Moving is one of the most stressful experiences you will face in life. Uprooting your whole existence from one home and moving it to another is a daunting task. Unfortunately, many people make costly mistakes during this process. You don’t have time for the trial and error approach when you have one chance to do it right. If you want to save time, money, energy, and keep your nerves calm, then here are eight mistakes that Cheap Movers Orlando says to avoid when moving cross-country from Texas to Florida.
1. Procrastinating
When facing a big move, it’s easy to procrastinate. No one wants to pack up boxes and sort through piles of collectibles. Pace yourself rather than trying to fit the packing all into one day. Set small goals and pack a little bit each evening. You will be overwhelmed if you decide to do everything the day before the move. As it’s often said, slow and steady wins the race, and it certainly applies to relocation, too.
2. Trying To Do The Move Alone
Another typical error that many people make during a move is they think they can do it alone. You cannot pack up the entire house and move it from point A to point B without help. Rally the troops and ask friends and family to lend a helping hand. Don’t try to be a superhero and stress yourself overpacking and relocating. Many people don’t mind donating a few hours to help you organize such a simple feat.
Don’t try to prepare for the move by yourself; ask for help.
3. Paying For Packing Materials
There is never any reason to pay for boxes and other packing materials. Any supermarket or department store will save you some boxes if you call and ask. Also, many people will keep their containers from their move and offer them for free on social media sites. Since there are so many outlets that give you free options for packing materials, you can avoid wasting money on them.
4. Not Transferring The Mail Soon Enough
It takes about 1-2 weeks to transfer your mail service from one address to another. Thankfully, if you have a credit or debit card, you can do this process online for only $1.00. You can also stop in at your local post office to make the transfer. Since it does take some time to run the change through the system, it’s best if you do it promptly. Also, if you wait too long to make the transfer, then you could have important mail sitting at the old house for anyone to grab.
5. Moving At The First Of The Month
The first of the month is absolutely the worst time to move. Since this is when so many get their retirement and Social Security checks, it makes it the best time for them to relocate. However, booking rental trucks and moving companies is more complicated. It’s best to move the second or third week of the month. Not only are rates lower, but you will find much higher availability. The winter months are not so bad, but when it comes to spring and summer, you will pay premium rates because the demand is high.
Make sure you schedule your move during the offseason.
6. Depending On Relatives and Friends
The worst thing you can do is depend on family or friends to help you with a cross-country move. Even the best of friends have good intentions, but it’s such a significant sacrifice on their part. It’s always best to hire a moving company and allow them to handle everything. These companies are licensed, bonded, and insured. If anything should happen to your items, your insurance plan should cover any damage. Additionally, moving companies work around your schedule.
7. Underestimating The Expenses Involved
Unless you’re lucky enough to have a company handling your relocation expenses from Texas to Florida, you may overlook the costs. There are always fees and deposits for water, electric, trash, cable, and other services. Moving is not cheap. You should make a budget by calling and getting all the utilities and things set up before you go. You don’t want to arrive at your new home and find that you’re short on cash for getting the water turned on.
8. Not Making A Checklist
You have 101 things to do to make this move a success. How are you going to remember all these things? It’s best to make a checklist so that you don’t forget anything important. A list can help keep you on track and make sure that you accomplished everything when the big day arrives.
Finally, it’s an exciting adventure to move from Texas to Florida. However, you must be prepared and try not to make too many mistakes. The best thing you can do is hire a moving company to handle all the stressful parts for you. Then you can put your focus on other things. Just because you’re turning your home upside down doesn’t mean you can’t do it in a decent and orderly fashion.