It should come as no surprise, but moving can be stressful. Between packing, changing addresses, picking a move-in date, and dozens of other tasks, opportunities for mistakes abound. Ask anyone how their first move went, and you’re likely to get a laundry list of things they wish they had done differently.

At Alliance Moving & Storage, we want every single person to have the simplest move possible. To ensure that your next move doesn’t unravel, we’ve created a list of the 10 most common moving mistakes along with tips on how to avoid them.

1. Forgetting to Prepare a Moving Checklist

No matter how much experience you have, a moving checklist is a must-have for any relocation. Whether you’re moving your business or heading to a new house, a checklist keeps you on budget and on schedule.

The best ones break the move down into timeframes so that you have a running list of what still needs to happen. If you don’t know where to start, our moving checklist goes through every step of a move so you don’t miss a single thing.

2. Not Getting Enough Verified Quotes from Potential Moving Companies

As people prepare to move, they tend to focus on things they have control over first. Unfortunately, this causes them to leave out important steps in the early phases. Getting numerous quotes is the best way to ensure that you’re getting a good deal. Different companies charge different prices for various services, and without a quote you may end up flying blind.

It’s well worth the time investment to compare quotes from movers to find the best price. To make getting a quote easy, we offer a free quoting tool. By entering basic information about your move, you can receive a free, transparent, and competitive quote in minutes.

3. Not Cutting Down on Belongings

It’s hard to leave things behind. But in the middle of a move, you need to decide what to toss and what to keep. If you try to bring too many items, you might exceed the cost of buying new items with moving costs alone. To avoid ending up with too many items during your next move, consider a garage sale. Yard sales and garage sales can help cover moving expenses like moving trucks, boxes, and more while cutting down on the cost of the move.

4. Start Packing Too Late

Nearly everyone has a story about the time they started packing too late for a vacation. Forgetting to pack until the eleventh hour for a move takes that stress and multiplies it tenfold. Get a head start on packing so that you can do it efficiently. Starting your packing process too late prevents you from being judicious about what comes with you and what stays behind. By getting an early start, you can pack your boxes and bags with only the items you want to bring along, instead of everything you were able to throw in a box.

5. Packing Items Incorrectly

Most of us have some breakable items that we’d like to keep intact. Sadly, moves are one of the primary ways fragile family heirlooms get broken. While no packing method is perfect, first-time movers often forget packing materials altogether, leaving items to jostle around in a cardboard box.

Buying the right packing materials, such as packing paper, bubble wrap, and packaging peanuts, could be the difference between arriving with your grandma’s prized plates or a box of porcelain shards. One more tip for packing is to always double-tape the bottom of boxes. A single layer of tape is almost never enough to keep items from breaking out of the bottom of a box. Adding a second layer, or even a third for heavy boxes, will help keep your items safe.

6. Forgetting to Set Mail Forwarding and Change of Address

This simple step often gets left on the cutting room floor during the shuffle of a move. Many first-time movers miss getting a change of address early enough. When preparing for a move, send a change of address request early. Make sure to set up mail forwarding with the post office, too. This prevents packages, important mail, and any other items or letters from arriving at your pre-move address.

7. Improperly Labeling Boxes

During the early stages of a move, many people make the mistake of pre-labeling boxes. While you need to have a plan for what will go in each box, you should wait to label them until after they’ve been packed. This mistake makes the unpacking process more frustrating than it needs to be.

8. Trying to Do Too Much by Yourself

First-time movers tend to overestimate the ease of a move. In truth, moves present logistics, time management, and strength challenges that most people are ill equipped to tackle alone. Ask a friend for help with packing, or reach out to someone who has moved before to discuss a plan. If a mover is in your budget, hire one. Movers know what they’re doing, and can help you identify and overcome relocation challenges.

9. Forgetting to Pack Personal Luggage

Whether you hired movers or tackled the move solo, make sure you bring personal luggage in your vehicle. When caught up in the flurry of moving, it’s easy to forget to pack luggage for yourself or your family. Inexperienced people often make this dangerous moving mistake. It cuts you off from vital medications and important documents if a delay occurs with your moving truck. To avoid this, pack your luggage early. Even if you have to leave your luggage sitting in your home for a bit, it’s better than forgetting it.

10. Unpacking Boxes Out of Order

Most new movers start to unpack the second they arrive in their new home. This mistake can cause a lot of frustration since boxes get scattered easily. Having an unpacking plan will save you time and frustration. We recommend setting each box in the room where its contents will ultimately go. After placing the boxes in their respective rooms, unpack from heaviest to lightest. This method sets up the largest objects and furniture to make a place for your smaller belongings as you unpack.

Ready to Make a Mistake-Free Move?

If there’s a move approaching in your future, Alliance Moving & Storage can help. We offer dozens of moving services including packing and unpacking, disassembly and reassembly, storage options, and more. Our years of moving experience guarantee that no moving mistakes will slow you down. Head to our free quote tool to see the great rates we provide for commercial and residential moves or contact us today to find out how we can help you setup a mistake-free move.