Things You Forget to Do When You Move | Moving 101 | Long Distance USA Movers

Things You Forget to Do When You Move (and You Shouldn’t)

There are literally tons of things you forget to do when you move. Considering all the chaos you’re going through, crowded rooms full of boxes, multiple inventory lists, and legal stuff you should fix before relocating to another address, it is understandable why this is happening. However, there is a way of preventing it, and in this article, we will provide you with some of the best tips that will help you organize your relocation seamlessly.

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Are you certain you packed everything for relocation day?

Most Common Things People Forget to Do When Moving

When relocating, the main focus for all of us is to pack all the belongings and remember to bring everything to our next home. Sometimes it slips our minds to resolve some really important issues before we hand the keys over to the new tenant. For that reason, we’ve prepared an ultimate list of things to remember to do when moving, which will help you pack all of your items this time.

Don’t Miss to Inspect the Rooms and Take All Valuables With You

Make sure you check out nothing is left in any of the rooms before the cross-country movers arrive. Remember to take a walk through the whole house and check all the closets, cupboards, or drawers again. This is especially important to do in the kitchen and bathroom, where you store all the belongings that are actually used until the moment you lock the door and give the keys to the owner.

Besides, looking into other storage places such as the garage, attic, or basement is also a smart move. Check every corner of it, since those spaces are used for storing the stuff you rarely use, the chances of forgetting something are quite certain. Even though this could be time-consuming, remember that you will not have a second chance once you leave the property. So, in case you have some valuable possessions there or stored Christmas ornaments, remember to check everything in detail and take everything with you.

Have You Secured the House? Missing to Do it, You’re Risking Your Property Safety

Another thing people most commonly neglect while making final preparations for the move to their next home is whether all the windows and doors are properly closed or locked. This is important to check for safety reasons. In case that any of the windows or doors stay open or unlocked during the bad weather conditions, there is a great danger of damage. And the owner or new tenants will certainly not be satisfied with this situation.

Skipping House Cleaning Can Cause Inconveniences to New Tenants, and We Are Sure You Want to Avoid This

Cleaning is the most common detail that slips out of people’s minds. You have to leave the place in perfect condition before leaving the keys to the new owners or tenants. So, the moment the truck of long-distance movers is on its way to your new address, make sure that the house will be cleaned in depth.

This requires multiple actions, from cleaning the dust, windows, mopping, and sweeping floors to cleaning the refrigerator and garbage disposal. Nothing should be left behind you. If you’re too exhausted to do it, arranging the final cleaning with one of the professional cleaning companies might be an acceptable solution because you will definitely need some strength to clean an apartment before relocating in.

Don’t Miss to Leave All the Copies of Keys to New Tenants

Another common thing people tend to skip is leaving all the copies of keys to new tenants. This is happening because of the habit to take the home keys everywhere and always with us. This is why it would be great to put this task on your relocating checklist and remember to leave the keys on a kitchen table or counter.

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Check the whole place once again before leaving the keys to new tenants

What Are the Most Common Things People Forget to Pack?

Believe it or not, there are some very precious possessions people simply omit to pack. Although it might seem surreal that it could be possible not to bring some of these, it does happen due to stress and haste. And this is the ultimate list of things people most commonly fail to box up.

Personal and Other Important Documents Are the Most Commonly Forgotten Items

Believe it or not, documents are another most often forgotten item during the relocations. They are so important and yet almost never find their spot on a relocation checklist since everyone thinks there is no option to leave them behind. And the most common places where they are found are drawers or even safe boxes. For this reason, it is highly recommendable to put the documents on your checklist.

The best way not to lose your files is to organize important documents at home in one place. All you need is to get a binder and divide it into sections, then organize important papers in the following way:

  • Personal documents – IDs, driving licenses, passports, birth certificates, marriage certificates, diplomas,
  • Employment documents – professional qualifications, work contracts, evaluations,
  • Car documents – vehicle registration, insurance policies,
  • Financial documents – documents associated with the bank or IRS,
  • Medical records,
  • Childrens’ school records.

Medicines and Supplements Also Go Missing More Often than You’d Think

People usually think they’re ahead of the game when it comes to medicines. Yet, sometimes, once they reach the new house, an unpleasant surprise awaits. This leads to some problems.

In case your relocation to another state actually means relocating to another coast, then medicines are definitely something you should pack in the essential boxes and put them close to you. This is especially important if you travel with younger kids who are still sensitive and prone to nausea during exhausting and long trips.

However, just like any other part of your house, the section with medicines requires a kind of decluttering, too. Since you don’t have to bring the expired medicines with you, make sure to get rid of them before making an essential relocation box.

Storage Areas Items Can Cause Unnecessary Headache Too

The reason why people so often omit to pack all the stuff from the storage areas is that they are not in front of them. For this reason, decluttering of storage areas and sorting what you should bring with you is of essential importance.

