Top 5 Problems That May Ruin Your Moving Day

So, you have spent several months in hectic preparations and careful planning to make sure that your move is perfectly organized:

# You have researched your future city well and have chosen a good neighborhood and an appropriate new home for your family;

# You have created a moving calendar and have timely addressed each of the numerous relocation tasks in it;

# You have set a reliable moving budget and have taken advantage of any applicable ways to cut down your moving costs;

# You have interviewed several moving companies and asked them for written binding estimates to choose the best movers for your specific relocation needs and preferences;

# You have taken care of all the relevant paperwork;

# You have sorted out your belongings and packed them with utmost care.

When Moving day finally comes, there is just one thing you want – everything to go according to plan, so that the last chapter of your moving adventure takes you to your new home without further ado. However, circumstances beyond your control may have the final say on the actual course of the events. Here is a list of the most common predicaments that may totally ruin your moving day and some insightful tips on how to deal with them.

1)      Weather Hazards

There is little you can do to prevent a violent storm from hitting just when the moving truck is parking in front of your home. However, provided that you are well prepared for moving in bad weather, even the darkest clouds may have a silver lining.

• Intense heat – the combination of high levels of stress, exhausting efforts and scorching heat may pose a great threat to your or your movers’ health. If the temperatures are too high on the scheduled moving date, the chances for a heat stroke or heat exhaustion increase considerably (in direct proportion to the weight of the household items you or your movers are about to lift and carry around). Besides, your temperature-sensitive belongings may also be damaged when exposed to extremely high temperatures for a long period of time. Intense heat can even cause the moving truck to overheat and break down. Taking all the above into consideration, it might be a good idea to postpone your move while the thermometer displays record-high temperatures. If the heat is not that extreme and you decide to continue according to plan, take measure to stay cool and hydrated throughout the entire process – dress in light-colored and lightweight clothes, drink lots of water, use sunscreen lotion and eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables;

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  Heavy snowfall –large snowdrifts blocking your driveway or the road between your current residence and your new home may turn out to be an insuperable obstacle to your moving endeavor. It may be absolutely impossible for the moving truck to access your property but even if you somehow manage to load the vehicle, have in mind that heavy snowfall makes driving very difficult and very dangerous. The moving truck hauling your household items may even be caught in the snow and forced to wait for more favorable weather conditions. Not only will your shipment be considerably delayed but also your sensitive items may be badly damaged by the freezing temperature and the excessive moisture. If you need to perform your move regardless of the inclement weather, keep your driveway free of ice and snow, dress warm and add extra layers of protective wrapping to your household items;

• Torrential rain – a few raindrops will not cause any harm but ferocious thunderstorms or hailstorms may completely ruin your plans and force you to postpone your move. Lightning can be extremely dangerous when you are hauling large metal appliances and hail can literally shatter your breakables to pieces and even hurt you, so you are advised not to venture out in the event of a storm. However, the intimidating thunders will probably fade away within a couple of hours and the heavy rain will turn into drizzle. Then, you can proceed with your moving plan, just make sure that everyone involved in the process wears appropriate clothes and sturdy boots, that all your belongings are properly wrapped and kept dry and safe, and your property is efficiently protected from the dirt and mess created by the muddy water;
• Ice – ice and sleet make roads extremely slippery and your movers may not be willing to take the risk and transport your belongings in such unfavorable weather conditions. You can remove ice from your driveway but you cannot keep all the roads free of ice, so you will probably have to postpone your move by a couple of days, until the highways are rendered safe;
• Dense fog – although fog is not as disastrous for your move as the above described climatic conditions, it may also pose great risks. If you decide to move under the thick blanket of fog, you may get into great trouble as the decreased visibility and slick wet roads are common causes for accidents. What is more, the high level of humidity may result in soggy cardboard boxes and moldy furniture pieces. You are advised to wait for the fog to lift before embarking on your moving adventure. If that is impossible, wrap your belongings very well to prevent the moisture from damaging them and arm yourself with lots of patience as your movers will have to drive really slowly;

