Whether you’re moving for a new job or to be closer to your favorite sports team, there is no denying that moving can be a large undertaking that can be both physically and mentally exhausting. Luckily, with a little planning, it can be much less of a headache.
If you want your move to be easy, just follow these rules:
Rule #1: Plan It Out
A moving checklist will help ensure that nothing is slipping your mind, as well as help you craft a plan that lays out everything that needs to be done 2 months before moving all the way to delivery day. An absolute must if you want to keep your move stress-free and on schedule
A few key items that should make it on your checklist:
- Sort through your current home and donate or trash anything unusable, not used, or that won’t fit into your new home
- Change your address at the post office, bank, utilities, and subscriptions.
- Return borrowed items to family and friends, especially if you’re moving far.
- Defrost refrigerator and freezer
- Schedule vehicle relocation with a firm like Cars Relo if you’re moving across country
Rule #2: Toss the Clutter
Before you start packing, consider going through your home and assessing what you truly want and need. Getting rid of items before the move can help make moving easier, and sometimes even cheaper.
Start by sorting through one room at a time and when you come across something you aren’t sure about, ask yourself these two questions:
- Have I used this in the past 2 years?
- Will this fit into my new home?
If the answer is no for either, consider tossing or donating
Rule #3: Take Photos
We aren’t exactly talking about capturing moments from your move—although those are never discouraged—but rather photos that will aid you in setting up your new space. If you have to disassemble a piece of furniture to move it, it may help to take photos of it in various disassembled stages to remember how it goes together. Or that tangle of cords behind your TV? If you don’t think you will remember what goes where a photo can be invaluable.
Rule #4: Avoid Scammers
The manpower and resources that professional movers provide will automatically bring ease to the moving process, but only if the movers are actually credible. Accidentally hiring a fly-by-night-scammer can leave you without your money and with a whole lot of stress, so make sure that the help you hire checks out.
The first step to finding a good moving company? Make sure they have the following:
- Proof of insurance
- A state and national Department of Transportation license number
- A profile on bbb.com that confirms a good reputation
- Think Local? Look into a local furniture delivery service
Rule #5: Start Packing Early
Not hiring movers to pack for you? This might be a hard pill to swallow if you are a bit of a procrastinator, but it definitely will make your move easier in the long run: You can start packing things you won’t need in the foreseeable future around a month before your move. Seasonal décor or rooms that get less use are always a great place to start.
Rule #6: Involve Your Kids
Speaking of packing, if you have kids, get them involved in the process. It can help them feel more in control of what is happening, thus making it easier for them to settle into their new home. After all, moving means that they might have to go to a new school and leave behind friends, so the moving process can be very stressful for them.
- Allow older kids to pack their own rooms and host a yard sale with unwanted household items.
- For kids that are too young to pack, encourage them to “help” by labeling boxes with crayon pictures.
Rule #7: Pack Properly
However, there are some things that you can skip the kids’ help on, such as fragile items. After all, the last thing you want to do is find that your grandmother’s gravy boat shattered in the move due to improper packing. It pays to learn to properly pack fragile items, and it will only take a few minutes of your time.
Here are some tips to get you started for smaller items:
- Use new and sturdy boxes meant for moving
- Bubble wrap or packing paper is a must
- Don’t overpack these boxes, but use plenty of packing paper in between the box and items to make sure nothing shifts
- Mark the box clearly as FRAGILE
Rule #8: Just Breathe
Our final rule, and arguably the most important: just breathe. The reality is that moving is stressful and has a lot of moments that can overwhelm, but by implementing a few of our rules and remembering to breathe, you will be settled into your new home in no time!
