Unfortunately, surprises can still crop up and derail your moving day. Take a deep breath: we’ve listed out some of the most commonly encountered problems so you can hopefully avoid them or, at worst, know how to deal with them if they occur. Don’t worry, you’ll get through it!

#1. Get Organized

It seems like packing usually takes more time than anyone thinks it should. Hopefully, you have created a moving checklist with a timeline that will help you stay on track, but sometimes unforeseen circumstances cause delays or add new tasks to your list.

To avoid the last-minute moving day stress, do your best to stay on or ahead of schedule, and be realistic about how much time it will take you to do each task. If you still find yourself staring down moving day, sitting amidst piles of unpacked belongings? Consider contacting your moving company and requesting their assistance with packing. It will likely cost extra, but it will save you the trouble and cost of rescheduling the move entirely.

#2. The furniture won’t fit down the stairs or out the door

You got that couch up the stairs, so you should be able to get it down, right? Sometimes the laws of physics just don’t work that way. If your moving company says your furniture just isn’t going to fit without possibly causing damage, you have a few choices.

First, can the furniture be disassembled? That might include removing couch feet or table legs, which can give you the few extra inches you need. Also, taking the door off its hinges might give you just a couple of inches of extra space that will let the movers slide the door through. 

#3. Your friends/family bail on your DIY move

Your siblings are great, but they just aren’t the most dependable. Do-it-yourself moves might initially seem like a money-saving plan, but sometimes they end up being more of a headache than they’re worth. Scheduling everyone, working with everyone’s ideas, and dealing with your uncle’s bad back can make your move far more complicated. 

If you want to avoid moving problems of the family kind, do yourself a favor and hire a team of professional movers. They won’t argue with you about every little thing, and that alone is worth the extra money.

#4. The movers won’t transport one or more of your items

Several moving companies aren’t equipped to transport more delicate things like antique furniture, wine collections, pianos, or artwork. So while you are researching moving quotes, be sure to include an inquiry about these specialized skills and equipment if you know you will need them.

Prior to moving day, it’s also a good idea to have a look at the things that moving companies won’t move and make sure you don’t have any of them ready and waiting. Things like power equipment and hazardous materials can’t go in a moving truck. 

#5. Bad weather

Moving to a new house can’t be weather-dependent and nobody can predict what the weather will be like when you book your movers. Bad weather moving issues are never fun, but they can be managed with a little resourcefulness.

• In case you are moving in heavy rain, gather materials to cover the floors in the entryway of your houses like moving blankets or tarps. Purchase lots of oversized trash bags, and then plan to get the moving truck as close to your home as possible.

• If the day is going to be excessively hot, take good care of your family and the movers! Prepare with plenty of water, take lots of breaks to cool off in the shade, and if your kids or pets will be hanging out while you pack, clear out one room where you can have air conditioning or fans running to keep them cool. 

• Snow is an entirely different beast. In the case that your move is just across town, you may be able to still manage things. If you’re looking at a long-distance journey and the roads are bad, your moving company may choose to postpone your move at no charge to you. If that is an option, it’s better to be safe. 

#6. The movers are late or don’t show up

You thought it only happened in the movies, huh? Unfortunately not. There are, of course, varying levels of unreliable movers. There are the ones who let you know that something is causing a delay and they will be late, and there are the ones who just go MIA even though you confirmed with them just yesterday.

The best prevention against ending up with unreliable movers is to hire vetted, reputable movers, and compare rates across a few companies. It usually doesn’t take long for a company that has a history of no-shows to get some scathing reviews online, so be on the lookout.

And if you find yourself dealing with an unfortunate no-show, there are a few immediate steps:

1. Call them! Make sure you have the phone number for your movers readily available on moving day. They may have a very good reason why they haven’t shown up, or there may have been confusion. 

2. If the company doesn’t answer after a few calls, it’s time to triage. You can file a complaint later.

3. Get online and look for last-minute moving companies if your schedule demands that you move out immediately, or find a company that can move you in the next few days if you have a little more wiggle room.

All in all, most moving problems can be managed with good planning. But we’ve got our fingers crossed that your moving day goes entirely smoothly. Let us help!