Are you leaving Fort Lauderdale for a new city or state? First, congratulations on this new chapter in your life. Fort Lauderdale offers a great place to live and pursue your career aspirations. However, this growing Sunshine State city is also dealing with high inflation. Housing prices in Fort Lauderdale are 52% above the national average, and the cost of living is 22% higher.
Whether you’re leaving Fort Lauderdale due to these factors or for other reasons, moving to a new place is a significant life event that requires careful planning. While moving to a new home is undoubtedly an exciting experience, it can quickly become overwhelming and stressful without proper planning.
Certain common moving mistakes can be expensive in terms of time, money, and effort, and it’s crucial to avoid them. To ensure a trouble-free and smooth move, here are some of the most common mistakes you should steer clear of:
1. Planning a DIY Move
If you’re moving just a short distance, you can consider a DIY move to save money. However, keep in mind that a DIY move might not be suitable, especially when leaving Fort Lauderdale for another city or state. Properly packing boxes, safely loading them into a vehicle, and delivering them to your new home require careful handling. Instead of attempting a DIY move, we recommend hiring professionals. To start, get an estimate of the costs. Hiring a moving company in Fort Lauderdale typically ranges from $1,691 to $4,772, depending on the distance. This information can help you plan your budget.
The next step is to find a reputable Fort Lauderdale moving company. You can easily do this with a quick Google search and reading reviews. Established and accredited companies like Bekins of South Florida have a team of expert packers and movers who can handle every aspect of your move, including packing, loading, transportation, storage, unloading, and unpacking. They take great care to ensure your belongings are transported safely. These expert packers know how to securely wrap fragile items, disassemble and reassemble furniture, and load the moving truck efficiently to minimize the risk of damage.
2. Delaying the Moving Prep
We’ve all been there – surveying the house, taking a quick peek into closets and the pantry, and thinking, “Well, it’s not that much! I can handle it later!” If you find yourself having similar thoughts, you could be making a significant mistake that could turn your entire moving experience into chaos.
Remember this rule: never underestimate how much you need to pack, and don’t wait until the last minute to begin planning your move. Start packing as early as possible so that you don’t rush as the moving day approaches. Starting early not only helps you stay organized but also allows you ample time for other essential tasks like paperwork, lease termination, and address changes. If you’re moving a long distance, we recommend starting to plan your move on the day you make the decision.
3. Skipping the Checklist
Even if you have a sharp memory, it’s still impossible to remember every step of the moving process in the correct order. Plus, you don’t want to be scrambling around the house gathering your belongings and handling paperwork at the last moment. One of the most common mistakes is relying on memory instead of creating a written or digital to-do list.
Instead of risking missing important tasks and later regretting it, create a moving checklist and jot down every task related to your move. This simple checklist will serve as your moving guide, walking you through all the steps.
Create a separate, more detailed list of all the major tasks involved in your move. For example, list all the items in a room that you want to take with you or documents that need to be ready before moving day. To make it even simpler, break down larger tasks into smaller, more manageable steps. Instead of writing “pack furniture,” you might want to list individual items in a room, like “pack bedroom chairs” or “disassemble bed,” etc. Next, assign a flexible timeline to each task so you can stay on top of your progress. Each time you complete a milestone, mark it off your checklist, and don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back.
4. Prioritizing Cost Over Quality in Packing Materials
We all like to save money when we can, but when it comes to packing materials, opting for quality over savings is a smarter move. You might be tempted to use old, soft boxes or gather used packing boxes from friends, but these boxes may have already seen their share of wear and tear.
Using subpar packing materials directly jeopardizes their ability to protect your items during transportation and storage. If you prioritize cost over quality, you could end up damaging your most cherished belongings. If you’re moving from Fort Lauderdale to another city miles away, we recommend using high-quality packing materials to ensure the safe transport of every item. Discard any boxes with damp sides, torn corners, weak bases, and low-quality cardboard. Opt for corrugated boxes when packing heavy items and use high-quality bubble wrap and packing sheets to secure fragile items.
5. Packing Unnecessary Items
It doesn’t make sense to fill your packing boxes with items that won’t be of any use in your new home. Moreover, packing and moving items you don’t need will only increase your moving costs. Sometimes, moving large items like appliances and furniture can end up costing you double their original price, putting a strain on your budget.
Moving to a new home presents a great opportunity to part ways with items that no longer serve a purpose or have outlived their usefulness. When you start packing, set aside the items that won’t have a place in your new home. Later, you can decide whether to sell, donate, or discard these items. Want to make some extra money? Consider selling unneeded items on eBay or having a quick garage sale.
6. Not Safeguarding Your Valuables
Your favorite centerpiece could have arrived intact if you had properly wrapped it with bubble wrap. That chipped corner of your wooden antique clock could have easily survived the bumps during transportation if you had protected it with a Styrofoam sheet.
While a professional moving company typically offers insurance coverage for your move, it doesn’t mean you can haphazardly toss your valuable items into boxes and hold the movers responsible for any damage. This is a common mistake people make during local or interstate moves.
Believe us, it takes less time to pack your belongings securely than it does to mend broken pieces. Invest in extra packing materials and take the time to pack fragile items with care. Packing supplies like sheets, bubble wrap, packing peanuts, foam sheets, blankets, and even your old quilts, linens, and towels can provide shockproof protection for your fragile items inside the boxes. If an item has loose packaging, use extra paper or old fabrics to fill in the gaps. This will keep the items in place during transportation and shield them from damage.
In Conclusion
You may have noticed a common theme in all the mistakes mentioned above – the lack of proper planning and strategy. Regardless of the distance your household is moving, failing to plan your move can turn the entire process into a stressful experience that will haunt you. Avoid these minor mistakes, pay attention to the details, and plan ahead. Best of luck!