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  High winds – typically, wind will not have repercussions on your moving plans unless we are talking about hurricanes. Depending on your home location and your destination, you may never encounter hurricanes, but if you happen to be in the direct path of one, don’t even think about loading the moving truck and driving into the eye of the windstorm. Even if your moving path is not in the direct path of a hurricane, you will experience very strong winds that may cause you or your movers to drop heavy pieces or fragile items and to damage them. Even the moving truck may be swayed by very strong gusts. Besides, hurricanes can delay your move well after they pass through as they often lead to road closures due to flooding, fallen trees or downed power lines;

• Dust storms or sand storms – these are typical for arid areas where they will not only render your move impossible on the day when they break but also for several days afterwards, as they will cover the roads in thick layers of dust or sand and some time will pass before normal traffic is resumed.

While it is beyond human power to convince Mother Nature not to rain on your parade on Moving day, the choice of trustworthy movers is entirely in your hands. The second greatest problem that you may encounter on Moving day is bad movers.

2)      Bad Movers

If you failed to research your movers thoroughly before hiring their services, you may be caught unawares on Moving day. There are two types of bad movers that may ruin your relocation:

• Incompetent movers – even if their intentions are honest, incompetent movers may simply lack the experience and the proper equipment to bring your move to a successful end. If they appear late on moving day, arrive in a smaller moving truck than you need and lack the required know-how, your inexperienced movers may simply ruin your move. They will commit rookie mistakes that will result in broken items, property damage and lots of wasted time;

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  Rogue movers – even worse, you may fall victim to moving fraud. Rogue movers will come up with a very good offer but as soon as they get the money from your deposit, you may never see them again. Or if they actually appear on moving day, they will request much more money than previously negotiated based on some alleged extra services. You will not have much of a choice but to accept their conditions or to cancel the move and start the moving procedures all over again. In the worst case scenario, the movers will load your household items on the moving truck and will never deliver them, or will hold them hostage until you pay a considerable extra “fee” as ransom. If you are dealing with scam artists, don’t be surprised to find your most expensive possessions missing upon delivery.

Movers play a crucial role in your moving adventure – your choice of experienced and trustworthy professionals can mean the difference between a smooth relocation and a moving horror story. Be aware that unscrupulous movers often come up with deceitful ways to rip off their heedless customers, so don’t let yourself be fooled by sweet promises and research your chosen moving company very carefully before hiring them. To avoid moving scam, make sure your movers are legitimate, bonded and insured (check their USDOT number, membership in esteemed moving associations, etc.), examine their credentials and find out how previous complaints and disputes have been settled. Read the paperwork carefully and state your requirements clearly to ensure your peace of mind and avoid troubles that may ruin Moving day and your entire moving experience.

3)      Traffic Problems

Even if the weather is fine and your trustworthy movers do a good job, Moving day may still be ruined by another dreadful factor – traffic. Several traffic problems may cause you severe headaches when moving house:

• Traffic accidents – a traffic accident on the road to your home will considerably delay your moving plans as the moving truck will have to wait until the damaged vehicles are removed and normal traffic is restored. However, the scenario could get much worse – in case the moving truck itself has had a serious accident on its way to your home on Moving day, you will have to wait for the moving company to send another vehicle. If they don’t have one available, your move will be postponed. Still worse, if there is a traffic accident involving the moving truck that carries your household items to your new home, you may lose all your earthly possessions. You cannot prevent traffic accidents from happening, but at least make sure that you are working with a reputable company that has experienced drivers and a large number of moving vehicles that are regularly checked for technical problems;

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  Traffic jams – more often than not, traffic jams will not ruin your Moving day but will put your nerves to the test, as it may cause a considerable delay. However, a delay of more than a couple of hours may easily ruin your plans – there may not be enough time left to load the moving truck that day, or you may miss your flight, etc.;

• Parking problems – if there is no convenient parking space in the proximity of your home, you will have to pay the movers an additional long carry fee. Needless to say, the process will take longer as the moving crew will have to haul heavy items a long way to get to the moving truck. In certain cases, however, the moving truck may have to circle around the neighborhood for hours until an appropriate parking space is vacated. You will avoid similar problems if you reserve a parking space in advance, yet a nuisance vehicle may park at the reserved lot despite the warning sign. Your move will not be completely ruined but you will waste time, nerves and money to have the vehicle towed away so that your moving truck can finally park and your movers can proceed with their work;
• Breakdown – if your moving truck breaks down along the way, regardless of the reasons, your items will have to be transferred to another vehicle. Not only will you have to wait much longer for your shipment to be delivered, but your belongings may be badly damaged in the process.
  

