Moving can be a complex and frustrating undertaking, but it doesn’t have to be! Here are the most common moving mistakes and how to prevent them from happening to you.
1. Not Having a Moving Checklist
Having a moving checklist will do wonders to ensure that as the big day arrives, you’ll be prepared and not scrambling to get everything done. Be sure to plan out each step along the way, including when you’ll get rid of things you don’t want to keep, to labelling your items, to where your pets will go on the official day. To make it simple for our customers, we’ve developed this document (link to checklist) to help you organize your belongings before you move.
2. Not Organizing Your Home Before Moving Day
Moving day can be busy and stressful. To avoid any additional stress and remove some of the work you’ll need to do, you’ll want to be organized and ready to hop in the car and move into your new space when the day arrives. In the days leading up to your move, consult your checklist and be sure to get rid of anything that is marked as donate or discard. You should also make sure that your boxes are all properly organized and labeled. For more tips on how to organize for your move, read our previous blog post here.
3. Not Labeling Your Boxes
If you’re hiring movers to move your items into your new home, they’ll need to know where to drop off your items once inside. You’ll likely have more important things to do on moving day and won’t want to be standing directing them as they enter. To avoid this, make sure to label your boxes so the movers know what room to drop them off in, as well as note all the items that are in each box so you have a smooth unpacking process.
4. Packing Heavy Items in Large Boxes
Packing heavy items in large boxes can lead to both injury and broken items as they’re either dropped or break out of the box. To avoid this you’ll want to split heavier items into smaller boxes or leave them on their own. Be sure to also label the heavy boxes to prevent anyone from hurting themselves when trying to lift it.
5. Packing Flammable or Corrosive Materials
If you need to pack flammable or corrosive materials, be sure to separate the incompatible materials from each other to prevent a dangerous accident. It’ll be best to place these materials in a cool location out of direct sunlight in the moving truck to prevent the materials from getting too hot. You may also want to label these items or leave the boxes open so that the materials are easily noticed and kept safe.
6. Waiting Until Closing to Forward Your Mail
A moving step that is often overlooked is waiting until closing to forward your mail. You can set up forwarding months in advance and have it set to start on a certain date. Doing this will ensure that you won’t miss any mail that arrives in the first few days and months of living in your new home.
7. Not Understanding Closing Dates Properly
Be sure to plan accordingly with your closing dates. You will often not get keys until the end of the day, meaning you won’t be able to move in until the next day. Give yourself some time between your closing date and the last day you’ll be at your old house to ensure that you’ll have the time to move out smoothly.
8. Not Considering Access for The Moving Truck at Your New Home
New builds will sometimes not be fully finished outside upon move-in. If there is no driveway ready, the truck will need to park on the road, leading to more walking, a longer move and a higher bill at the end of the day. Similarly, if the lawn is not finished movers will have a hard time walking on it, again causing a longer move and higher bill. Be sure to let the movers know in advance what the situation is so they can be prepared.
9. Not Saving Your Receipts for Tax Season
You are eligible to claim a deduction for moving expenses on your taxes. The CRA offers a form to calculate eligible deductions that you can claim on line 21900 of your return. Learn more here.
Wrapping Up
Moving can be stressful. Fortunately, you can remove much of the stress by avoiding these common moving mistakes!