MyNewPlace Blog

Editor's Note: This is a guest post from our friends over at Relocation.com, who will be providing us with information on how to gracefully handle relocating.

Entire books could be written on mistakes people make when planning their move.

Thankfully, we've distilled it down into 5 of the major ones.

1. Packing Panic

OK, more alliteration: people who panic often up procrastinating. Then they throw everything together quickly, and things get lost or broken in the move, and you get majorly stressed. A simple plan entails gathering together all of your moving supplies before your move and setting them aside in their proper rooms, labeling your boxes in a way that lets you know what you should unpack first, and keeping a detailed inventory of what's in each box. Don't put it off.

1. Procrastinating

Many things can be done well before your move — you can change your address, switch your utilities, get all your medical reports ready to be transferred, and pack items you won't need for the next months. Do them now — you'll feel better about your move, and you'll have less stress on your moving day.

1. Misunderstanding Options for Insurance

Hey, it's a move: Things can go wrong. Your household items likely won't be covered under your homeowners insurance policy, and the default insurance from your moving company is minimal. So check out options for higher coverage, either through your moving company, or a third-party insurer. And remember this: if you pack your own boxes and suffer damage, your insurance probably won't cover you.

1. Letting Expenses Get Away From You

Moving is like when you buy a house and all the costs associated with the home loans start adding up: Just like then, your moving costs add up, so prepare for them by drawing up a budget of likely expenses and have the funds to pay for them. Some of these include travel to your new home (lodging and gas expenses), auto transport, temporary living expenses, insurance, and any deposits to set up your new utilities.

1. Not Taking Care of the Pets or the Kids

When a mover is a moving a 200-hundred pound couch, you don't want small animals or children around. So either find someone who can watch them for the day, keep them confined for a room in your house, or use a kennel (for your pets, of course).

If you have more questions about moving, need some advice or trying to figure out whether it's worth it to move yourself, check out the MyNewPlace Moving Guide for more articles.

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