Five Ways to Solve the Five Most Common Problems When Moving

Moving is one of those big life events that are often stressful and emotionally draining. On one hand, you are relocating to a new home and have a chance to start fresh. On the other hand, some people say the entire experience is no less stressful than a divorce or having a kid.

That’s why it makes sense to take steps and ensure that the whole process goes as smoothly and problem-free as possible.

So let’s dive in and find what are the most effective ways to solve the five most common problems when moving.

Packing your belongings

A recent survey by Fantastic Services has revealed that the most common problem when moving is the packing process. People have to essentially sort through all their belongings and determine what to take with them, and what to donate or throw away. That’s almost always stressful and can lead to a phenomenon called moving anxiety.

However, you can minimize the negatives if you start early, as well as take certain steps, which will ensure an easier and more stress-free moving experience.

Here are the top 5 tips to ease your packing process:

1. Create an inventory of all your belongings at least a month prior to moving day and determine what to take, give, or throw away. To avoid disputes, it’s best that you and your significant other are both on the same page by the time of relocation.
2. Get packing supplies (boxes, bubble wrap, newspapers) ahead of time. That will give you time to plan and pack everything.
3. Cover your furniture fully with moving blankets or pads. This will protect them against damage.
4. Don’t pack flammable or dangerous materials to prevent unpleasant surprises.
5. Write “fragile” or “this way up” on boxes where it’s needed. This will make transportation process much safer,

Safely transporting all your stuff

Oftentimes improper packing and transportation can lead to another common fear: damaged items. Nobody wants to unpack a box and discover any harm has befallen their favourite possessions. That’s why safely packing and transporting all your items is so important.

Here are the top 5 ways to ensure that all your belongings are protected:

1. Spend some time coming up with a strategy about how everything is going to fit in the vehicle. Also, make sure fragile items are not put at any risk.
2. Avoid leaving any gaps when loading the truck/vehicle to avoid shifting (and thus, possible damage).
3. Large items should be secured to the vehicle’s walls.
4. All boxes should fit snug to ensure nothing will trip or slide over.
5. Hire a professional moving company to do all the packing. They have years of experience and will handle all your items with the utmost care (plus, they’ll provide you with specialized boxes and padding to protect delicate items like glassware, TV, computer hardware, etc.)

Finding a moving company you can trust

Finding someone you can trust to move all your belongings can be anxiety-inducing, sure, but is not at all impossible. All you have to do is do some prior research, as well as use a few guidelines when assessing your chosen options.

When looking for trustworthy movers, it’s best to look for at least several options. This is best done at least a month and a half prior to relocation, so you have enough time to carefully vet them.

Working with a trusted company can greatly reduce stress, eliminate the risk of injuries, and decrease the risk of damaging your belongings to an absolute minimum.

Here are the top 5 things to do so you can find a trustworthy removals company:

1. Verify they’re licensed and insured. That’s one of the most important things to determine whether a mover can be trusted or not.
2. See what people are saying about them online. This will show who’s got a good reputation, and help you make the best decision.
3. Go to their office and meet them in person. See what they’re like. If something feels off, you know what to do.
4. Ask for an in-house estimate. The removals company will then send someone to your home, who’ll give you a fair estimate.
5. Request a cost breakdown of the estimate. You will not only know what you’ll end up paying for, but also whether you are working with professionals or not.

Protecting your new and old homes against damage when moving

Another understandable fear people often have is not damaging their old and new homes when moving.

Moving day is typically frantic. You want to get things done and over with as soon as possible. Whether you’re doing the moving yourself or you’ve hired professional movers, if you’ve not taken precautions, a simple bump or a slip can cause damage both to yourself and to the property. Even worse, in some cases that means you might be liable for damages.

That’s why it’s best to take precautions and ensure safety.

Here are 5 ways how you ensure your homes’ safety:

1. Measure everything. Make sure all big furniture pieces can actually fit through doorways or can pass through staircases.
2. Invest in non-slip treads to protect against slips and injuries (especially on stairs);
3. Use moving blankets to protect the furniture or use secure them on floors, bannisters, or walls to protect against bumps and accidents;
4. Use corner guards on doors to protect against accidental bumps.
5. Use old rugs as sliding tools for big items, as well as to conserve your energy during moving day.

Reducing the costs of hiring a moving company

Another frequent thing people worry about when moving is how much it’s going to cost if they hire professionals. Having to relocate can sure be costly, but sometimes the sheer stress and anxiety that is caused by the process can lead to arguments and end up costing more.

Still, there are ways to reduce moving companies' prices greatly, provided that you are willing to do some of the work yourself and you are willing to be flexible.

Here are the best 5 ways to do that:

1. Choose a less busy date and time to move. The busiest days are around the start and the end of the month, as well as weekends.
2. Find all packing supplies yourself.
3. Pack everything yourself and having as close to the front door as possible on moving day. Also, purge all unnecessary items before you move.
4. Ensure there’s a parking space as close to your home as possible. This will decrease loading time and costs.
5. Use your own insurance company instead of your movers’ one.

Conclusion

Moving anxiety is completely normal, but it doesn’t have to cause you so much stress. If you are relocating soon, then save yourself some of the hassles by implementing some of these tips and solutions.

You’ll then find you’ll have a much easier transition into your new home and whole less anxiety.