How many times have you moved in your lifetime? I have moved over a dozen times over the years, which is well above the national average of FIVE moves over a lifetime. Moving is a challenge when you consider all the things you need — moving truck, moving boxes and moving labor services for loading help and unloading help. The next time you move, keep in mind that although moving is not the most fun, it doesn’t always have to be difficult. One way to make the move easier is to avoid three common mistakes people make when moving.
Mistake # 1 — Waiting until the last minute to reserve a moving truck or moving trailer.
U-Haul recommends making your reservation two-four weeks ahead of time. Just because you see your local U-Haul location is filled with parked rental trucks the week of your move does not mean they will be available to you. They very well could have been reserved by someone else. Keep in mind that the summer months are the busiest months in the moving industry. Nearly 45% of all moves occur between Memorial Day and Labor Day! You can also avoid the weekend madness at rental centers if you move between Monday and Thursday. Typically, the rental rates are cheaper for trucks during these non-peak weekdays.
Mistake # 2 — Not packing your moving boxes ahead of time.
Nothing is worse than having people coming over to help you move and you don’t have everything packed in boxes. That causes a tremendous amount of stress and extends the moving process. It can also cause you to throw everything randomly into boxes. Unfortunately, that will lead to hunting through dozens of boxes as you try to locate your needed items at your new home. Hunting can be fun when it involves Easter eggs, but not your toothbrush and bed sheets. The solution is to pack ahead of time and to pack your boxes strategically by marking each box with its contents and destination room. U-Haul Smart Labels or Moving Labels can help you with this!
Mistake #3 — No unloading help at your destination.
It is typically a little easier to find help at your old home, because you have friends in that area. However, who do you have to help you at your new home? It is not recommended that you introduce yourself to your new neighbors by saying, “Hi. We are the Smith family. Could you help us unload our moving truck?” (I doubt your new neighbor’s cat will even like you.)
One way to avoid this third mistake is by reserving Moving Helpers at your new home so that unloading is less stressful for you and your family. Also, a smooth move into the new neighborhood might result in warmer neighbors. No promises on their cat.
