Columbia SC home selling should be a happy occasion. Often, however, the next step – moving out of one home and into the next – can be stressful at best and sometimes downright traumatic. Taking a few necessary precautions can make it less worrisome, maybe almost enjoyable.

Columbia SC Home Selling – A Moving Experience

Most people dread moving because of the unforeseen problems that seem to occur at every turn. A torrential rain comes as soon as the movers are loading the truck. Your car loaded with items you wanted to personally transport has an untimely flat tire. You know the drill… these things never happen at a good time, but why do they happen on an already-stressful moving day?

Following the Columbia SC home selling experience, most of the common moving nightmares fall into one of these three categories. Let’s take a look at what usually happens and how we can best avoid them.

Incompetent Movers
You'd think in this day and age, a reputable moving company wouldn’t have incompetent or untrained people serving its customers. However, as with any other business, it happens. It’s not uncommon for many moving horror stories to revolve around unscrupulous, inexperienced or downright bad movers.

Columbia SC home selling – and especially moving – is a time-sensitive process. As such, when movers are late or – worse yet – don’t show up the resulting domino-effect can be frustrating and borderline disastrous. If you’re an understanding customer, you may give them a certain window of time before you call the moving company and complain. More times than not, you’re met with excuses about why your movers are running late or haven’t shown up yet. These excuses range from traffic jams to mechanical breakdowns to delays on a previous move. No matter the reason, you’re ready to move and they aren’t there.

Movers who are inexperienced, untrained or careless add to the stress, worry and anger levels. More frustrating for homeowners having just completed the Columbia SC home selling process is that the end may not be in sight. Just when you think the hard part is over, the moving process often ends up being the worst experience.

A moving crew shows up with an undersized truck – despite your best description of what was needed to be moved, how many rooms of furniture, packed boxes, etc. Didn’t they listen when they booked your move? How can they be so incompetent and stay in business?

You watch in horror as the movers scratch your brand new mahogany dining room table and break your grandmother’s antique mirror. And those are just the damages you can see – there’s no telling what other horrors await when they move your belongings into your new home.

There is good news, however. There are relatively easy ways to avoid the moving pitfalls. Spend some time researching your movers prior to hiring them. Make sure they are licensed and insured. Ask for references and contact them to get their feedback. Check with the local Better Business Bureau or Chamber of Commerce to find out more about their business reputation and professionalism. It’s probably a good idea to purchase additional insurance for your possessions, depending on the moving company’s liability limits. Consult your insurance agent for more information.

Traffic Problems
Things that occur on the road to and from your move can often cause or contribute to added stress.

Traffic jams can delay the moving truck, sometimes to the point there may not be enough time to handle the move on a particular day. Again, the domino-effect means since you can’t move out on time, the floor refinishers can’t get in the house to do what they need to do for the new buyers, and the new buyers can’t move until the floors are completed. Often, a few hours delay may result in several days of additional delays – and possibly additional expenses.

Traffic accidents, of course, mean the moving truck will have to wait until the damaged vehicles are moved and traffic is returned to normal.  Depending on the time, location and severity of the accident this could take an hour or longer. Worse still is if the accident actually involves the moving truck carrying your possessions. Then, not only do you have the delay to contend with, but any damages that may have occurred.

Mechanical failures or breakdowns are fairly common in older moving trucks due in part to the number of miles they are driven and the wear and tear they endure. In the event of a breakdown, you’ll have to wait for the moving company to send a second truck to transfer your furniture and other possessions. That creates additional delays and increases the chances damage may occur during the transfer.

Parking problems, surprisingly, account for added stress levels during a move. Especially in the case of a move to a downtown apartment complex where parking is limited or restricted, the moving truck may have to wait for an appropriate parking space. An alternative – though not a good one – is for the truck to park farther away than expected, thereby slowing down the moving process and potentially causing you to have to pay extra for the delay or long-carry charges.

While there’s virtually nothing you can do to prevent traffic accidents or breakdowns, it may be possible to reserve a parking space accessible to your new location. In addition, you can choose a moving company with experienced drivers and whose vehicles are in good operating condition.

Poor Organization
One way to potentially avoid most moving problems following your Columbia SC home selling is to plan as carefully as possible. A plan including each step of the relocation process complete with attention to detail and an allowance for delays may give you additional peace of mind. Although it’s impossible to predict and plan for every potential problem, expecting the unexpected is usually a good preparation and planning tool. When possible, have a back-up plan just in case.

Additional examples of poor organization include packing problems or not being prepared when the movers arrive. The list can range from forgetting the piano won’t fit through the front door to not having the various boxes labeled properly.

In addition, paperwork problems can often lead to additional delays. If you forget to transfer the utilities, when the movers arrive at your new home you may not have electricity or water.

Lastly, safety issues should be of utmost concern during the moving process. Remember, there will be many items that will be out of place. That could mean potential trip, slip and fall hazards. Plus, many homeowners find themselves distracted when negotiating steps, stairs or when driving in unfamiliar surroundings.

Hopefully some of these tips will help you have a smoothe moving day. Remember to also Find us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter. We post tips there each day as well.