5 Huge Mistakes People Make When They Move—Plus How to Avoid Them

Don’t get caught up in a moving mishap.

Most everyone can agree that moving isn’t fun—in fact, some people absolutely dread it, so much so that even the best moving tips and moving checklist can’t make it better. But moving doesn’t have to be a horrible experience. Having a good attitude about moving can certainly help make the process better, but so can avoiding common moving pitfalls.

Moving is stressful in part because so much can go wrong in so many different ways, and many of those ways are out of movers’ control. Bad weather on the day of your move can derail the whole process completely; a flaky moving company can bring everything to a halt. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to prevent or control those types of pitfalls, but there are a few common mistakes that are wholly preventable. According to a new survey from furniture company Article—conducted by OnePoll—of 2,000 people who have moved before, the average person makes five different moving mistakes in a single move, and 44 percent of people have made the same moving mistake more than once.

Step one in accomplishing a mistake-free move is learning from previous mistakes (that’s true for all life endeavors, really), but step two is being aware of common moving mistakes and taking steps to avoid them in your own move. Knowledge is power, right?

According to the survey, the most common moving mistake is leaving packing to the last minute, something 45 percent of people are guilty of. Next is realizing that furniture won’t fit into its intended room in the new space (something 37 percent of people have experienced), followed by doing everything on one’s own, which 36 percent of people have attempted. Not saving enough for moving expenses and a delayed delivery of new furniture round out the top five moving mistakes, with 35 percent and 34 percent of people, respectively, having done so.

Common sense dictates that, for a smoother move, you should just avoid those mistakes; the survey took it a step further, though, asking respondents for smart moving advice. The top advice includes giving yourself time to plan everything out, measuring furniture and doorways (in both the starting and final locations), throwing away or donating unneeded items, learning proper packing techniques, and decluttering before the move.

Following some of that advice can be challenging—the survey found that the most stressful parts of moving are cleaning the old place, planning moving logistics, and packing up the old space, all of which are included in those top moving tips—but in the end, it makes for a smoother move. (For those wondering, other top moving stressors are putting together furniture and managing children during the move, though gathering moving boxes has got to be on that list somewhere.)

Avoid these common moving mistakes, take the smart moving tips to heart, and keep a cool head, and your big move will be a breeze—hopefully. At the very least, you’ll know you did everything you could to make the process less stressful.