How to Avoid 7 Common Moving Mistakes Every New Yorker Has Made at Least Once

Relocating to another NYC neighborhood is an exciting and challenging process. Before you get to enjoy all the benefits of relocating to a lovely home, you must go through a lot. Planning a move isn’t something you can just wing if you want to steer clear of moving mistakes. So, how can you prepare yourself for possible issues that may come along the way?

Naturally, no move is perfect. However, adding unnecessary moving problems is something you don’t want to do. We can all be mistaken sometimes, but in this case, you can skip the trial and error method and go straight for the efficient, organized relocation. How do you do that? The solution is simple – follow out tips and tricks, and you will be ready when your New York movers arrive to load boxes onto the truck.

Moving Mistakes – What Should You Not Do When Moving?

Do you know how to move efficiently? If you want to spare yourself a lot of relocation stress and anxiety, learning basic relocation tips should be on the top of your to-do list. This way, you can stay away from the most common problems and learn how to save your time and energy. Relocations are so much more than planning a going-away party, and if you’re not careful, you could be in for a few weeks of hell – luckily, we are here to come to your rescue. With our help, you will quickly realize the possible problems and how you can resolve them – or better yet, skip them altogether. Let’s get started, shall we?

How Can You Conquer the Difficulties Ahead and Plan a Perfect Move?

Before we explain how to resolve any issues, we must first talk a bit about why this is extremely important. Even though we know that no one is perfect and that it’s okay to learn from your mistakes, local moves aren’t the right time to be open to making errors. Why is that the case? Sure, a mistake or two can cost you your nerves, but that won’t be your most significant issue here.

Not being well-informed and not knowing all the relocation hacks can, in this case, potentially cost you a lot of money – and trust us, you don’t want your expenses checklist to be longer than it has to be. So, find a spot in one of the best cafes to work in NYC, and focus on what we are about to say – you will be glad you did.

#1 Don’t Try to Organize a DIY Move

Living in one of the safest neighborhoods in NYC indeed isn’t cheap, and if your reasons to move are those of financial nature, you might be tempted to try and save a bit of cash on New York movers. You convince yourself that you don’t need anyone’s help to move large items – you can do it all on your own, and you have no reason to pay for relocation services, right? Well, not exactly. People who try to handle everything on their own often underestimate the quantity of work they have to do.

Of course, it won’t be hard for you to pack plates on your own, but have you thought about how you will move a piano? Maybe you can ask a few friends to help you out? You can try – but be prepared for back pain. If you want to move safely, a DIY move is out of the question, wherever you’re going – from the best neighborhoods in Manhattan to anywhere in Queens or to one of the best neighborhoods in Brooklyn. The most rational solution is to hire professional movers in New York – you won’t have to worry about anything.

#2 Do a Thorough Research on the Relocation Company Before You Book Their Services

Now that you know that trying to be your own mover is a terrible idea, the obvious next step is finding a relocation company. That can’t be so hard, right? It’s not if you know what you’re doing. You can’t just book the first business that pops up on the screen when you type in New York City movers – before you even consider getting an estimate from the company, you should do a background check on them. Relocation scams are, unfortunately, pretty common these days, and you need to make sure you avoid all the scammers out there. But, how do you distinguish a reputable business from ruthless frauds?

Check if There Are Any Red Flags That Can Point to Scammers

Lucky for you, frauds usually work similarly – scammers aren’t so creative, and you can quickly tell them apart from professionals. All you have to do is see the red flags on time – learning what should alert you is one of the most crucial things to do before you move. If you can spot anything strange, avoiding scammers won’t be any more difficult than packing books. Here’s what you should pay attention to:

• Do they have a professional, well-maintained website?
• Do they have a license?
• Does the name on the license match the name on the site?
• Can you find genuine, positive reviews for their service?
• Did they offer to do a thorough home inspection?
• Are they open to communicating with customers?
• Did they offer you a contract?

If one or more answers to the questions above were no, hiring that business is probably a bad idea, even if you have to move in a hurry and you need to book someone soon. Do some more research, and you will surely find someone reputable who will make sure that your fragile items and furniture are safely transported to your home. Here’s a video that can teach you a bit more about relocation scams and red flags to pay attention to – check it out.

#3 Don’t Skip the Decluttering Stage

A common thing you forget to do when you move is decluttering. One of our most important tips would be this – don’t skip the decluttering stage, no matter what. There’s a lot to do, but organizing important documents is undoubtedly the most crucial – set aside a few hours for this, decide which paperwork you should keep, and which is heading for the recycling bin. If you overlook this task, you will have difficulties later – there will just be more stuff to do after you move. Also, remember to get rid of items movers won’t move for safety reasons.

