There’s no getting around it. Moving is stressful. Carting everything you own – whether across town or across the world – is an enormous undertaking.What’s more, since most of us will only move a few times in our lives, we never have quite enough practice to get really good at it. Fortunately, there are brave men and women among us who have taken it upon themselves to master the art of the move. We’ve gathered the best of the best here to outline the most common mistakes people make when they’re moving. Read on for moving insights from experts located in New York to San Diego and make your next move the smoothest one yet! Setting up cable can wait – don’t put off the important things One of the biggest mistakes that people make is to book the flight on the day of the move. Somebody has to be present when movers come to load the truck. Here’s an anecdote: We had clients who booked a move, and when we came to the address they told us they are already in Europe, waiting for their things, and that we help ourselves with keys under the mat and just ship it all to them. They didn’t even sign the necessary papers needed to continue the move or sign the necessary papers! Another mistake that happened is when clients packed their passports with the rest of the things and then we had to unload the entire truck so they could find it and load it back again. – I Love Moving Many times customers wait until the last minute to pack their boxes. This is a mistake and generally results in a variety of issues: Boxes aren’t full and closed Boxes aren’t labeled There are many miscellaneous items that aren’t packed in boxes that should have been. These issues lead to damages and inefficiencies when moving. We recommend that our customers start packing all of their boxes early on, or better yet leave it to the professionals and hire a moving company to pack all of your belongings with care. – Best of Utah Moving Co Truly, from a mover’s perspective, the vast majority of the mistakes someone can make when it comes to moving boil down to not being ready. We’ve seen all sorts of variations on this theme, from the common and mundane things like not having finished the packing or needing to decide in real-time where things are going, to the rare and strange like answering the door before getting dressed or not having a destination lined up by the time the move begins. The bottom line, you should always give yourself more time than you think you’ll need for each phase of the moving project. Outside of not being ready for the move, the biggest mistake that people make when it comes to moving has to do with trying to plan for too much to happen on move day. When you’re talking about moving an entire house, moving out of town, or both, the closer you can get to dedicating the entire day to moving, the better. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, but when we see clients schedule their move, closings on both homes, and cable set up all on the same day, we could certainly consider that to be a mistake. – Blue Whale Moving Company Disorganization and excess (don’t forget your kids) Regular movers know the insider tips and tricks to moving. The best tip we can give you to save on moving costs is to declutter. Most people have so much stuff they never use. Selling things we don’t use is a good way to get rid of some of the heavy or bulky items that take up space and cost money on the moving truck. At the same time, you can recoup some money that will come in handy during your move. Also, remember to keep a moving-day box handy with everything you will need first on the day you move to your new home. The box should contain bedding, and kitchen- and bathroom essentials so that you don’t have to rifle through several boxes when you’re already tired. – Nationwide Auto Transportation When you’re not moving far, it’s tempting to think that no preparation is needed. There’s no mistake like being under-prepared! You’ll save yourself time and money by doing simple things like going through junk drawers ahead of time, donating unwanted items, and emptying your refrigerator and freezer. We’ve also seen kids left behind, a lot of tears (which is okay!), and ever had a client on their 4th glass of wine? This can make things tough on moving day! Bottom line: be ready for your move, no matter how big or how small. – Golden Eagle Moving It’s all about labeling. If you don’t put the work in upfront when you’re labeling all your items, you’re going to be super confused when it comes time to unpack. Do your future self a favor and make sure your boxes are as organized as possible with labels on all outward-facing sides. Additionally – one of the worst things that can happen when you move? Not looking on the bright side. Focus your perspective on the positive: you’ll get to explore new places, create new memories, find a new favorite coffee shop, and reinvent yourself. When you readjust the way you look at your circumstances, your move can be really exciting. – VIP Transport The most common mistake we see when people are moving (long or short distance), because we really only see people when they get storage units, is when people are downsizing from a house to an apartment or just from a larger space to a smaller space, they end up with a lot of extra stuff they don’t have space for. So that’s where we come in. We always see people needing to store the extra belongings that they don’t need on a daily/weekly basis such as seasonal clothes or toys (like skis). Luckily the solution is easy. Store it with us! – Greenbox