9 best tips to a successful and stress-free moving day
Common Mistakes When Moving: 9 Tips to Avoid Them
Avoiding common mistakes when moving is essential for a smooth, stress-free relocation. Even experienced movers can fall into the same traps, which is why understanding common mistakes when moving helps you prepare better and avoid costly problems.
The most common mistakes when moving include poor planning, inadequate packing materials, and failing to label boxes correctly. By being aware of these common mistakes when moving, you can take proactive steps to ensure your move goes smoothly.
Preparation is the best antidote to common mistakes when moving. Always research your moving company thoroughly and check consumer reviews. For guidance on moving rights and services, visit Portal do Cidadão and for consumer protection advice when hiring services, consult DECO Proteste.
Even the person very experienced movers are not exempt from having setbacks or making mistakes.. Seeking to minimize what can go wrong, with practical examples, Mr. Isac has compiled these recommendations for you. \n\nWe want your moving, being a residence, office or warehouse to go as smoothly as possible and we leave you with the 9 best tips:
Organize in advance and create lists
No matter if you are moving out of a private property; moving your team’s premises to a new office; transferring stationery and other materials to a new warehouse; or just redecorating the house with new appliances and/or furniture; preparing is the key to success. \n\nCreate a schedule for your tasks, such as reviewing books/magazines, packing the cupboard, preparing folders/binders, cataloging boxes by priority and breakability. Allow yourself an adequate time for each task, it will not be useful if you only allocate 3 hours to get around a 6-module china cabinet, when there are around 200 plates and 100 glasses that must be packed individually to avoid cracking or breaks. \n\nSet up specific days to have completed certain tasks and have at least 2 days before the moving date for final adjustments. Know that Mr. Isac’s moving services include a “Move-In Ready” option: avoid any concerns with packing, assembly, transport, disassembly or unpacking, we take care of everything for you.
Reduce your stuff: eliminate and donate are the keywords
Don’t go moving what you won’t need. If it is damaged, obsolete or worn out – discard. If you haven’t used it for many years, if it no longer fits, if it no longer suits your needs, but is still in good condition – donate. \n\nBetween institutions, libraries, social banks, social networks, family and friends, you will easily find a destination for your possessions. What is important is that you should avoid transporting and carrying objects that, very likely, won’t be used in your new destination. It’s a great opportunity to reduce what you have, without losing the essential and important.
Pack properly and according to categories
Resist the temptation to mix everything together in a box and label it just as “kitchen”! There is a big difference between cutlery and utensils, ceramic plates and bowls and glass dishes or cups. Not only in the way they must be packed, nor in the way they are loaded in to the truck and even less in the urgency in which you will want to access them when you unpack at your new destination. \n\nTherefore, separate your assets by rooms (departure or destination); by the type of material they are made of (liquids do not go well with sharp objects; paper does not mix with glass, crystals and ceramics); and also by the level of urgency in unloading (what you will need to use as soon as you arrive at the new space; what you will need in the days or weeks afterwards; what will be put away and only use in the distant future).
Consider the most relevant influences
If you are moving to a new house and you have children you need to cater to their needs first: have enough changes of clothes in hand, toys available, entertainment equipment and that there are no dangerous objects or obstacles in the house when you move in and out (such as raisers, scissors, duct tape or boxes that can fall over them).\n\nIf you have pets, they need access to food, water, toys, litter boxes, pillows or other items, until the time to move out. See more about changes with animals, here.
Prepare a backpack with basics
Whether opening a branch in a new office, or moving to another house, you should always have a backpack with some basics items: cables, electronics, access cards, powerbanks; or perhaps a change of clothes, toiletries, medication and identification documents. \n\nWhatever it is, remember that some boxes may not be at their destination at the scheduled time, or they may get mixed up with others and maybe you won’t get to them in time to use them when you need them. Also include in this backpack special items such as jewellery, photo books, relevant keys and some tools that may come in handy to open or close boxes, dismantle furniture, open bottles or tighten a screw. \n\nWater and some snacks might also be a good idea to include in the backpack, if you anticipate that the loading, transport and unloading time will exceed 3 hours. Get a service estimation schedule by requesting a quote – here.
Spread the boxes and tidy up in a timely manner
Don’t let yourself get carried away by the exhaustion of loading and unloading, avoid putting all the boxes in one room where they’ll stay for days and weeks until everything is tidied up; dodge delaying the unpacking of your belongings: the team at Mr. Isac will distribute the boxes into the different rooms. It will be easier for you to start enjoying your new space when you have everything in order, refuse the temptation to delay and unpack as soon as possible.
Cleaning up is inevitable
Both in the space you are leaving and in the one you are moving into, you should reserve some time for cleaning. There’s no better time to wipe some furniture or cabinet inside and out than when it’s completely empty. \n\nIn this way, when your furniture arrives at its new destination, all you have to do is wipe it with a cloth and it is ready to use. The same happens with a room: when emptying a room, take the opportunity to wipe the walls and ceiling with a damp cloth and vacuum and wash the floor, it will be shining for the owners, realtors or new occupants. \n\nCleaning some objects to be transported is also recommended, for example, paper items easily accumulate dust, mites and even silverfish.
Forgetting to take measurements
It is not always necessary to take measurements of the objects to be transported when they are pallets, cardboard boxes, chairs or bedside tables, however, when it comes to furniture or household appliances this becomes relevant. \n\nIt is necessary to evaluate the size of the objects to be transported, not only to store them and ensure that there is space in the transport vehicle, but also to make sure that the objects have an all clear through the entire route, be it doors, windows or elevators. \n\nIn Mr. Isac’s experience, one consideration that most easily increases the budget is when the customer is sure that a cupboard fits in the elevator and, when moving, it is confirmed that it has to be carried up or down the stairs, taking much longer than the initially predicted. Avoid surprises and last minute difficulties: take the measurements.
Planning is not just defining when to start packing, what to pack, what goes to the trash or for donation and when the moving will take place. An essential step in a successful move is planning where things are going at the destination. On the one hand, determine which boxes go to which room and identify them. \n\nOn the other hand, defining which furniture goes in which room and confirming the position (requires having taken measurements and designed each room). It will prevent mistakes by Mr. Isac’s team in placing a double bed where a child’s bed should be and will even prevent taking three wardrobes into a room where only two can fit.
Not knowing where you’re unloading what, at the planning stage
Review your moving plan with Mr. Isac and receive recommendations from a professional, reliable and helpful squad. Don’t leave your budget request for tomorrow.
Among the most common mistakes when moving is underestimating the time needed for packing. Start packing well in advance, beginning with items you use least frequently. Another of the common mistakes when moving is neglecting to notify important institutions — banks, utilities, and government services — of your new address. The Portal do Cidadão makes it easy to update your official address across multiple services simultaneously.
A further common mistake when moving is failing to protect floors and walls during the removal process. Professional movers use protective covers as standard practice, preventing scratches and damage that could result in deposit deductions. For more tips on protecting your new home during a move, the European Movers Network offers excellent international best practice guidelines.
By following these 9 tips and staying aware of common mistakes when moving, you give yourself the best chance of a successful, efficient relocation. Mr. Isac’s professional team is here to help you avoid every common mistake when moving from start to finish.
