Seven Mistakes to Avoid When Moving

Congratulations! You found your dream house, put in an offer, and are finally clear to close. What comes next? Getting you and your family ready to move. Moving can be complex and stressful especially when you’re trying to buy and sell a house at the same time. At Motus, we believe every step of the homebuying process should be as painless as possible. That’s why our team of experts has put together a list of seven mistakes to avoid when moving.

1. Not Researching and Price Checking your Movers  
   1. Whether you choose to hire a company or rent equipment that makes it easier to move, allow enough time to research properly. This is not something you want to put off. When hiring movers check their BBB ratings and see if they are accredited with the Department of Transportation. You also want to get multiple quotes to make sure you’re getting the best value.
2. Not Having the Right Equipment
   1. If you’re planning to move yourself, make sure you have the right tools for the job that you need. For example, if you’re moving appliances, make sure that you’re renting a dolly to make this easier. Not renting one of these will make your move take longer and require a lot more effort. 
3. Packing Too Heavy
   1. Buying the biggest boxes isn’t always the best. It might feel like less to move but in actuality, they will be more awkward and uncomfortable to move. Large boxes also require more trips than multiple smaller boxes. Our tip is the heavier the item, the smaller the box. 
4. Forgetting to Measure
   1. On inspection day or during your final walkthrough be sure to bring a tape measure along. While it’s important to measure spaces to make sure your furniture will work in your new space, people often forget to measure your clearance spaces. The last thing you want to do is arrive at your new home with all your belongings only to discover some won’t fit through the front door. 
5. Leaving Boxes Blank
   1. Trust us, the last thing you want is having to open every single box to learn which room it needs to be moved into. We love when clients color-code their boxes according to which room they need to be moved into. You can order colored dot stickers and designate a different color for each room. Be sure to have a legend, just in case you forget which color goes where. 
6. Forgetting to Change Your Address
   1. This is critical when moving. You want to make sure that all your mail heads to the right place. You’ll want to change your address directly with each and every company you have a bill or subscription for. However, we also recommend that you sign up with the USPS mail forwarding program. For less than $2 per person, your mail will be forwarded from your old address to your new one for 12 months. 
7. Forgetting to Update Utilities 
   1. You want to be sure to switch over the utilities to your name before you move in. We always recommend scheduling this ahead of time to start the day that you take possession of the home. Companies like DTE and Consumers Energy make this easy to schedule right on their website. 

We want to know, what’s your best moving tip! Share it with us in the comments below.