Relocating to Chicago? Avoid Common Moving Disasters

Moving is considered to be one of the top most stressful life events, right along with divorce, death of a loved one, illness and job loss. If you’re relocating to Chicago for work, you’re probably excited to embark on this great new adventure. And, avoiding potential moving disasters can help make things a whole lot easier so you can focus on your next step.

Don’t Fall Prey to Moving Company Scams

If you’ve decided to use a moving company to take your belongings to Chicago, be sure to do your due diligence in researching the business. One scam that’s been in the news a number of times recently involves people who have paid thousands of dollars to have their household items moved only to never see them again.

To avoid this nightmare situation, get a recommendation from your real estate agent as to which moving professionals to use. If that’s not an option, your new employer may be able to refer you to a reputable company. Verify its reputation by checking with your area’s Better Business Bureau to see if complaints have been filed as well as the black list kept on MovingScam.com. The site also endorses quality, reputable movers, and maintains a message board focused on consumer experiences.

Use Cloud Storage

Even if you don’t use a moving company, many important things can get lost or misplaced during the transition. You can mitigate at least part of that risk by uploading all of your important documents, photos and other irreplaceable items to the cloud. This will ensure that all of your data is safely stored.

Before doing so, conduct some research to make sure the company you use has a good reputation as well as solid security polices put into place. If you don't know where to start or how to change your cloud provider, check Top 10 Cloud Storage for comparisons and reviews of cloud solution companies.

Don’t Rely on Help From Your Friends

If you’re moving everything on your own, you may think that you can rely on your friends to help out, but even the best of friends don’t always show up. They could get sick or even win a trip to Tahiti at the last minute, you never know. To avoid this unpleasant disaster, hire moving helpers through sites like MovingHelp or by searching the services section in your local area on CraigsList. It doesn’t cost much, takes the burden off of your friends and relieves a lot of moving day stress.

Get a Big Enough Truck

Many people underestimate the amount of things they have. It’s easy to assume that all you’ll need is that small moving truck, but you don't want to find out at the last minute that not everything will fit into it. To avoid this problem, overestimate the amount of room that you’ll need when reserving your moving truck. It’s better to have more space than not enough, and it usually doesn’t cost that much more.

Avoid Moving Truck Accidents

As many people aren’t used to driving a big vehicle like a moving truck, accidents are more likely to happen. To avoid a potentially huge financial disaster, be sure to purchase insurance that will cover costs in case the unthinkable does happen. If you aren’t covered and the truck is damaged, you’ll be forced to pay for everything out of your pocket.

To decrease the risk of getting into an accident in the first place, be sure to drive defensively, increase your stopping distance and be aware of overhead clearance.