Most common interstate moving mistakes

Many people move each year for different reasons – both within the same state and cross-country. However, they all tend to make similar mistakes. That’s why learning about these mistakes, and how to solve them (or avoid them entirely) is a great idea. That way, you’re going to save yourself both money and time. Since interstate moving mistakes can cost a lot – there’s a good financial incentive. On the other hand, moving mistakes that are going to cost you your time – which can make troublesome delays. As you can see, there are multiple good reasons why you need to avoid making the similar interstate moving mistake everyone else does. Certainly, reading through the Master Moving Guide is an excellent start – but there are more things you need to be aware of. Getting through them with a professional moving company is going to be a lot easier, as well!

Not giving yourself enough time to prepare for your move

One of the most common moving mistakes is certainly not giving yourself enough time. Yes, an interstate move is a lot simpler than moving from DC to California. However, that still doesn’t mean it’s not complicated. There’s lots of paperwork, lots of thinking, planning, and scheduling involved. You’re going to need some kind of local movers who will be able to relocate you, as well. The process itself of finding good quotes, finding a reliable company, and so on, can take weeks. So, the essential thing to do is to plan early. Nothing is too early. Better to do a thing a day for 6 months straight, than everything two weeks before the move. Give yourself more time to see what works for you, what doesn’t, and which services to hire. For research, look through the list of best cities to move to for ideas.

All of that is going to help you have a better attitude toward your move, as well as better mental health. Moving on short notice can bring lots of stress and anxiety. Are you going to make it? Will you have enough time? Such questions are very common when you haven’t given yourself time to think about your actions and to think about what you want out of the move. This way, you can also give your kids more time to prepare for the move. They can have a hard time getting used to the new reality – so let them know in advance, so they can get used to it. There are a bunch of ways you can get this, but the bottom line is: they’re going to need time. So, give them exactly that, which is going to be beneficial to your family as a whole.

Not hiring reliable movers you can trust is almost the number one interstate moving mistake people make

There are thousands of moving companies across the United States. A lot of them are good, reliable, and fair companies that are going to make your moving easier. On the other hand, there are those who want to scam you. One of the most common mistakes is hiring someone without good reviews, for cheap money. You really need to hire interstate movers without getting scammed. Here are some of the things you can pay attention to, to avoid getting into a scam that’s probably going to cost you lots of money. Moreover, most of these won’t even relocate you (or, alternatively, they will – but for an absurd price). Think about the following:

• Find only legal, reliable companies that people have used in the past.
• Read their reviews online, and ask friends and family if they’ve used them before. When reading reviews, you can most often see if they’re fake.
• Consider the price. Is it too big? Or too small? Both of these can indicate you’re considering a company that’s going to scam you.
• Make sure they offer the kind of services you’re going to require. For example, if they don’t offer specifically piano moving services, don’t hire them for that. You’re going to get your piano probably damaged, and that’s also one of the most common interstate moving mistakes – not hiring the right company for a specific thing.

Trying to pack everything without decluttering first

There are a million things in our homes we simply don’t need. People often buy things excessively – just in case – and never use them afterward. That’s why it’s a silly mistake trying to pack the whole house. What you need to do beforehand, is to declutter as much as possible. That means you’re going to go through every single thing in your house – and ask yourself the question of whether you need that. If not, get rid of it. That can mean donating it, selling it, or simply throwing it away. That’s beneficial for multiple reasons. You’re going to have a lot fewer things to actually pack. How to declutter is usually one of the questions that make the moving FAQ list frequently. It actually has more benefits than simply for the sake of moving – such as having a cleaner living space.

Not decluttering is most often the biggest problem if you’re moving on short notice. Suddenly, you realize there’s not too much time to actually pack. In that case, the best option you can choose is to hire reliable interstate movers to pack your things for you. However, that is going to cost you slightly more money than you would’ve usually spent. That’s why making these interstate moving mistakes can make you pay a lot more than you would have. So, plan ahead and declutter. For example, if you organize a garage sale you might even earn a few dollars, and get rid of unnecessary things – which is a double win! The best way to declutter is to start from a single room, check everything there, and then move to the next one. Keep the things you want to throw away in boxes, so you don’t mix them up.

