The Ultimate Guide to Avoiding Moving Day Disasters

Did you know – that the biggest mistake people make when moving house is not packing items properly, leading to misplacements of vital documents or sentimental possessions?

Moving day is a phrase that should evoke excitement, a fresh start, and new beginnings.

Unfortunately in reality, what should otherwise be considered an exciting day can often rear itself as an ugly, chaotic beast that threatens to test the patients and mental resilience of the best of us.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re relocating down the road, to a new city, or even to a new country; there are a whole host of things that can go wrong during a relocation process.

In this article we discuss what ‘a real moving day’ looks like, highlighting what can potentially go wrong and what you can do about it to ensure a smooth move and a stress free experience.

Key Reasons For Avoiding Moving Day Disasters

It might all start out like a fairy tale: You found a great job in a new location, you secured the perfect place to live in and are ready to make the exciting move to explore a brand new city.

If however, elements prior to your move are not planned out properly with the proper arrangements put in place, then things can go wrong very quickly and you may find yourself pulling your hair out, wishing that you had planned a little more wisely! 

As the saying goes however, hindsight is a wonderful thing and we aren’t here to make you feel bad about yourself, we’re here to offer advice and some tips on what could possibly go wrong.

With so many factors to consider, moving day disasters can inevitably cause a great deal of stress and frustration for people, not to mention possible financial loss – but fear not! There is always a solution to every problem.

But first, lets take a look at some of the key reasons why it’s crucial to avoid a setback or disaster on moving day:

1. Safety: If you find that the proper safety procedures are not in place, then moving heavier items can cause injuries if not handled correctly. Items such as large and heavy sofas or kitchen appliances will spring to mind, but you may also find yourself having to move more unconventional items such as grand pianos, pool tables or even hot tubs and exercise machines! No matter what your situation, you will need to factor in their weight and unexpected obstacles such as stairs or narrow doorways. Consider for example hiring a company that specialises in moving heavy furniture to help you or asking family and friends and neighbours to help. 
2. Damage: Another risk you’ll need to consider is the improper packing or the handling of expensive or fragile items.If these aren’t looked after properly, then they risk being damaged or even being left behind.This may include items such as electronics, expensive artwork or even sentimental objects.
3. Delays and setbacks: This can happen to even the best of us and may be out of our control. Unforeseen circumstances such as losing your keys, moving companies cancelling on you missing items or even vehicle breakdowns to your vehicle all have the potential to wreck your moving plans. For situations like this, it’s always best to have a contingency plan. Consider what could possibly cause you delays or setbacks and come up with a solution and a plan B.
4. Increased costs: Unexpected moving day disasters can also have an impact on your finances. Accidents can happen on moving day resulting in damaged belongings, resulting in having to replace them. Even worse, might be sentimental items that are irreplaceable.
   Other costs may come from a lack of planning; for example you may not have accurately factored in how long it might take for you to pack your items and now need to consider using removalists. This is where using a moving costs calculator like this one can help you better plan for all of your costs in advance if you are hiring professional help.
   5. Emotional distress: It has always been well documented that moving is a stressful time, but dealing with disasters will only make matters worse. You may find that you go through a whole number of different types of emotions such as frustrations and disappointments if things go wrong. These scenarios can all take its toll on moving day.

Now that we have highlighted why it’s important to avoid moving data disasters, we will now go through some of the more common ones to expect.

1) Weather Wobbles

This is probably one of the most unpredictable things that can go wrong. 

Unpleasant or hazardous weather conditions will make the entire moving process much more difficult if not more impossible.

This can lead to more frustrations on an already demanding day and can also have an impact on the following:

• Unforeseen weather events can damage belongings.

• They can increase safety concerns especially for activities such as lifting heavy objects or using ladders in bad weather.

• Moving through hazardous weather conditions can also lead to delays and disruptions which may throw an additional curve ball into your moving schedule, adding more pressure.

It’s always wise to factor in the weather forecast and take appropriate precautions to minimise the risks and disruptions it can cause.

You can also download weather apps which will allow you to become more prepared or even delay the moving process if you can. If you own an iPhone, you can head over to the Apple App Store, or if you own an Android phone, you’ll find the Google Play Store is a great place to find weather apps.

To summarise, if the weather is terrible, you may want to reschedule moving day to avoid this disaster – Your belongings will thank you for it!

2) Forgetting Essentials

As mentioned at the start of this article, this is one of the most common elements that people have to deal with. 

It’s very easy to overlook how hectic of a time moving really is and as a result, it’s even easier to overlook keeping essential documents safe on moving day. 

Other important reasons on why you should set key papers and documents aside include:

• Protection from loss: Intermixing valuable documents with everyday items increases the risk of them getting misplaced, lost, or even accidentally thrown away.

• Theft Risk Reduction: Keeping valuable documents separate and safe reduces the risk of them being stolen during the move.

• Damage Prevention: Some valuable documents may be fragile by nature and therefore are susceptible to tears, bends or even stains. 