This process may take even several days because you’ll have to sort out all the stuff first. Once you sort them out, the next step is packing. You should be ready to spend at least one whole day boxing up the storage areas such as basements, tool sheds, attics, or walk-in closets.

And when you’re preparing your storage areas, try to be as realistic as you can regarding the stuff you will actually need and use in your new home. If you are switching from a house to an apartment, you will definitely not need your gardening tools, and there won’t be any space for a pool table that was a great fit for your basement. If this is the case, try to sell such stuff, give it away to family or friends, or donate unwanted items since every solution is better than packing it and storing them again. And don’t neglect to plan how you will store all your belongings in your new space and explore all creative storage ideas that will enable you to store them properly.

Laptop Chargers, Phone Chargers, and Headphones Are the Most Annoying Things to Go Without

Can you imagine the situation where you actually have forgotten to take some of the listed belongings? No? Well, laptop chargers, phone chargers, and headphones are highly listed on a list of the most common forgotten belongings, so you better check if you packed them if you don’t want to “find them” among the stuff you forget to pack.

This is happening because they are often left plugged in and used until the last minute before the relocation truck begins to roll. Realizing that the battery is low or empty can be a very unpleasant experience, especially while traveling. So if you want to avoid this unpleasant surprise, always double-check if you have packed and stored them near you. Also, ensure to explore how to pack a computer properly and prevent any potential damages.

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Just like you're making a list of essential stuff to pack, create an essential list of thing you should remember to pack

What Other Tasks You May Neglect While Packing?

Although you might be thinking that the list of stuff you could possibly miss to pack is finished and presented above, along with belongings, there are some practical issues people usually forget to organize and resolve. Here they are.

Forgetting to Label the Boxes Can Cause Unnecessary Damages

Labeling the boxes is especially important when it comes to packages full of delicate and fragile items. Forgetting to label the moving boxes and not knowing what belongings are actually stored in them can lead to damages since all of those items are breakable. It would be the best idea to explore how to pack plates, what exactly types of boxes you will need to pack glasses since they are breakable. When packing fragile items, it would also be smart to learn what are the best-sized boxes for moving.

Unpacking priority is another reason to label all the boxes. If packages are not appropriately marked, you can only guess where a particular thing you need is, which can lead to further confusion and frustration.

Creating a Moving Checklist of Items Can Stop You From Leaving Valuable Things Behind

The most certain way to omit to pack something is forgetting to create a moving checklist of items. Before starting to box up your belongings, you should make an inventory checklist and enlist all the items there. This will give you control over the packing process, although in some way it could be time-consuming. Another important insight the checklist can provide is the number of boxes and other packing materials you need, which will further help you estimate the relocation cost.

Don’t Miss to Research Tips and Tricks for Efficient Packing and Save a Lot of Precious Time

Whether you’ll necessitate a piece of advice on how to move with pets, how to move a piano, solve the fear of moving, or you have any other dilemma, the internet can be a useful resource for researching the topic in detail. And experiences of others can save you a lot of time and give you some new fresh ideas on how to suspend the relocation chaos. If you’re looking for efficient tips and tricks, or moving hacks on how to pack your belongings, then check the video below, which will help you organize your packing better.

Comparing Cross Country Moving Companies is One of the Most Common Things You Forget to Do When You Move

Comparing several moving companies and long-distance moving services is always a good idea if you want your experience to be positive and things to go smooth. However, people usually omit to do it, which is a standard moving mistake. Learning all about what each service entails and how the whole process works can help you conclude what’s the best for you. Another thing you should include in comparison is what additional cross-country moving services a specific company provides? Can you count on unpacking or storing your belongings in their facility? Are some of these services included in the price? Is customer support available 24/7?

Choosing a reputable and trustworthy relocation company is of tremendous importance. However, before choosing a cross-country moving company, compare moving quotes, ask everything about how car shipping works, and resolve all the details you have to know. It would be the best option to choose a long-distance moving company that can provide you with full service, from packing services, moving services, to auto transport of your car. For you as a final user, it would be great to rely on a single company that will combine all those services into one and provide you with impeccable service and relocation.

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Choosing a reliable relocation company is of tremendous importance when relocating to another state

Ready to Bring Everything With You?

Now when you know what are the most common things to do when you move, we are sure you won’t leave any of your precious belongings behind and that there won’t be any things you forget to pack. Prepare everything in advance, create the checklist for moving to a new state, regularly analyze your relocation binder for your next move, and don’t omit to schedule your relocation services in time. And if you’re not completely sure how to deal with packaging, then remember to book your preferred packing services as well, since this is the most secure way you won’t leave anything behind.

Kaitlyn Bradley

Born in the US, Kaitlyn Bradley is an expert in all things packing and moving. She loves spending time with her family and writing engaging content.


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