The house moving process can be challenging even when things go relatively smoothly and there are no major issues to ruin the relocation experience. Now add the increased chances of problems when moving and you can see why residential moving is viewed as one of the most stressful events in life.
It’s important to be prepared for the most frequent problems during the moving process so that you can respond quickly and adequately to each troublesome situation. Ultimately, the better prepared you are, the higher your chances for success will be.
Here are the top 10 problems when moving to a new home… and how to solve each house moving issue in the best possible way.
1. Insufficient time
One problem that has the potential to ruin all your house moving plans is the realization that you won’t have enough time to finish the tasks that you’re required to complete before the day of the move.
Some moving house problems can be much serious than others. For example, the inability to find enough time to change your address prior to moving out is definitely not as bad as the failure to finish the packing job on time. The thing is that you can change your postal address even after the move but you can’t possibly finish packing after you’ve already moved to the new home.
The lack of time to prepare well for your house move can be a major problem that will lead to a number of other moving issues as well.
SOLUTION: The shortage of time when preparing to move out is almost always the result of poor organization of the pre-move period. Create a moving checklist that will guide you from the very beginning, reminding you what it is exactly that you need to do next in order to manage your time in the best possible way.
2. Unreliable movers
One of the worst problems when moving house is to hire movers who are unreliable in many ways: they show up late for the pre-arranged time, their attitude is rude and unprofessional, and they have no clear idea what it takes to protect household items and to move them safely. In other words, you’ve “hit the jackpot” by hiring an unreliable moving company.
Still, there are different levels of unreliability displayed by some bad movers – while some of them will be sloppy and careless with your prized belonging, others will not turn up at all and then may not respond to your calls seeking an explanation about their absence.
SOLUTION: Get free quotes from 3-4 moving companies and then research those movers before hiring one. Read customer reviews about the shortlisted companies and check their legal status with the Department of Transportation because all interstate moving companies must have USDOT numbers issued by the government.
In most cases, reputable and trustworthy movers will be difficult to miss and their quality moving services will be worth every penny.
3. Getting scammed
Getting scammed always hurts.
Without a doubt, the worst thing that could happen to you when moving house is to have bad luck and pick a rogue moving company that will try and maybe even succeed in scamming you in some way. It would be rather unfortunate if it happened to you but the good news is that you can learn how to protect yourself against moving fraud.
SOLUTION: Beware of the 3 most common moving scams:
- The mover demands a large deposit before the move. What to do? Deposits are common practice and they reflect serious commitment from both sides. However, you should never pay a deposit that’s more than 10-15% of the estimated final cost and should always use a credit card to pay it, never cash.
- The mover quotes you a price without inspecting your home and the things you wish to move. What to do? Say NO to cost estimates done over the phone or via e-mail. Instead, have the pro movers visit your home in person for accurate estimation of the moving price.
- The mover gives you a very low estimate to lure you, then increases the price afterwards. What to do? Compare several cost estimates from different moving companies and avoid the ones that are too good to be true.
Of all moving house problems, the worst trouble is when a dishonest mover holds your goods as ransom and demands more money in order to release them.
Follow the link below to learn the best way to protect yourself from moving scams.
4. Overpacking
At first glance, overpacking does not seem like a house moving problem at all. After all, you pack up everything you’ve got with the intention of moving it all to the new home – isn’t that what packing for a move is all about?
Packing more items than you really need is problematic for several undisputable reasons:
- Packing and moving more stuff increases the moving price because the overall weight of the shipment goes up too.
- Packing things that you won’t ever need again will mean wasted time for you, including all the hours you’ll spend unpacking those boxes too.
- Packing useless items can be an issue when it comes to finding the required space to store them in the new home.
SOLUTION: Do the sensible thing and pack only what you really need for the upcoming move. Don’t waste time, money, and efforts into bringing old and useless things to the new place – remember that a house move is the perfect opportunity to declutter your home and start afresh in the new home. Give away to friends or family or donate to charity all the things that are not important for you anymore, then recycle the stuff that’s become totally useless with time.
How to get rid of unwanted items when moving
5. Furniture won’t fit through the door
A house move can often present a number of unforeseen difficulties, thus throwing in additional challenges to an already challenging relocation. In fact, unexpected problems can appear in the blink of an eye when you least expect them. One such issue on Moving day appears to be when your large furniture items won’t fit through the doors. Oops!
That house moving problem can be rather tricky because it can happen either in the old place when you’re moving out or in the new home when you’re moving in. In some instances, that issue can make your life harder at both ends of the house move.
And the worst part? If you do try to force your furniture through small doors or narrow hallways, then property damage and/or personal injuries can easily ruin your move. So, what should you do?
SOLUTION: And as it’s often the case, prevention is the best medicine.
- Measure up your large furniture pieces, then measure all doorways and hallways in order to determine whether they can pass through them freely or not.
- Disassemble the biggest furniture items to make them smaller and safer to carry around.
- Use a furniture dolly and get helpers when you’re moving the furniture pieces around to prevent property damage.
- Consider taking the doors off their hinges if all you need is a few more inches of space to pull it off.
What to do when furniture won’t fit through the door
6. Personal injuries
Avoid personal injuries at all costs!
Remember that some house moving problems are more serious than others – it’s one thing when your movers arrive 2 hours late and something entirely different when you or a member of your family gets injuries on the day of the move.
Injuries on Moving day are a possibility simply because you don’t have the necessary house moving experience to know exactly what steps and measures to take to ensure 100% safety during the most chaotic and unpredictable day when moving between two homes.
