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Moving Advice from a Traveling Nurse

Growing up, my two main passions were helping others and traveling. These passions made choosing my dream career easy, and I am now a traveling nurse and love it. If there is anything I have mastered outside of the field of healthcare it is making quick moves around the country! There was a huge learning curve to it, because before I began traveling for work, I lived in the same house for my entire life. To help other people who move frequently for work purposes or who are just relocating for the first time in many years, I thought I would create a blog to share my moving tips. I plan to create new posts here and there during my downtime, and I hope I can help you master your next move with ease and without a lot of stress!

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Moving Advice from a Traveling Nurse

Moving Day Mistakes To Avoid If You Want To Maintain Your Sanity

by Tom Evans

Moving is a stressful endeavor that can quickly backslide into chaos if you're not careful. With a deadline and a lot to pack, you can't really afford the time to learn from your own mistakes. Instead, take a look at these mistakes that others often make on moving day -- and learn from them now so you don't make the same ones!

Mistake #1: Assuming that packing a few last-minute boxes won't take long.

Putting off the rest of your packing until the last minute is never a good idea. Packing those last three or four boxes always takes longer than you assume, which puts you behind schedule and leaves you feeling rushed and stressed for the rest of the day. If there's still packing to do when you wake up on moving day, get it done immediately rather than putting it off.

Mistake #2: Inviting too many people to help.

Many hands make light the work -- but there's definitely such a thing as having too many helpers. With too many people around to "help you move," you'll just start tripping over each other and arguing. Invite a few choice friends -- three or four is plenty in most cases -- and avoid asking anyone who has the reputation of being lazy or disagreeable to help you. Your smaller army will be more productive because you can keep them organized and ensure everyone stays on task.

Mistake #3: Not setting aside the essentials.

It's common to wait until the morning of the move to pack things like your toothbrush and towels. But just packing these things into your general boxes is a mistake. When you arrive at your new home, you'll probably need some of these items immediately or the next day. So, packing them up in a separate essentials box will make your life much easier. Some things to include in your first-night/essentials box are:

  • Personal hygiene items
  • Towels
  • Linens
  • A change of clothes
  • Some snacks and perhaps prepared breakfast items
  • Water bottles
  • Important paperwork

Mistake #4: Failing to reschedule in dangerous weather.

If it's dripping a little outside, then by all means, put tarps over your furniture and tough it out so you can get moving over with. But if there are truly dangerous weather conditions like a blinding snowstorm or incoming tornado, then you absolutely must reschedule your move. No matter how inconvenient this may be, it's essential for your safety. 

Mistake #5: Failing to secure appliances in the truck.

You might assume a refrigerator is so heavy that it won't move or slide when the truck rounds the corner. But making that assumption could cost you a fridge, plus a lot of crushed items that end up under the fallen fridge. Secure anything and everything -- but especially your heavy appliances -- using the tension moving straps that typically come in a moving truck.

Mistake #6: Forgoing packing materials.

Especially if you're only moving a short distance, you may be tempted to just "risk it" and put items like mugs and picture frames into boxes without any bubble wrap or tissue paper. But this is asking for trouble. Not only will the items be damaged if they get jostled in the moving truck or accidentally dropped, but they can also create glass shards that could cause an injury.

By avoiding these mistakes, you'll be off to a better start on moving day. If the entire process of moving just seems overwhelming and burdensome to you, then consider hiring professionals from a company like Bekins Van Lines Inc instead. They'll pack everything up, load it into a truck, drive it to your new home, and unload it for you. How's that for simplicity?

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