Don’t Throw Things Away – Donate Them

You will have to go through your closet and see which clothes you should get rid of – remember, you can donate clothes at many places in NYC. If your apartment-hunting ended with finding a smaller place than our current one, you might also have to donate furniture – you won’t have enough space for every armchair you have kept in your home so far. You can donate all sorts of household items – check out the good spots for donation in The Big Apple:

• Habitat for Humanity,
• Little Essentials,
• The Salvation Army,
• Goodwill.

You Will Have a Hard Time Trying to Pack Everything You Own if You Didn’t Declutter

You might wonder why you can’t declutter once you unpack after the move. Obviously, you can do that if you decide it’s the best way for you, but most experts agree that this isn’t a wise way to go about relocation preparations. If you don’t get rid of excess stuff, it will take too long to pack all of your belongings. Additionally, you will have to spend more money on supplies – for example, the more pots and pans you have, the more bubble wrap you will require for wrapping them.

#4 Don’t Overspend on Supplies

The moment you realize how much stuff you own is usually when you have to start wrapping them and placing them into boxes. Then you start panicking not only because it will take forever to wrap everything but also because you will have to spend a fortune on supplies – only wrapping clothes will require countless packages. However, the truth is that you can save a lot on boxes and wrapping supplies if you know where to look for the free ones. Check out these places, and you will surely find quality packages for free:

• Bookstores – Strand Book Store, Rizzoli Bookstore, Mysterious Book Shop, The Corner Book Store, Amazon Books
• Liquor stores – Astor Wines & Spirits, Vicki’s Bar & Liquor, Park Avenue Liquor Shop, Warehouse Wines & Spirits

These places will undoubtedly have sturdy packages – if they can carry heavy books or expensive wine bottles, they are likely good enough to carry your packed glasses. We have one more tip for you – use clothes you’re not quite fond of to wrap dishes or other delicate belongings. You can also put books in suitcases and use trash bags to protect your clothing. All these hacks are bound to save you a bit of cash.

#5 Fight the Procrastination

Relocation experts agree that four weeks before the move is the right moment to start packing your belongings. That way, you won’t have to rush and make silly errors, such as overlooking the most commonly forgotten things to wrap. However, even if you know that, it could be challenging to make yourself start the work when you have to. How can you fight procrastination? We have some advice on that topic:

• Don’t try to do everything at once – start small, box by box.
• Have short breaks now and then – this will refresh you and motivate you to continue the work.
•  Promise yourself small rewards after every finished task.
• Ask a few close friends to assist you – working with someone is easier than working alone.
• If you have to wrap things on your own, play some upbeat, happy songs that will keep your spirits up.

#6 Avoid the Usual Errors While Packing

At first glance, wrapping your belongings seems easy – what can you do wrong? Well, the reality is not so simple. If you haven’t moved before, you should know that the first thing you have to do is writing a packing list – we suggest you do your best to stick to it. That will ensure you stay organized and focused, which is the whole point of an efficient move. We’ve gathered the most often made errors that you should absolutely avoid once you start the work:

• Not keeping an inventory of packed belongings,
• Wrapping up all rooms simultaneously,
• Overpacking packages,
• Forgetting to secure the box with tape and label it,
• Not filling the residual space inside the box,
• Using the wrong supplies for certain belongings,
• Failing to prepare a bag with essentials.

#7 Remember to Change Your Address and Transfer Utilities

You will likely remember to transfer utilities before the move, but the thing that a lot of people forget is changing their address. If you are putting this task off because you don’t know how to change your address, don’t worry – this isn’t even a little bit complicated. It takes only a few minutes to do so on the USPS website, and it will only cost you $1,05. If it still seems difficult to you, check out the video below, where the changing process is explained in detail.

You Will Need the Best New York Moving Company By Your Side – Contact Us and Book Relocation Services of the Highest Quality

Your local move will be successful if you have the right relocation team by your side. That’s why hiring us for a residential relocation service is the best thing you can do for yourself. Our professionals will ensure that relocation to your home goes smoothly, and they will quickly handle any obstacles if they come up. You can also contact us if you want to relocate your office – we can assist you with commercial relocation as well – we are one of the best companies for this type of service. Our workers will wrap computers effortlessly and protect your packed electronics. We have excellent packers that can provide you with professional packing assistance.

If you are asking yourself – how do I estimate moving costs? – the answer is simple. Just get a free quote from us. We are confident that you will find your estimate quite reasonable because we never overprice our work. Honesty and transparency are the basis on which we have built our reputation as one of the leading moving companies in New York. Contact us to book our relocation professionals for your upcoming move.