First Time Moving Mistakes to Avoid

cardboard into cubes by jared (CC BY 2.0)

If this is your first time moving, it can be a stressful and a sometimes scary situation. If you don’t have anyone there to guide you through the process, you can make a lot of first time moving mistakes that you might regret. Like most people our fast- paced lifestyle doesn’t leave much time for planning ahead. But planning ahead is the key to making your first time moving a more enjoyable experience. First time moving mistake stories are funny when they don’t happen to you. Here are 3 common first time moving mistakes to avoid:

1. The most common first time moving mistake is not doing a walk-through of the property to make sure that all of the appliances, outlets,  heating and cooling devices work properly. Don’t assume the property management walk- through will be sufficient. You don’t want to arrive at your new home on a cold rainy night soaking wet with a broken gas heater.
Tip #1 Before signing your rental, lease, or mortgage agreement. Walk through the property with your real estate or leasing agent and make sure that all of the appliances, outlets, and heating and cooling devices work properly.

photo by: Joi Ito

2. Another first time moving mistake is forgetting to switch the utilities over into your name. Imagine coming home late to your new place, in a new city, only to find yourself alone in the dark. You have No Power!

Tip #2 Make sure to switch the utilities over to your name as soon as you sign the rental, lease, or mortgage agreement.

3. Most first time moving mistakes involve packing up the necessities. Sometimes an air mattress, a pack of sheets, and a package of toilet paper are just not enough. Coming home cold, tired, and wet after a rainy day you want to crawl into bed and go to sleep. Without any pillows and blankets your cold air mattress will make your first night miserable. While you can put on every piece of clothing to get through the cold night, an easier solution would be packing the necessities in advance. You don’t want to come out of the shower the next morning dripping wet only to find you forgot to pack towels.
Tip#3 Make sure you have the necessities such as pillows, blankets, and towels.

photo by: wheatfieldbrown

By keeping these three first time moving tips in mind, I’m sure your first time moving experience will go much smoother. Follow this link for more first time moving, planning and packing tips. Now you’ve heard some of these first time moving mishaps. What are some of your first time moving experiences?