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5 Mistakes to Avoid When Packing for a Move

It’s no surprise that with so many things to take care of, the process of moving to a new house often proves to be more complicated than you originally planned. Add the constantly increasing move-related stress prior to your moving day, and suddenly, you get a highly volatile situation where the number of errors can easily skyrocket.

To help you have a stress-free move from start to finish, take a look at the top 5 most common mistakes when packing for a move.

Mistake #1: To start packing without a plan

One of the most common mistakes when packing for a move is to just start boxing any household items you can get hold of without having a clear packing strategy in your head or written down on a piece of paper.

The major problem with packing up your home randomly is that you’ll be only wasting precious time. And time is exactly what you don’t have the luxury of wasting when getting ready to move out.

The proper course of action here is to create a packing timeline for moving which you should consult frequently and stick to diligently to significantly increase your packing productivity.

Mistake #2: To leave packing jobs for moving day

Later is such a dangerous word, especially when you’re about to pack up your home for a move. Of all common packing mistakes, a classic example is to leave most of the packing tasks for later to take care of a more “urgent” job.

The thing to understand here is that, regardless of how much time you have left until the big day, the more you tend to procrastinate packing, the harder it will be for you to actually begin the process. Procrastination will lead to stress, stress will lead to panic, and panic will lead to bad decisions.

Write this down or just make sure you remember this fundamental move-related concept: the only way to get something done the right way is to start working on it right away. In other words, initiate the packing process the moment your house move is confirmed.

Mistake #3: To “save time” by overfilling your boxes

Here’s a quick packing trick that can save you plenty of troubles: use smaller moving boxes for heavy items and bigger containers for lighter possessions.

Never go the other way around as cardboard boxes and human backs both have breaking limits. Remember to not overfill your packing boxes and keep a reasonable weight limit of a single packed container of around 40-45 pounds, especially when you’re packing books.

Mistake #4: To believe your memory is too good to label your boxes

Unless you are in the mood to lose hours of valuable post-relocation time searching through piles of freshly-delivered moving boxes only to find your bedding, this is a bad idea.

Yes, failure to label your boxes correctly is a good example of moving mistakes you don’t have to make. Just take a black marker pen and mark each packed container with its detailed contents, destination room, and special handling instructions both for yourself and for your helpers. The use of colored labels for each individual destination room can make things even easier.

Mistake #5. To assume you won’t need any packing help

Of all the mistakes to avoid when packing for a move, the assumption that you can pack up your entire home on your own is probably the judgment error that can hurt you the most.

How much time you will actually need to bring the packing marathon to a successful end will depend on how many items you’re planning to take with you and how well you are prepared.

However, no matter how you look at the tough job ahead, the best way to pack for a move is to have a few extra pairs of helping hands. That way, you are guaranteed that no cardboard box will be left unpacked prior to moving day.

Yes, the idea of inviting your friends to a packing party can work out great in the end – you’ll see your pals one last time before you move out, and of course – you won’t need to pay professional packers to help you pack, protect, and box your earthly possessions. But what if your friends all get too busy right when you need their assistance the most?

Don’t make the moving mistake of assuming that professional packing services are too expensive to afford. As long as you pack whatever you can by yourself and leave to the pros only the things are either too fragile or too large, or both, then you may be pleasantly surprised by the affordability of the extra service offered by full-service moving companies.

Give us a call at Today Movers today! We’re here to take the stress out of a stressful time.