The Top 5 Dumb Thoughts You Have That Will Totally Ruin Your Move
Moving is a lot like rocket science except almost always without the rockets and to be honest, most of the science. But both involve going on a journey and cramming a lot of things into a vehicle. It took years and millions of dollars for NASA to figure out the best way to send people into space. For us earth-bound movers, we get to move to our new home for practically nothing by comparison.
But still, there are a remarkable number of ways to make things harder than they need to be. And let’s be honest, more than a few of you reading this are going to find yourselves thinking unfortunate thoughts like…
5. Packing the Day Before is Still 24 Hours in Advance, amirite?
The only people who can be anywhere in the world in 48 hours are Special Forces. If your turn around time on a move is starting Thursday night and needing to be done by Sunday night, you better hope you’re moving a 1-bedroom broom closet. Moving a multi-room apartment, home, or office takes planning and planning takes time. You can move quickly but only if you plan properly or pay an exorbitant amount of money. If you want to start a move off on the wrong foot, wait until the last minute. What could possibly go wrong?
4. Who Needs A Plan? It’s Just Putting Stuff Into Boxes.
Do you know what could possibly go wrong? Nope. You don’t. You didn’t think to plan. You figured it’s just cardboard, tape, and muscles. How hard could it be? But you forgot that the box store is closed by the time you get off work and want to start packing. You need to throw a bunch of stuff away but don’t have enough outside garbage bins. For that matter, you don’t even have time to go through it all because, well, it’s Thursday night and all…
Don’t be that guy. You’re facing a logistics issue. Look at UPS and FedEx. They are two of the biggest logistics companies in the world. Does it look like they’re just winging it? It’s not like they just said…
3. No Worries, There’s Gotta Be a Truck Available at Home Depot or Something
No. Just, no. This is not an acceptable answer when you’re trying to get everything you own into a truck to haul to a new place. You aren’t allowed to be that casual with your life. I mean, don’t you watch Gordon Ramsey on TV? What would he say? “My god man, have some standards!”
When you move, you have to move with the proper equipment and materials. That means you need your truck or moving company booked 4-6 weeks in advance. You need to estimate boxes, tape, markers, padding, and time.
The whole thing about moving is that you want to be moving. If you’re not prepared, all you’re going to do is be shopping for the things you need to move. This is why planning is important. If you know what you need ahead of time, you spend your time getting your things packed and moved and no time tying up loose ends.
It’s great that you’re around to move because you probably invited friends…
2. For Sure, My CrossFit Bros Will Help Me Move. Pizza and Beer on Me.
Your CrossFit bros are awesome. It’s the perfect kind of muscle to have around. With any luck they’ll try to pack the truck in some kind of new world record. But if you’re a family that’s moving quantity, you might want to wait and call the CrossFit bros to the new house for dinner and a Burpee Battle. You’ve got to look at the risks and the rewards. At issue: how much you like your stuff and how much you’re willing to pay to keep it in ideal condition. Also, are you on a real schedule? And how reliable are these friends? What happens if one backs out or gets a cold or is just really lame the day they’re there to help?
It sucks. That’s what happens. You have to sit there and eat a big bowl of suck-noodles with suck-sauce because one of your buddies jammed you up. And you just know it’s going to be weird the next time you go back to CrossFit. And to think, you wanted to Burpee Battle the guy.
Look. Amateurs can be a great asset during your move. But likely you’ll have to baby sit them, they’ll be unreliable, painfully slow or carelessly fast, and you’ll strain some feelings and/or friendships. That’s a whole lot to risk just because you had a DIY ego about moving yourself.
Let me put it to you this way. Do you know why there are a million lawn care companies? It’s because nobody’s buddy wants to come over to mow their lawn. Your buddy doesn’t really want to come over and help you move either. Call the pros. It’s why we’re here.
1. This Can’t Cost More Than Like a Hundred Bucks.
Let me promise you this. It’s totally gonna cost more than $100. That’s $40 for boxes and tape, $30 for beer and pizza, $30 for gas and… wait, no truck rental?
The sad truth is, moving is expensive. Moving happens during the start-up and shut-down phases of life. Shutting down something and starting something else up, even if it’s just an apartment, costs money. And we’re not even talking about the ways you can spend money turning on utilities and things like that. Getting a truck, some guys, boxes and other moving equipment, and finding the time to do it all, is an expense in time and money.
If you’re short on cash, that’s a problem that a list article can’t fix, but you can at least be prepared by knowing up front that you’re gonna spend more money than you think. This is true both of DIY and professional moves. That’s why we recommend getting an estimate before you move.
This way you can at least manage your budget. It’s doable, though more difficult, to budget for a DIY move.
A little foresight and planning goes a long way when you want a relatively easy and stress-free move. Wing it, don’t take it seriously, or just assuming that, “I got this dawg” does nothing but set you up for a lousy moving experience.
Want to let the pros handle your next move? If you’d like a custom quote from our “Clean Cut Movers” give us a call at 910-512-6999 or request a free quote online.