To be able to stay safe, it’s important to be familiar with the most common types of move-related injuries, and even more importantly, what you have to do to avoid them.
Because no matter the circumstances, you must avoid personal injuries such as
- back injuries (pinched nerves, strains, herniated disks),
- muscle injuries (strains, contusions, cramps),
- hernias,
- injuries to hands, fingers, and toes
at all costs.
SOLUTION: Here are some of the steps you must take to prevent getting injured during a house move:
- Clear all obstacles along the intended exit pathways;
- Keep young kids and pets away from the packing and moving actions;
- Dress appropriately for the occasion and wear closed shoes with non-slip soles;
- Think twice before you do something, especially when you’re carrying something heavy and large out of the home;
- Know your limits – never rush things and don’t try to be a hero.
Safety tips for moving furniture
7. Damaged items
When moving house, it’s important to bear in mind that improper packing can easily lead to damage to some of your valuable possessions, especially the ones that are fragile in nature. You definitely won’t be too happy to open the boxes in the new home and find expensive crystal vases smashed to pieces or your designer shoes deformed beyond recognition.
And what about seeing your antique dresser so scratched and dented as if it had come straight from the battlefront? Now that’s a serious problem, don’t you think?
Once you declutter your home before moving out, you’ll be left only with things that you do care about, so finding those belongings damaged after the move may even result in a nervous breakdown.
SOLUTION: Here are a few simple things that you should do to make sure your cherished possessions reach the new house in excellent condition:
- Pack your items with the care they deserve. When not sure how to do it, then hire professional packers to do it for you;
- Use only moving boxes that are in good condition: strong, dry, and without any visible signs of pre-existing damage;
- Reinforce the bottoms of all cardboard boxes using quality packing tape;
- Use plenty of padding materials such as soft wrapping paper and bubble wrap;
- Fill empty spaces inside the boxes using wads of crumpled paper or sheets of bubble wrap;
- Label boxes appropriately.
The 20 Best Packing Tips for Moving
8. Property damage
One of the problems of moving house is the possibility of property damage, either to the old home you’re moving out of or to the new place you’re moving into. In fact, property damage is a serious issue and it must be avoided by any means necessary. Why? It’s simple – any type of damage to the property will mean more money out of your own pocket.
If you’re a renter, then more substantial property damage will surely cost you the security damage, plus extra repair costs, if necessary. On the other hand, if you’re a homeowner, then any major property damage inflicted is likely to decrease the sale price of the home.
It helps to know in advance that the home areas that are the most susceptible to damage are the floors, walls, doors, stairs, and banisters.
SOLUTION: So, what’s the best way to prevent property damage when moving out?
- Place furniture sliders under heavy furniture in order to slide the pieces across both hardwood floors and carpeted floors without any floor damage.
- Use a moving dolly to prevent any costly damage to floors and walls.
- Position large sheets of thick cardboard on high-traffic areas to keep the floors from getting damaged.
- Install corner guards to avoid chipped or dented wall corners.
- Hang moving blankets or foam padding on the walls to keep them damage-free.
- Wrap banisters in padding materials to keep them safe.
How to protect floors and carpets when moving
9. Bad weather
It’s no fun when the weather won’t cooperate on your moving day.
Unfortunately, you don’t have the power to solve all of your house moving problems simply because some things will always stay out of your control no matter how hard you try. Therefore, if the weather on your move-out day won’t cooperate for a trouble-free move, then there’s nothing you can do but to try to do your best under the specific climatic conditions.
Moving in bad weather is no fun, so here’s what you should do when it happens:
- Extreme heat. Most people choose to move in the summer for a number of valid reasons. However, if summer temperatures are nearing record values on your Moving day, then you should be extra cautious and take the necessary measures to prevent serious problems such as overheating or heat exhaustion: wear light-colored clothes, drink plenty of water, and use sunscreen lotion.
- Heavy snowfall and ice. Winter comes with its share of advantages when moving house: lower rates and top-rated movers. However, moving in wintertime can be risky due to heavy snowfall, ice on the roads, and sub-zero temperatures that could damage some sensitive items. Keep a close watch on the winter weather and stay in constant communication with your moving company in case the conditions worsen and your move gets postponed.
- Torrential rain. Even something as “innocent” as rain can ruin your Moving day plan, especially when that rain is torrential and possibly accompanied by a big thunderstorm. The good news is that in most cases, the storm will fade away in a few hours and your move will only be delayed and not canceled. Still, consider providing adequate protection for your items against moisture when moving in light rain.
10. Overspending
One of the most serious concerns when moving house will be about how to make sure you don’t spend more money than it is absolutely necessary. It’s a well-known fact that moving house is an expensive affair so overspending is a bad idea on many levels.
The bad news is that there are too many move-related expenses that can lead to you spending more money than you have to – from spending a fortune on brand-new packing supplies to paying big money for overly expensive professional packing and moving services.
Also, overspending often occurs when you request a specific extra service from your moving company or when that mover charges you for a number of additional services in order to complete the job.
It’s critical that you know where each and every dollar of yours is spent when moving house because wasting money is a problem.
SOLUTION: Create a moving budget early in your preparation so that you can monitor closely and control better your move-related expenses. Ask several top-rated movers to visit your home in person for accurate cost estimation and risk assessment. Request binding cost estimates in writing as a guarantee that the price on the moving quote will reflect the money you pay your moving company in the end.
20 Ways to reduce moving costs
