7 house moving mistakes you don’t want to make

Moving into a new house is widely regarded as one of the most stressful events in life - and it’s easy to see why.

There’s the practical side of things to consider, of course - the packing, liaising with movers, giving the place a final deep clean - as well as the emotional stress that comes with leaving the familiar behind and starting a new chapter in life. Sprinkle in all the other little tasks that need to be ticked off the to-do list and you’ll find that you may start to get a little flustered.

However, moving house doesn’t have to be a super stressful experience. We’ve rounded up 7 common moving mistakes that Kiwis often make so you can maximise your chances of a smooth move.

1. Leaving your packing to the last minute

If you’re a first-time mover, it’s easy to underestimate the moving process. After all, how long can it really take to pack up a few boxes?

Let’s set the record straight now: packing takes time. A lot of time. Depending on the size of your home, you’ll probably want to give yourself at least a month to pack up everything properly. Be methodical. Pack room by room, starting with the items that you use the least and leaving your most frequently used items for last.

It’s going to feel more manageable if you gradually chip away at it, so dedicate an hour or two to packing every couple of days rather than trying to cram it all into a weekend session. With the slow and steady approach, you should only have a few boxes left to pack in the final days leading up to the move.

2. Packing stuff that doesn’t need to be packed

When you start packing up your home, there’s a good chance that you’ll come across clothes that you haven’t worn in years and old knick-knacks that you forgot even existed. And, if you’re anything like us, you’ll probably get all nostalgic and try to justify bringing those long-forgotten items  with you to clutter up your new home.

Say it with us: not everything needs to come with you to your new home. Moving is the perfect time to declutter, so use the opportunity to get rid of anything that no longer serves you. Be ruthless. Valuable items can be sold online, good condition items can be donated to charity or local community groups, and anything else can be recycled (or thrown away as a last resort). A good old decluttering will save you time on packing and help you free up precious storage space in your new home.

3. Not measuring your furniture

There’s nothing more frustrating than going through the whole moving process only to discover that your favourite piece of furniture is too big for your new home.

The key takeaway here is simple: measure your furniture before you move. Not only does the room have to be big enough to fit the furniture, but you’ll also need to ensure that there’s enough space around any passageways (doors, hallways, stairwells, etc) that you might need to navigate to get the furniture to its final destination.

Keep a measuring tape handy during your home inspections and be mindful of the dimensions of your furniture. If it looks like an item won’t fit, this is the perfect time to get rid of it (remember the previous section!).

4. Forgetting to plan for bad weather

When it comes to the weather, failing to plan is planning to fail. While there’s not much you can do to stop it from raining on your parade, you should definitely have a contingency plan in place in case the weather turns sour.

Some big plastic tarps, for example, can be extremely helpful for keeping your belongings dry, while waterproof shoes with good grip will do wonders for keeping you warm and safe from falls. It’s also a good idea to line your entryways with old sheets and towels to keep water out of the house and stop people traipsing mud across the floors.

5. Trying to DIY it all

Perhaps the single most common mistake Kiwis make is trying to do the whole move DIY. While it may be tempting to save a few bucks by doing it all on your own, forking out for professional movers is almost always worth the investment. Sure, you might have a bunch of family and friends who are willing to pitch in and help, but trying to keep them on track and organised can often just add to the stress.

Professionals, on the other hand, have everything you need - the vehicle(s), protective padding, blankets, and muscles - for a successful move and understand exactly what it takes to transport your precious cargo safely and efficiently. Delegating the logistics to a professional team helps keep stress levels down and allows you to focus on the more fun aspects of moving.

6. Not packing a survival kit for moving day:

When moving day arrives, the last thing you want to be doing is rifling through your packed boxes trying to find that all-important phone charger.

Instead, make life easy for yourself by putting together a moving day survival kit. As the name implies, this is just a box of all the essentials you need to get through moving day - think things like clothes, snacks, toothbrush, deodorant, phone charger, power bank, medication, pet food and so on. Having easy access to your must-haves can go a long way toward keeping stress levels down.

7. Forgetting to set up your utilities

Things tend to slip through the cracks when you’re juggling half a dozen competing priorities - but don’t let your utilities be one of them! Few things are as frustrating as moving into your beautiful new home only to discover that you have no electricity or the gas hasn’t been connected.

To avoid falling into this trap, get in touch with your utility providers before moving day and let them know when you’re moving and your new address.

Here at Grey Power Electricity, we’ve made it as simple as possible to get your electricity connected before you move. Whether you’re a new customer or a current customer, we’ll take care of the connection process from beginning to end so you can focus on the important stuff. Get in touch with the team today to find out more.