The Top 5 Moving Mistakes Across America

Everyone knows that moving is stressful. It’s hard, it’s annoying, it’s time consuming… but usually, it’s worth it. You get to move into a brand new space, more right for you and your family. Maybe it’s bigger. Maybe it’s smaller. Maybe it’s more affordable. Maybe it’s pet-friendly! However, the excitement of moving is often eclipsed by the little mistakes that get in the way of our joy. We launched a survey with OnePoll to 2,000 Americans to understand the biggest stressors of the moving process. The survey highlighted yes, moving is in fact stressful. It also revealed the five common mistakes that people make during a move. At Article, we’re all about making it easy, so we have a few tips on how best to avoid them.

Moving Mistakes

You know that old saying? “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me”? This is the tagline of moving. A study of 2,000 adults who have moved at some point in their life found that the average person makes five different mistakes in a single move… and 44% have made the same mistake more than once. The most common moving mistakes are…

• Last minute packing. 45% of Americans report feeling VERY STRESSED about having left their packing to the last possible second.
• Ill-fitting furniture affects 37% of Americans trying to move. Picture this: your beloved modern sofa doesn’t fit through the front door; your kids’ bed is too big for their designated room; the wall where you’d planned to out your dresser isn’t quite as big as you thought. Cue stress tears.
• Not saving enough for moving expenses affects 36% of American.
• Trying to do everything yourself was identified by 35% as a major moving mistake. Cue those nerves beginning to sizzle.
• New furniture! Delivered late. 34% of respondents identified this as a moving mistake that really iced the proverbial cake.

It’s interesting to see more than a third of Americans cited issues with furniture as a frequent moving mistake. To help ease your shattered nerves, start the process early and get in touch with people and companies who will make your move easier, from packing to delivery. Conducting an audit of your belongings and furniture will give you an early sense of what you need to pack, donate, and purchase before moving day. Once you’ve got the keys to your new place (yay!), measure your furniture and block out potential layouts so you have an early sense of what will and won’t work in your new home… before you’ve moved everything there.

Stress Fest

We asked our survey respondents how moving ranked in comparison to some other pretty high-stress life moments. Spoiler alert: it ranked near the top.

• Losing a job: 36%
• Moving to a new home: 34%
• Planning a wedding: 28%
• Getting married: 20%
• Starting a new job: 20%
• Having my phone die when lost: 17%
• Having a child: 16%
• A job interview: 16%
• Meeting a partners’ parents for the first time: 11%
• Filing taxes: 10%

Based on the above factors, it’s no surprise that our survey revealed that Americans feel that moving is one of life’s most stressful events, ahead of planning a wedding or having a child.

When we asked what some of the biggest moving stressors are, we weren’t surprised to learn that cleaning, furniture assembly, logistics, and managing kids took the top spots.

• 41% of people reveal that THEY HATE CLEANING. Specifically, they hate cleaning their old house.
• An engineer, you are not. 36% of Americans say that putting together their furniture is the worst part about moving.
• 36% of Americans also hate the grind of planning out the logistics of moving day. When does the truck arrive? Does everyone have the new address? Where are the kids? When did you eat last?
• 35% of Americans say packing is the most stressful part of their move. Whether it’s arguing with your spouse over what to keep vs. what to ditch, trying to eat without having access to your pots and pans, or just that packing sucks… we get it.
• Got kids? A lot of you do. 34% of survey respondents said that managing their children is hands down the worst part about trying to move.

Between cleaning, wrangling the kids, rebuilding every piece of furniture you own, and PACKIIIIIING, it’s no wonder moving is one of life’s biggest stressors.

Roommate Problems

Even if you have the best kids/spouse/best friend/roommate/dog/sense of self-reliance out there, the survey found it’s hard to move with other people. Unsurprisingly, children nabbed the top spot.

• 30% of Americans agree that children are terrible to move with. Don’t even attempt it. Wait until they’re 18 and have left home.
• 21% feel that their spouse is the most difficult person to experience a move with. Update all wedding vows to “in sickness and during difficult relocations.”
• Coming in third with 16% of survey respondents was the category “roommates.” No one can agree who’s turn it is to clean the bathroom.
• In the last position with 8%: pets. Probably because they’re so good for snuggles once the move is finally complete.

Moving house can be painful. But a little foresight and some careful planning can make the process feel a little more sane… and maybe a little fun?

“It’s no surprise Americans find moving stressful and that more than a third cited issues with furniture as a frequent moving mistake. The survey illustrates furniture delivery and setup have a significant impact on the moving experience,” said Andy Prochazka, CMO of Article.

But, it’s not all doom and gloom. 82% of those surveyed said they were able to learn from their moving mistakes and not make the same ones in the future.

Prochazka added “There are ways to make the process easier and a lot less painful, such as opting for furniture assembly services or selecting companies that provide on-the-spot troubleshooting if you encounter an issue at delivery. Choosing the right business will help alleviate some of the stress that comes with furniture related moving mistakes so you can relax in your new home faster.”

Even if you don’t love the moving process, having moved is exciting. Now settle in, order a pizza, and let’s start unpacking boxes, shall we?