By packing these items separately, it will reduce the risk of these things from happening during the moving process.

3) Transportation NightmaresAnother moving day disaster can involve logistical issues.

There you are with your boxes all packed up, you’ve prepared your furniture and even arranged for friends and family to help with your kids or pets and all of a sudden your transportation lets you down.

Just like with the weather, sometimes logistical issues can’t be prevented. You may find yourself in one of the following situations:

• There are issues with your moving truck such as breakdowns.
• You experience unexpected road closures.
• Tolls.
• Your moving company is late for the job, does not show up or worse still cancels the appointment.
• Your belongings won’t fit in your moving truck.
  

These types of moving day nightmares can have a significant impact on your ability to relocate.

For this reason, we recommend hiring your removalist company well in advance of your move. 

If you are moving locally, then we recommend hiring a company at least eight weeks in advance or if you are moving interstate then try and book a move at least 12 weeks in advance.

Be sure to choose your moving company carefully by reading reviews and watching out for red flags such as low estimates that seem off, large deposits that are required by the company or suspicious looking reviews.

4) Broken Fragile Items

Protecting fragile belongings such as televisions or fine china is a top priority when it comes to relocating to a new town or city.

The last thing you want to do is paying out additional costs for broken items. Worse still you might damage sentimental items that can’t be replaced.

You should therefore take additional steps to prevent this sort of thing from happening:

• Take extra packing precaution: Give each fragile item additional layers of tissue paper or bubble wrap to cushion them against bumps or jostles during transition.
  
• Use good quality packing boxes: Using sturdy boxes will add additional protection and prevent items from moving around. Also, label boxes containing fragile items carefully, so that you and your movers will know to take extra caution when carrying these boxes.
• Consider storage: Consider moving fragile items into storage facilities until the rest of your items have been transported.
• Prevention is the best cure: Consider looking into moving insurance during your move. Some companies also offer ‘full value protection’ which means that your moving company will reimburse you for the total value of the items that are damaged during transit. You can find more helpful information by visiting the following link.

By considering some of the suggestions above, you might be able to save yourself the financial heartbreak of finding broken possessions upon arrival at your new destination.

5) Injuries and Accidents

Safety should always be a top priority on moving day. That said with all the moving boxes and people moving around the house, it can be a minefield of mishaps and accidents waiting to happen.

You can suffer many types of injuries when on the job, but some of the more common ones are listed down below:

• Muscle strains and sprains: By not employing proper lifting techniques or by overestimating your own strength you may cause painful muscle tears and bruises to occur which can put you out of action on moving day.

• Disc herniation: This serious type of injury can occur through sudden heavy lifting and may cause a lot of pain. For this reason, it is recommended to opt for carrying smaller loads or use moving equipment such as dollies or straps to move heavier furniture to avoid a trip to your local hospital.

• Trips and tumbles: Through the chaos of loose boxes, unpacked extension cords or even carpets getting in the way, you are more likely to trip over things. To avoid any accidents, it’s important to keep walkways clear to avoid any rushing frenzies causing accidents when moving home.
  

• Stairways: Descending staircases can also be a moving disaster if you are carrying heavy boxes as your field of vision may be impeded. For this reason, you are going to want to take it slow, one step at a time, and utilise handrails to prevent any serious injuries.

Summary takeaway – Remember your health is your wealth.

6) Unforeseen Expenses

We’ve already touched upon this previously, but sometimes additional moving costs are inevitable which can catch you off guard. 

Some of these expenses include the following:

• Covering the cost of broken or damaged items or furniture due to accidents during the move.

• Having to hire additional movers or helpers due to underestimated workloads or challenges at home.

• Investing in storage facilities.

• Having to deal with any unexpected parking fees when moving vehicles, tolls or fees in congested areas or limited zones.

• Having to deal with surprise fees for utility connections at your new place or disconnection charges at your current address.

• Having to pay for a professional cleaner during the end of tenancy agreements.

In order to deal with potential financial issues, you might need to adjust your budgeting (including a nest egg for emergencies) or scale back on the non-essentials.

If you are hiring a removalist company you may even want to seek out deals too or choose a moving day that will not be as busy for a lower rate.

Remember, by tackling these types of issues head on you can successfully turn any bumps or hiccups in the road into a successful move.

7) Pet Problems

If you own a pet, then moving day may be quite an unsettling experience for them, causing them to become very nervous and sometimes even cause them to react erratically.

Pets can react badly to people they don’t know such as removalists or other individuals rushing around the house and who are helping you move.

For this reason it’s a good idea to have your pets relocated somewhere else during the early stages of your move.

You can for example ask family or friends to look after your pet, or even consider hiring a pet sitter for the day.

Summary

So there you have it, hopefully we’ve given you some more insight into the potential pitfalls that come with moving homes.

Remember, in the midst of all the chaos the key is to keep a cool head, take regular breaks when moving and try to enjoy moving day as best you can.

Here’s to new beginnings, zero moving day disasters and an eventual successful move!