The Biggest Mistakes to Avoid When Moving Your Possessions

The act of moving is already a challenging experience and the last thing you would want is to end up unpacking damaged items. To prevent this from happening, you’ll need adequate preparation and the expertise of a removal company in the Gold Coast.

If you want to ensure that your valuable, fragile belongings get through the move “unscathed”, make sure to avoid making these mistakes:

1. Assuming that you can do everything on your own

Think about it, it took you some time to fill up your home with various items. So, how can you expect to handle every aspect of the move in just a few days? Unless your home is minimally furnished or you find being subjected to extreme stress a great challenge, accept that moving is something you cannot manage alone.

Focus more on what matters like attending to necessary paperwork such as updating your bank, subscriptions, etc., on your new address, and transferring basic utilities.

While you’re at it, get a removal quote and let your chosen removalist handle the rest. This will be beneficial to you especially if this is your first time to move, and you’ve no idea how long it will take to sort and pack all your belongings.

2. Not having a well-defined packing plan

Don’t do any random packing as it will only result in tension, misplaced objects, broken possessions and wasted time.

Once you’ve finalised your removal schedule, you may have to count back four to six weeks from your move date to handle all the needed preparations. Make sure to stick to your schedule by creating a calendar that includes a list of the things you need to pack every day until moving day comes.

Always begin by packing the things you least need, then move ahead to the essentials such as clothing and toiletries.

For the safety of your belongings during the move, follow these packing tips:

Dishes and Glassware

Since dishes, glassware, and china pieces are highly breakable, wrap them separately, then place them inside a box on their ends or edges.

After each item, place a layer of padding in-between, on the sides of the carton, and on top. Ensure there is also sufficient padding on the top of the carton. As a general rule of thumb — any carton should have approximately two thirds china and one third padding.

If you still have the original cartons, make use of them as they will fit better to secure these items from breaking.

Artwork

To protect frame edges from scratches, you can use foam corners or wrap the painting in bubble wrap. If you opt to place multiple frames in one box, ensure the frames are wrapped in bubble wrap or add a layer of bubble wrap in between every frame for cushioning.

For individual art pieces that sit on shelves or tables, pack them into boxes using bubble wrap or packing paper. Add adequate padding in-between items to ensure maximum protection.

For valuable paintings, your removal company can organise custom crates, so be sure to ask about this service if you’d like to have them.

Most removalists will wrap your large pictures that won’t fit into boxes in thick quilted pads to give them extra protection during the move.

Electronic Gadgets and Appliances

If possible, pack your electronic items and appliances in their original cartons. Assuming that you still have the styrofoam moulds that came with the original packaging, the items will be perfectly secured in place if you use them. However, if you’ve already thrown out the original packaging, try to find a box that is similar in size.

Pack electronic items together with their associated cables to make it easier to identify them later on. Ensure any batteries are removed before packing them into cartons to avoid any potential damage if batteries corrode, and also to prevent the items from accidentally being switched on.

For more complicated appliances, taking a photo of your cables before you disconnect them will also be helpful once you need to set them up again in your new place. Also, make sure to label the top side on each of your boxes. This is crucial as there are electronic gadgets and appliances that should always be positioned upright.

Moving Houseplants

Stop watering your plants a few days before the move to make them less messy and lighter for transport.

For any smaller, more fragile plants, these can be placed in boxes for extra protection. Be sure not to seal the box and to advise your removalist about any of these boxes.

3. Not enough packing supplies

So you already have a packing strategy, unfortunately, you don’t have enough packing supplies to make it work. Running back and forth from the store is not advisable as it will only be a waste of your time which you could’ve been spent on packing instead.

When you shop for packing supplies, make sure you have extras to avoid any inconvenience at the last minute.

Check how many boxes you need for each room in your house. Other than purchasing boxes of various sizes (and even in different colours), ensure you have adequate packing paper, bubble wrap, packing tape and markers.

Pack and move efficiently and safely

The safety of your belongings all depends on your efficiency in packing and the help of a trustworthy removalist. Don’t forget that your removalist can assist with any packing required to take the stress off you.

If you prefer to pack everything yourself, take note of the points mentioned above as even one wrong move can put the entire removal process in jeopardy.

Contact Ashtons Removals now so that you can avoid unnecessary stress, and actually enjoy a hassle-free move.