than Amazing Grace Movers Inc. There’s a reason we have 5-stars on Google. Contact us today for a quote and to book our movers in Calgary and across Alberta!