Not packing certain items carefully is one of the common mistakes in interstate moving

For example, not giving special care to moving fragile items. These need to be carefully packed to make sure they’re not going to get damaged. People often think it’s enough to drop them in their suitcase or put some clothes around them. While that might be true for some of them, the truly fragile ones are going to break. You’re going to need to invest more time and effort into those. For example, you can buy bubble wraps to place around them and buy small-sized boxes. On the other hand, any good short distance moving guide will tell you that the best idea is to hire movers. Letting the professionals hand the delicate work is going to allow you to be more relaxed about it. Since you are going to hire a reliable company, they’re going to have lots of experience with handling such work.

On the other hand, if you’re not looking towards spending money to pack your items – consider doing it yourself. You just need to be absolutely certain that it’s going to work out. Accidental bumps that will crack fragile items is one of the most common interstate moving mistakes. Many people recommend buying bubble wrapping, but some experiment with towels and clothes. For example, buy a smaller box and put a towel around the edges. Then, put the fragile item inside. While this is certainly a cheaper option – be aware of the risks. There’s no one to blame if the item breaks but you – as opposed to the possible insurance movers offer. Just make sure that you know that all these moving tips are going to work differently for different people. What works for others, might be a bad idea in your case – and the other way around.

Not getting your free moving quotes and binding estimates for your interstate moving is a mistake

There’s a good reason why people really prefer moving with a company. For the most part, they offer a wide range of services you can’t get otherwise. For example, insurance, heavy moving services, junk removal, and so on. Moreover, in order to seek out the prices the best idea is to seek out the quotes. By getting at least three different ones, you will be able to pick the best and cheapest option for your interstate moving. Moreover, these companies will compete with each other and lower the prices. That’s why moving quotes are a powerful thing that you should definitely use as a customer. While there’s neither a maximum nor a minimum of the quotes you can get, most people say that 3 is the optimal number. But if you have free time, you’re free to request as many as you wish.

Many moving companies also offer quotes for free, so use that to your advantage. That does mean, however, that sometimes they’re not 100% reliable. Based on some variables and factors – the actual price might change later on. That’s really annoying, but don’t think the quotes are useless altogether. They’re a good tool you should often use to avoid other most common interstate moving mistakes. If you want a stable price that’s not going to change, see what is a binding estimate and how to get one. Essentially, a binding estimate is something you pay the moving company to make for you. However, afterward, they will fully guarantee that that’s the price you’re going to pay. It cannot possibly change. If you really like a specific company, then getting one of those is the best idea to make sure that as your moving day approaches, the price stays the same.

For a DIY move – miscalculating the moving costs

Calculating the moving costs can be quite hard, especially for a DIY move. You simply never know, and with the current inflation, the prices are constantly going up. That’s why it can be easy to make this common interstate mistake when moving. However, you should be extra careful, since moving requires lots of money you need to prepare beforehand. You don’t want to put yourself in a situation where you can’t pay for a cost that has suddenly appeared. That’s why the mentioned moving quotes are a powerful tool you can use. However, you simply don’t have that option for a DIY move. For those, the best advice is to start very early and just plan, research, and organize everything. And then double-check.

Bottomline – how to keep all the common interstate moving mistakes to a minimum

As you can see, any kind of move brings lots of possible problems and situations. Even though people will often think that short-distance moves are a simple task, reality often teaches them otherwise. So, it is best to stay informed, read about other people’s experiences, and learn from their mistakes. You really don’t want to only hear about the possibility of professional piano movers once your own piano comes crashing down the stairs because it was too heavy to carry. Or, you need to pay an excessive amount of money just because you didn’t learn the benefits of decluttering. As you can see, it’s better to learn about these common mistakes beforehand and plan ahead, rather than wait for the catastrophe to happen. Since it can cost you lots of time, but most importantly a lot of money, invest some of your time right now and read about these.

Professional movers can help you avoid most of those mistakes

Most of these mistakes can be easily avoided if you hire professional movers. That’s because of the fact they’re going to take care of the riskiest things for you. For example, they’re going to pack your things, move your heavy objects, safely disconnect and disassembly your appliances, and so on. You only need to follow the best tips for hiring movers and leave the rest to the professionals. Even if some of the things aren’t for them to do (such as the need to plan early), they will be able to warn you about such stuff. Having a company that’s going to be by your side while you navigate the confusing moving process is going to be a great help. That’s going to help you avoid the most common interstate moving mistakes people make, and ultimately help you have a faster, easier, and nicer move overall.