Just like weddings, even a well-planned move can have some hiccups. It can be difficult trying to coordinate the timing of everything: moving help, truck or trailer rental, wait times. Here are five hair-pulling frustrations and solutions on how to avoid these potential moving day disasters.
Disaster: Not enough moving supplies. It’s the day before your move and you’ve run out of tape, boxes or bubble wrap.
SOLUTION: Don’t freak out. Most U-Haul locations are open until 7 p.m. (or 8 p.m. on Fridays). If you have time, you can run and pick up what you need at the last minute. But, of course, the best solution is being prepared. Always buy more moving supplies than you think you’ll need, then return whatever you don’t use with the receipt. Some companies will even email you the receipt, so you don’t have to worry about keeping track of the paper copy during your move.
Disaster: Inclement weather. Depending on what season it is, Mother Nature can throw you a curve ball. Spring? Rain. Summer? Heat wave. Fall? Hurricanes. Winter? Snow and ice. If you can count on anything, it’s that Mother Nature is moody.
SOLUTION: No matter what season it is, try to prepare for the worst. Make sure you watch the weather report in the weeks leading up to your move. It may even help to check the weather trends from previous years to see if there are any patterns. Have rain ponchos, extra coats, gloves, de-icer or whatever the weather might call for on moving day. It’s also helpful to have a day or two of “cushion” time in case you need to reschedule your move.
Disaster: Your “helpful” friends don’t show up. Even the best of friends flake out sometimes. Maybe they double-booked themselves. Or maybe they’re sick. Heck, maybe they just forgot.
SOLUTION: There is one way to get around relying on your possibly unreliable friends. Schedule moving help for your move. It’s relatively inexpensive and you can choose the level of moving help that fits your needs. You won’t have to burden your friends with helping you move, and professional moving helpers will get the job done quickly. Make sure you confirm your appointment a couple days ahead of time to ensure there aren’t any mistakes with your reservation.
Disaster: Equipment not big enough. Whoops! You thought you only needed a small moving truck for your three-bedroom home. But it turns out you need a much bigger truck.
SOLUTION: When you reserve your moving truck, always over-estimate the amount of stuff you have. It’s always better to have extra room in your truck than not enough, and the difference in price is usually pretty minimal. Use this handy guide to help you determine what size truck you need for your move.
Disaster: Everything takes longer than expected. You’re still packing the morning of your move. There was a line at the moving center. It took an hour to fill out the paperwork at your apartment’s leasing office just to get the keys to your new place.
SOLUTION: Always over-estimate how long tasks will take. Expect lines and traffic. Double the time you think it will take to fill out paperwork. Give yourself an extra week to pack. You can even call the moving center ahead of time and ask how long your wait time will be on the day of your move. Remember that you are not the only person moving and traveling that day—especially if it’s the last weekend of the month. That weekend is always busier for moving centers, apartments and real estate attorneys’ offices.
Hope these are helpful! Thanks for reading!
