Common DIY Moving Mistakes (And How To Avoid Them)
Planning a DIY move isn’t what most people have in mind when they think of a good time. Moving from one home to another takes a lot of time, energy and money. It’s not often that most people move home, which means that mistakes can frequently occur.
To ensure your moving day goes according to plan, here are the most common moving mistakes (and how to avoid them).
Not Having Enough Time
For a successful DIY move, you need to give yourself plenty of time to pack. As well as safely load, secure, and unload your belongings on the truck, and then also unpack at your new location.
While professional movers are experts at removals and work efficiently, you should allow extra time when handling your items on moving day. It’s recommended to start planning and preparing for moving one month in advance.
Packing Too Many Things
It’s easy to round up all your belongings and start putting them in boxes. Out of sight, out of mind, right. But doing this may lead to more problems further down the track.
Packing when moving is the best time to go through everything you own and get rid of anything you no longer need or want.
Not only will it be fewer things to pack and move, decluttering will let you have a fresh start in your new home.
Don’t know where to start? Make three piles with all your items, ‘sell’, ‘donate’, and ‘throw-away’.
List the items for sale on eBay, Gumtree, and Facebook Marketplace. You can also consider holding a garage sale.
Then, anything which doesn’t sell, it’s easy to donate. Either ask your friends and family members if they want anything, or contact your local charity. Most charities will come directly to you and pick up any donations you have.
For any items which can’t be sold or donated, throw them out. You can rent a rubbish skip or plan a trip to the tip to get rid of everything.
Not Labelling Boxes Properly
Many people don’t label their boxes specifically enough, or they forget to do it all together. Whether moving DIY or using professional removalists, labelling boxes will make the moving process so much easier.
It’s recommended to:
- Label boxes by room
- Colour code each room, using stickers on the box and door of the room (e.g., blue = kitchen, green = bedroom)
- Write “FRAGILE” on any box which contains delicate items
- Have an “OPEN FIRST” box, which has the essential things you will need for the first few days in your new home.
- Label each box on three sides
These tips will make it easy when unloading your belongings.
Using Incorrect Packing Equipment
By DIY moving your belongings, you need to make sure that you have the correct packing equipment. This will ensure that your furniture, electronics, fragile items, and family heirlooms are well protected, to avoid damaging anything.
It’s best to use similar packing materials that professional movers also use. Such as sturdy boxes, blankets, furniture pads, bubble wrap, packing tape, shrink wrap, straps and rope to keep your belongings secure from moving in transit. Also, invest in tarps and plastic sheets in case it rains while you are packing and unpacking.
Is DIY Moving The Best Option?
DIY moving is a good solution to keep costs down if you don’t have too many belongings to move, and you don’t have any heavy, big, or awkwardly shaped items.
For most people, the money saved with DIY moving is far outweighed by the extra time it takes. As well as having to buy moving supplies to keep their items safe.
If you are thinking about DIY moving, but are interested to see what a professional removalist company would cost, contact Next Level Removals for a free, no-obligation quote. Call 1300 005 400, or contact us online.
