Moving from one place to another is always a juggling act. There are lots of items to remember. When you hire Ace Moving & Warehousing, our organized system can keep you on track for a more relaxed, headache-free move. When you call us to schedule an appointment, we can share all the services and products that we provide including our moving crew that is ready to help you anytime. Below are ten common moving mistakes that you should avoid if want moving day to go as planned.
You Blow Your Budget
It’s impossible to anticipate the cost of your move down to the penny, which is why moving companies give you estimates—not quotes. But it’s still smart to get a general idea of what your move is going to cost you, especially if you’re trying to keep costs in a certain range. Your expenses can be mitigated somewhat by doing the legwork ahead of time to figure out what you’re comfortable spending and how much you’re going to need to budget.
Use a moving cost calculator to figure out how much you’re likely going to be spending based on the amount of stuff you have and the distance you’re going to be traveling. Don’t forget to factor in additional costs on top of that, like packing supplies and potential days off of work.
You Choose the Wrong Moving Company
Before you commit to a contract with a professional moving company, you need to make sure you have researched that mover thoroughly to avoid any serious problems on moving day. Three resources that provide useful information about moving companies may include:
● Department of Transportation. All interstate movers must be licensed by the U.S. Department of Transportation to operate legally within the country. As proof of their legal status, licensed moving companies are issued with USDOT numbers by the Department. Luckily, it’s easy to check whether a mover has such a USDOT number – just visit the official DoT webpage and do a simple search with the company name.
● Better Business Bureau. The BBB is dedicated to helping consumers find businesses they can trust, so you’d better check their database of moving companies records to see if there are any complaints against the movers you’re considering for your move.
● American Moving and Storage Association. Make sure your movers are professional movers recognized by legitimate agencies. AMSA’s consumer protection and certification program is designed to help people distinguish reputable professional movers from the amateur movers.
You Wait Until the Last Minute to Begin Moving
When you have a long list of moving tasks, it’s difficult to know where to start. An overwhelming list leads many to the common moving mistake of delaying the start of the moving process until the very last minute. Procrastinating adds to the overall stress of your move and can lead to overlooked tasks.
To get your move started, it helps to create a moving checklist. A checklist will help you plan time-sensitive tasks, get ahead on your moving responsibilities, and keep everything organized. If you are on a tight schedule, check out our consolidated moving checklist.
Once you have your checklist in place, check out some of our best packing tips.
You Opt Out of the Moving Insurance
A move can quickly become expensive if it results in a broken television, or a box of antique dishes is dropped. When hiring a moving company, be sure to ask a lot of questions and make sure to get the coverage you need for your belongings. Most full-service moves come with Valuation Protection but it’s not the same thing as insurance.
When you have Valuation Protection the mover will only pay a certain amount per pound (most commonly $0.60 per pound) of any item that is damaged or lost in the move regardless of the actual value of your goods. So if that expensive 55’ flat screen TV, that only weighs 25 pounds, breaks during your move, you’ll probably only get $15 for it.
You Cram Everything Into Your New Home
Moving into a new home can be as stressful as moving out of your old your home. The main reason for this is because you try to take everything you own with you. There are two ways, however, to eliminate this stress.
First, you can liquidate. Hold a yard sale, give your stuff away, or throw it away. Go through every room and decide what you can live without If you don’t need it and don’t really want it, then let it go. Once you’ve gone through the entire house, you’ll be impressed at how much stuff you can do without. Try to weed everything out several weeks before moving day. This will give you time to get rid of the junk without any mental pressure.
Second, you may want to put some of your items in storage until you organize everything in your home. With some of your valuables in storage, you’ll have more space to get settled in and place everything where you want it. You can slowly pull your item out of the storage a little at a time.
Local Minneapolis Residential Movers
Whether you’re moving across town or the state, you’ll be glad you hired Ace Moving & Warehousing to help you. We offer a wide range of services such as residential & commercial moving, military moves, crating and storage, and apartment moving. To get on our calendar and get a fast quote, call us at 763-755-2045, or you can message us at info@acemw.com.