4)      Improper Organization

To avoid problems and consequential mistakes when moving house, you need to stay several steps ahead of the events throughout the entire moving process. If you pay meticulous attention to every aspect of the moving preparations, you won’t have to deal with any of the common problems that may occur on Moving day. They include but are not limited to:

• Your large furniture doesn’t fit through the doors – you are strongly recommended to measure your furniture and the available space, doorways, staircase, etc. both in your old property and in your future surroundings. If you create a floor plan of your new home, you will get a clear idea about which of your old furniture and appliances are worth taking with you – they should not only fit the doors but also your new home layout and interior décor. If you fail to do so, you may have quite a nerve-wracking experience on Moving day trying to accomplish an impossible feat and being forced to leave some of your favorite furniture behind or to discard some pieces you have already paid for moving to your new place. The only option you have in such cases is to request hoisting services but they will cost you dearly and will result in lots of lost time;

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  The large moving truck cannot access your property – if you fail to warn your movers about the limited access to your home, they may send over a vehicle that is too large. In such cases, you will have to arrange for shuttle services in the last moment and it may not be possible to complete your move on the pre-scheduled date. Of course, this will incur extra expenses as well as many inconveniences;

• Improper packing – if you packed your items yourself and committed any of the common packing mistakes typical for inexperienced home movers, your belongings will have to be repacked. You will be charged for the extra packing supplies, as well as for the additional time wasted in the process. If your household is large and you have many furniture that requires disassembly or other delicate pieces that need special handling, the delay may be so considerable, that your moving plans are completely ruined;
• Lost keys – improbable as it may sound, lost keys often become the stumbling block to performing a trouble-free relocation. You won’t be able to leave your old property unless you can lock it safely, of course. Or you may be forced to spend another night there and have your belongings placed in temporary storage simply because you cannot enter your new home.

The above instances are only a small part of the various problems that may ruin Moving day if you are not properly prepared for your move. Unlike the weather or the traffic, all these matters are controlled by you and you alone, so do your homework properly and get ready before the movers arrive.

5)      Injuries

Last but not least – remember that regardless of what happens around you, safety should be your primary concern on Moving day. If you, or a member of your family, or one of your movers get injured in the midst of the moving procedures, your moving plans will be totally and irrevocably ruined. So, take measures to:

• Make it safe for pets and kids – your little ones may get badly hurt or may cause other people to get injured if they are running around on Moving day. Do your best to keep them out of the way of the movers – arrange for a friend or a relative to take them out for a walk or to keep them occupied in a safe room away from the moving procedures;
• Clear obstacles out of the way – even a small object may cause great problems if someone trips on it and falls. Don’t forget to remove dry leaves from the entryway to your home and to trim protruding branches that may also cause accidents when taking large and heavy pieces out of your property;
• Dress appropriately – avoid baggy clothes that may get caught in a piece and cause you to fall and opt for comfortable garments made of breathable and flexible materials. Remember that high-heels and slippery soles can result in very serious injuries and put on shoes that will guarantee protection, flexibility and traction. Personal protective gear such as quality working gloves shouldn’t be underestimated either;

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  Don’t rush things –hasty decisions and hectic actions will do you no good. You’d better lose several minutes planning the best way to do something instead of losing several months while your rookie mistake injuries are healing;

• Don’t be a moving superhero – if you are performing a DIY move, enlist the help of reliable friends and use proper lifting techniques to avoid straining your back or pulling a muscle. If you have hired professional movers to do the job for you, provide useful instructions about any potential risks or obstacles when taking heavy items out of your old property.

While you cannot provide for everything that may go wrong on Moving day, have in mind that an adequate plan B may save the day – be flexible and resourceful and you will most certainly have a gratifying moving experience. Just one final tip – to make the most out of moving day, treat your movers kindly and you will be surprised by the smoothness of your relocation.

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