Moving Guides: Common Moving Mistakes & Disasters

People so often talk about how stressful moving is. We'd like to take the 'sting' out of it by shedding light on some of the most common 'disasters' that people may encounter when organising their furniture removal and how to prevent them from happening to you. The aim of this article is to empower you with information so that you can avoid the common pitfalls and make your move run smooth.


Increasingly people seek to save money by moving themselves. Sometimes this can work out, but you need to be prepared for the pitfalls.

Moving yourself to save money is often a false economy – it may not cost as much to hire a moving truck, but breakages resulting from your inexperience can be much more costly. You need to be extra careful and take your time.

An experienced furniture removalist can have your job done in a fraction of the time than you and your friends can. If you need to hire a truck for longer periods, is the cost difference going to be as big as you thought? The costs of hiring a removal truck yourself can be higher than they appear at first glance. What about hidden costs like insurance for the rental? And what is the excess if you damage the truck? Trucks also cost a fortune in fuel. Have you accounted for this when calculating the differences between moving yourself and hiring professionals?

Moving is hard work. If you plan to move yourself, make sure it's worth the risk and hassle.


Often people take the chance that their goods will not be damaged or go missing in transit. It's true that breakages and items going missing are relatively rare occurrences and it's more than likely that you'll be fine. You should, however, consider the inherent risks involved in any form of transport when deciding whether to cover your goods in transit, as well as the level and amount of cover you may require.

It's more than likely that you have home and contents insurance. It's likely that you wouldn't dream of being without it. Often, though, people don't have the same attitude when it comes to moving their goods, often over long distances. Naturally your goods are at a higher level of risk in transit than they are sitting in the relative safety of your own home.

WebMoves offers several levels of Transit Protection you should consider when booking your move. Click here for details.


There's so much advice on the Internet these days about packing for your furniture removal. So much of it is wrong. Often, people will suggest saving money by using random cartons from your local shops. This, plainly, is a terrible idea and an even worse way to save money. Purpose specific furniture removal cartons exist to provide adequate protection for your furniture and personal items from the rigours of transport. Cartons that have not been built for this purpose often won't endure a furniture removal. This advice that sought to save you money has just cost you a small fortune in broken personal belongings. Purchasing second hand furniture removal cartons is a much better way to save you money and heartbreak.

For more information read our guide: Moving Guides: Ten Top Packing Tips


What could be worse than your removalist breaking down and being late? Having the carpet cleaner, settlement on your property and tickets to fly interstate to your new home all scheduled for the same day as your removalist breaking down. That's worse.

No furniture removalist wants to be late. They'll often go to extremes to be on time. That said, there are so many factors that can impinge on a furniture removalist's ability to arrive on time. It's the nature of transport in general. Whatever the intent of your removalist, it's you that needs to be prepared for delays or it'll be you picking up the pieces.

Try and organise your move for the day before any other major scheduled undertakings. Have someone else on standby if you need to leave. Stay contactable, so that if the removalist is having trouble you'll be informed at the earliest possible point. In general, be as flexible as possible. That way you can relax and stop worrying about the 'what if's' and enjoy the transition into your new life.


Do you have access issues at pickup or delivery? Have you told your removalist, comprehensively, about everything that needs to be moved? The more information you share with your removalist, the smoother your move will run. In advance, it is simple to organise a ferry vehicle if the driveway at pickup or delivery is not accessible by truck. It is a big stumbling block if the truck has already arrived. Be sure to be clear about everything relating to your move early on. Everyone wants your furniture removal to be a success...disclosing everything can help bring this to fruition.


Before the truck arrives at pickup be sure to move your personal and important documents to a safe place where they won't be mistakenly packed. Recovering your birth certificates, passports, airline tickets, deeds, etc. from a fully laden truck (that may have already left by the time you realise) may be difficult – if not impossible.



Disclaimer: The information, facts and opinions supplied by Web Moves.com.au Pty Ltd have been prepared to provide general information and Web Moves.com.au Pty Ltd disclaims any responsibility for any known or unknown consequences that may result from reliance on any information provided on this site. The information supplied by Web Moves.com.au Pty Ltd is no substitute for legal, medical, or other professional advice. Under no circumstances shall Web Moves.com.au Pty Ltd be liable for any incidental, special or consequential damages, including damages for loss of business or other profits and the like, arising out of the use or inability to use the information.