Whenever we’re facing stressful situations, it becomes easy to overlook even the most obvious tasks, such as bringing your documents or keys from the new house with you. This can cause a lot of frustration that only adds up to the overwhelming process, such as long-distance moving. No matter how many times you’ve moved, it’s still possible to skip doing something essential, especially if you have to relocate last minute. Check out what the common relocating mistakes you should pay attention to are and avoid having anxiety about moving out. Having this list is one of the ways to learn how to deal with relocation stress.
The List of Most Common Things You Forget to Do When You Move
Relocating can be chaotic, and the number of people who overlook some important tasks isn’t exactly low. There can be lots of things you forget to do when you move if you don’t plan your move in detail. To help you out, we made a list of the most frequent things people overlook when relocating to another state. It’s best to learn from other’s mistakes, so take a look and prevent forgetting anything.
On the Top of the List of Things You Forget to Do When You Move Is to Get Free Quotes Weeks Before Moving
After you make your household inventory list and estimate the value of the household goods, you should contact several professional companies to get free quotes. That way, you can compare the services and prices you get, and you’ll decide more easily which company to hire. Doing research and calling reputable companies can take a while, so make sure you do it weeks in advance. Try to find someone who can provide you with a guaranteed quote that won’t change or have any additional costs.
Forgetting to Make a Detailed Relocation Budget Is Also a Common Thing People Oversee When Moving
Creating a relocation budget is extremely important, and it’s not uncommon for clients to forget to do it. Your budget should be detailed and thorough if you wish to reduce your costs when relocating. Once you calculate how much everything should cost, you’ll be able to plan accordingly and avoid being left broke on the curb with boxes in your arms. Bonus tip: don’t skip making a photo inventory for the relocation insurance. If something gets damaged during the move, you’ll have photo evidence of what it looked like before the damage, and insurance will be able to cover it.
Cleaning the Whole Home Is Often Overshadowed by Other Relocation Tasks
Before relocating, everyone should declutter and get rid of unnecessary stuff. Once you make a garage sale or donate unwanted items, you should also clean the whole house. It’s boring, and it takes a lot of time, but it has to be done if you’re a renter, even though it often slips people’s minds. The reason why this task is a must is that it might cause problems with the deposit you’re supposed to get back. Mop the floors, vacuum them, and dispose of all the trash. Leaving a nice and clean place for the next resident will also create a good image of you, and your landlord will become someone you can call to vouch for you for the next rental.
If you got one of those jobs that require relocation, it’s possible that you might have to move in a hurry and don’t have enough time to clean everything after packing. In that case, you can hire someone to do it for you.
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This Also Means Defrosting Your Fridge and Taking Care of All the Food Inside
If you’ve got a fridge and a freezer full of food, start thinking about that at least a month before the relocation day. Plan your meals for as long as you’re staying, organize big lunches for family and friends, or simply donate the food. When you empty the fridge, defrost it 24 hours before you move out. Then, you can focus on cleaning it. In the following video, you’ll see a good way to do it.
Another One of the Things to Remember to Do When Moving Is Protecting the Floors and Corners in Your Home
While relocating your furniture, you might damage the hardwood floors, carpets, or corners of the walls and doors. In order to have a stress-free relocation and get your deposit back, leave the apartment as it was when you moved in. You can do that by protecting and covering everything before lifting the heavy sofa and taking it out. Cover the floors with some non-slippery materials and tape some soft materials over the corners that might get chipped when taking out heavy furniture and appliances.
One of the Things People Forget to Pack Are All the Documents You Have
Do you know how to organize important papers? You should learn it before relocating to another state. Get a binder and put all of the important paperwork you have. It’s also a good idea to make copies of all the documents you must have. Bring the following paperwork with you:
- ID card,
- Driver’s license,
- Birth and marriage certificates,
- Passport,
- Medical and dental records,
- School records for your kids,
- Insurance policies,
- Bank and credit card paperwork,
- Business files,
- Mortgage documents.
Get rid of the documents you don’t need and sort the important ones in one file so that you always know where everything is. Trust us, it’s easy to lose something while packing and relocating.
Leaving a Bag With Essential Items for Yourself, Kids, and Pets Is Also on This List
One of the relocation essentials is a bag that will contain everything you can’t go without. That should include your documents, wallet, a change of clothes, your toiletries, disinfectant wipes, snacks, phones, laptops, chargers, and medication. If you’re relocating with kids, get one bag for their essentials, as well. The same applies to your pet.
Among the Things You Forget to Pack Are Meals for the Trip to Your New Home
Don’t skip on preparing meals for the trip to the state you’re headed to. Moving cross-country can take quite some time if you’re driving, so be ready for it. Think ahead and buy some non-perishable snacks that won’t go bad in the heat. Avoid chocolate, fresh fruit and vegetables, and alike, since they can melt, be squished, or rot in your bags until you arrive. Prepare enough meals and snacks for yourself, kids, and pets, in case you’re not relocating to another state alone. Here are some good ideas of what to buy and have with you during the trip:
- Sandwiches for the first day of travel,
- Water or soda,
- Nuts,
- Energy bars,
- Dried fruit and vegetables,
- Canned food for your pet,
- Snacks for the kids.
Don’t Let Changing Your Address Slip from Your Mind
If you’ve ever had to deal with figuring out how to stop getting mail for previous residents, you probably know how annoying it can be when someone forgets to change their address after relocating. Don’t make the same mistake – before you relocate, go to the USPS website and change your address. You can just forward it if you’re relocating temporarily or hold it until you come back. In case you’re relocating permanently, you can do it online or go to the nearest post office.
Setting up New Utilities and Cancelling Old Ones Is Also One of the Things You Forget to Do When You Move
This is one of the relocation day tips that everyone should remember, no matter what your reasons to move are. Don’t let yourself enter a cold apartment with no water and electricity. Terminate your old utilities at least a week before the move. Call your provider and let them know that you won’t be living there anymore, and check what the best providers in the state you’re going to are. If you know someone who lives in that state, ask them for a recommendation or do the research yourself.
Cancel Your Memberships Before Your Leave
If you go to the gym or have some other kind of activity that requires you to pay membership fees, be sure that you cancel them before you move. This also goes for all the magazines and similar stuff that arrive at your address.
Whether You’re Getting Storage or Not, Label Your Boxes
Decide what the most efficient method will be and label each box or container that you’ve packed. This will mean a lot when you start unpacking after a move, but it also helps to keep track of what you’ve brought with you. It’s one of the top answers to how to move efficiently, and it works for all the folks who relocate, especially if you’re getting a storage unit and leaving your belongings inside. After a week or two, you’ll have no idea what is where if you don’t come up with a system of labeling that works best for you.
Hiring a Cross Country Moving Company Can Save You from Forgetting Anything
If you need someone who can take care of all the stuff that has to be done, hiring a long-distance moving company might just be the thing that will solve all of your problems. If you’re struggling with relocation depression or some other difficulties while leaving the state you’re living in, cross-country movers will make your relocation much easier. They will take care of everything and provide you with all the long-distance moving services you need.
If you decide to hire professionals, you’ll have packing services with cross-country moving or even international moving. The right long-distance movers will also have a storage unit for you and boxes and packing supplies for protecting the items from your home. As a part of cross-country moving services, you can also get auto shipping and be sure that your car will arrive safely. While professional movers work on all the logistical parts of the move, you’ll be able to focus on all other stuff, and you won’t overlook any of the relocation tasks.
