Living in a new house is exciting, but the process of moving isn’t always associated with excitement. On the contrary, moving to a new house is often stressful as you need to accomplish several tasks before, during, and after your moving date.
There are no shortcuts to moving. You need to go through the same process as everyone else and pack your valuables, ensure that these are transported safely, unload them from vehicles—you get the idea. Fortunately, many strategies allow you to complete all of those tasks without unnecessary stress.
Here are five tips and tricks to make your move less stressful:
Start With A Plan
Just like with any other endeavor, it’s best to start your move with a plan. This lets you determine which tasks you should do first, which comes next, and how much time you have left before the actual moving date.
In general, your plan should include a to-do list of when you’re going to hire movers, reserve portable storage containers, and start packing your valuables. Don’t forget to allocate time to cleaning your new home and saying goodbye to your neighbors days before the move.
Depending on your preferences, you can create a plan from scratch or make use of to-do lists available on the internet. Having a plan is essential as it provides direction for the move and lets you become aware of some tasks you never considered in the first place.
Ask For Help
Although it can be tempting to take on the move by yourself, don’t do it. The entire process of moving can be overwhelming, and doing it alone will only result in stress.
Make your upcoming move hassle-free by asking friends and family for help. Any type of assistance provided by your loved ones—whether it’s packing your valuables, looking after your children and pets, and giving pieces of advice—will go a long way in making your move much easier.
Invest In Professional Movers
You’ll need all the help you can get when moving. So aside from enlisting the help of your friends and family, invest in professional movers. The best movers have the training, experience, and equipment to make your upcoming move a breeze.
There are different kinds of moving companies operating today. For instance, you can hire full-service packers who’ll take care of the entire move themselves—from packing your valuables to unloading everything into your new home. You can also hire professional movers experienced in transporting specialty items, such as pool tables and grand pianos.
No matter which type of movers you’re eyeing to hire, always compare at least three different options. In this way, you’ll know which moving company offers the most competitive rates.
Follow A Labelling System
The process of unpacking your valuables can get tiresome if you don’t know which moving boxes belong to which rooms. When all of your moving boxes look the same, you’ll likely have to open each of them to determine where they should be placed or what items are stored inside.
The solution? Follow a labeling system when you pack your valuables. This’ll make it very easy for you to determine where to place your moving boxes when you arrive in your new home. When your moving boxes all have visible labels, you’ll minimize stress as you don’t have to worry if your valuables were packed during the move.
Color coding your boxes is one of the most common labeling systems you can use when moving. For instance, valuables for the kitchen can be packed in a box with a green marking, while items for the bedroom can be stored inside yellow moving boxes.
Start Packing ASAP
Packing is probably the most tedious and time-consuming chore when moving. The more valuables you plan on bringing, the more time and effort you need to spend packing.
Another way to minimize stress when moving is to start packing as soon as possible. Ideally, you should slowly pack your valuables right after you find your next home. When time is on your hands, you can pack effectively, avoid leaving any valuables behind, and ensure that you still have time to accomplish other tasks for the move.
Aside from packing early, these tips can help you reduce stress when packing:
- Pack per room: Packing all the valuables in all of your rooms in one day can be overwhelming. Never do this when packing for a move. Instead, focus on one room at a time.
- Don’t leave empty space in the boxes: Maximize your moving boxes by filling gaps with different pieces of clothing, linens, or towels. This’ll reduce the number of moving boxes you’ll use and ensure that your moving boxes are properly balanced.
- Don’t put items from different rooms in one box: This’ll only make it difficult to properly label your boxes and unpack everything after.
Make Happy Memories On Your Next Move
You’ll have several to-dos when moving, but there are many tips and tricks out there to make the process smoother and easier. As long as you follow everything presented in this article, your next move will be hassle-free and even make the experience fun for the entire family.