As a professional moving company, we’ve seen it all when it comes to moving.
And we’ve seen all the different characters that come out when moving house too.
While most people are super helpful when it comes to moving day, there are a handful of characters that will make moving a complete nightmare.
So we’ve compiled a list of these unwanted characters and most importantly, how to avoid them when moving house!
5 Characters You Should Avoid When Moving House
The Dodgy Removalist
The first character you’ll want to avoid is the Dodgy Removalist.
The Dodgy Removalist claims to be a trustworthy moving expert. They might promise that they’re always on time. Or that their prices are the cheapest. Or that they’ll be there to help you move from start to finish. Sounds too good to be true, right?
Probably because it is, unfortunately.
The Dodgy Removalist can make moving house a total nightmare. They’ll turn up late, or not turn up at all. They’ll charge you “additional costs” that you were completely unaware of. And they’ll do the bare minimum when it comes to packing and transporting your possessions.
How To Avoid
The best way to ensure you avoid the dodgy removalist is to do your research! Take a look at the reviews online when picking a removalist, because a dodgy removalist is bound to have some bad reviews. Then find a removalist with great reviews and ask for a detailed quote so there are no nasty surprises when you get the bill.
Gentle Giant Removals & Relocations are a trusted removalist on the Central Coast. So if you’re looking for a quote with full transparency, contact us today.
The DIY Diva
The DIY Diva is apparently an expert at all things moving.
If you’ve decided against hiring a professional removalist, the DIY Diva is the person that takes charge of literally everything. Packing? They have an “amazing” technique for packing that they’ll make you use. Transportation? No need to worry, they can fit everything into their small car or they’ll insist on driving the hire truck. Heavy lifting? The fridge is a one-person job for the DIY Diva, so don’t bother trying to help. Unpacking? Again, no need to worry, they’ll not only unpack but they’ll practically do all the interior designing for you as well.
Sounds great at face value, but the DIY Diva often creates more problems on moving day than they solve. Their “amazing” packing technique? They ended up overpacking the boxes which caused damage to a bunch of items. Their transportation? Turns out the DIY Diva is not as good at driving a truck as they claimed. Their heavy lifting? Not only did they drop the fridge, but they pulled their back doing it as well. And their interior design skills? They’d be lucky to score a 1 on The Block.
How To Avoid
Fortunately, the DIY Diva is manageable. The one thing you can’t knock the DIY Diva for is their willingness to help. You just have to be assertive and focus their energy in the right direction. Have a clear action plan for moving and make sure you’re the one delegating tasks, not the other way around. Alternatively, you can hire a professional moving company to make your life easier.
The Speed Packer
The Speed Packer packs for a move like it’s a Guiness World Record attempt.
If you’ve left packing to the very last minute, then the Speed Packer could be the option for you. Even if you’re packing a few weeks out from moving day, the Speed Packer still packs as if the moving trucks will be in the driveway in 10 minutes.
However, this more often than not causes big problems when moving house. The Speed Packer will pack things so hurriedly that they don’t properly wrap your stuff, which can lead to a lot of damaged goods. They are also notorious for over-packing boxes and this results in boxes not only being too heavy to lift, but often breaking when you attempt to lift them.
How To Avoid
The best way to avoid any packing terrors from the Speed Packer is to use our simple packing guide. Be assertive, and make sure the Speed Packer slows down and packs things properly as shown in the guide.
The Procrastinator
The Procrastinator will avoid doing anything moving related until the very last minute.
Have they started packing yet? Nope, but they will “get started tomorrow”. Have they booked a removalist yet? Not yet, but it’s “on the list of things to do”. Have they booked leave for moving day yet? Of course they haven’t, but they’ll “talk to the boss soon”.
Moving house with a Procrastinator can be an absolute disaster. They always think they have more time than they have. And this often leads to moving mayhem. Fast forward to moving day and they’re likely to still be deciding which pair of white socks to keep while everyone else is packing their boxes into the moving truck.
How To Avoid
There’s only one way to guarantee a smooth move with a Procrastinator. And that is to prepare, prepare, prepare. Make up for the Procrastinator’s lack of preparation with over preparation. We have a thorough moving house checklist you can use to make sure you stay on top of things. Take it one step further and print the checklist out for the Procrastinator, and give them set dates to complete each activity.
The Hopeless Hoarder
The hopeless hoarder insists on keeping everything.
Whether it’s a dirty, holy t-shirt they haven’t worn in years, or an instruction manual for an old TV everyone knows how to use, it doesn’t matter. The hoarder will want to keep it.
This makes moving particularly chaotic because you find yourself packing enough stuff to fill 5 houses. You’ll end up needing more boxes, because the hopeless hoarder is filling them all up with their junk. And you’ll end up having to hire 2 trucks to fit all those boxes too.
How To Avoid
Moving house with a hopeless hoarder is tough, but you can make it work. It’s important to understand the situation. Hoarding is more than just a bad habit, and just forcing the hopeless hoarder to throw things out can lead to anxiety and stress. You have to be accommodating and formulate a moving strategy that you can agree upon with the hopeless hoarder. Focus on removing clutter where possible, but be willing to allow them to keep some things you might think is trash.
Avoid All The Drama When Moving House With A Professional Removalist
If you really want to avoid the drama of these characters when moving house, contact Gentle Giants Removals & Relocations today. Our removalists are professional and reliable, plus we can help with both local and interstate moves.
If you’re interested in a quote, fill out our online contact form and we’ll get back to you or fill out our estimate form now!
