Avoid Moving Day Mishaps With These Five Tips

Avoid Moving Day Mishaps With These Five Tips

Moving day is here, and you’re eager to get the show on the road. You know what they say about the best laid plans, but you’re determined to have this move go smoothly. By being aware of these top moving day mishaps, you’re ahead of the game. Here are some tips from Jake Tasharski to get ready for the best moving day of your life!

1. We should have left three hours ago!

The movers arrive, but you just started packing up the second-to-last room. You would have been ready; it’s just that you ran out of boxes and had to get more, and your husband came down with the flu.

Moving Day Tip #1: Everything takes longer than expected. A lot longer. Plan for it by doubling (or tripling!) the time you think it will take. Apartment Therapy notes that you’ll probably need around 15 boxes per room, but for a personalized estimate, you can access this packing calculator. One way to avoid last-second packing is to rent a storage container for a couple weeks. This will allow you to pack at your convenience. After you’re finished packing, you can schedule a pickup for the container to be delivered to your new home. 

2. Help! It doesn’t fit.

Invariably, it happens. You start to take your desk, treadmill, or dining room table out the door or down a narrow stairwell, and it won’t fit. Now what? You could try to disassemble your furniture yourself, but with all the stress of moving, is it really worth it? Also, when you get to your new house, will you really feel like reassembling your furniture any time in the next year?

Moving Day Tip #2: When possible, find a moving company to maneuver your bigger items. Experienced moving companies know how to handle large furniture and possessions, so find one that can help. Use Angi.com to research companies in Chicago and read customer reviews; if you read a review where someone describes a nightmare involving large furniture, then you need to avoid this service at all cost.

2. Help, I’ve fallen and can’t get up!

The worst thing that can happen on moving day is for you or a loved one to get hurt, but it happens. A lot.

Moving Day Tip #3: Stretch, use proper lifting techniques, and have a well-stocked first aid kit handy. Better yet, hire professionals to do all the heavy lifting. Unlike friends and family, professional movers have workers’ insurance coverage. Without that, you will be held responsible if anything happens to someone getting hurt while lifting your stuff. 

4. Honey, where are the bedsheets?

So the last box is finally inside your new home, your bed is assembled, and you’re ready to crash. But you have no clue where your sheets, blankets, and pillows are.

Moving Day Tip #4: Be sure to pack a personal bag or box (or several) that includes all the essentials you’ll need for that first night and morning after the move. Include your bedding, sleepwear, toiletries, a comfortable change of clothing, your coffee maker (and coffee), and even a roll of toilet paper. 

5. Sparky? Sparky!!!

Ranking right up there with getting hurt on moving day is having a beloved pet get lost in the shuffle. You think he’s safely tucked away in a back bedroom, but unbeknownst to you, the door is left open, and your pet escapes during all the commotion.

Moving Day Tip #5: If you decide to keep your pet at home on moving day, hang a sign on the door to alert others not to open it. ASPCA notes that even with all the chaos, you should try to keep your pet’s routine as normal as possible. Make sure he gets plenty of water and exercise. If possible, send him to an animal daycare, a kennel, or to a friend’s house.

By following the tips above, you will be able to reduce a lot of the stress caused by moving. You’ll definitely avoid some moving day mishaps. Keep calm and bring on the housewarming party! 

Need real estate guidance or info about the Chicago area? Turn to trusted expert Jake Tasharski by calling (312) 646-0284.

Article written by Allison Morgan