Five Things You Must Do To Make A Stress-Free Move

Moving is a big job that takes a lot of time and preparation. Your goal is to, with the help of your local movers, get all of your belongings safely to your new home. I'm going to share with you five lessons I've learned from moving.

 Start Early 

One lesson from moving I've learned is to start packing early. With the exception of the things you use regularly, such as your kitchen appliances, toiletries, and seasonal clothing, you should get started on your packing at least six weeks before you plan to move. Set aside a set of dishware and cutlery, along with a few glasses, and get started packing up your kitchen. Because the majority of your kitchen items are fragile and need to be wrapped before boxing, this is not a job you want to save for the last minute.  

 Get Rid Of Junk 

Another lesson I've learned from moving is that having to unpack and deal with a bunch of unwanted stuff is a waste of time and effort. Don't bother packing anything that you don't want; your moving company most likely offers junk removal as well as moving services. Rather than having to deal with the stuff that is broken or that you no longer need when you get to your new home, junk hauling frees you from having to worry with unwanted items. 

 Label Your Boxes 

Efficiently

The third lesson I've learned from moving is that hand writing labels for boxes or writing the contents on the outside of the box wastes a lot of time. In addition, it is more difficult for your movers to figure out where each box goes if they have to stop and read the labels. A color coded and numbered system of labels is much more efficient. Designate a different color label for each room of your home, put a number on the labels, and affix the labels to all four sides of each box. The movers can see instantly where to put each box, saving both them and you a lot of time. 

Maintain A Master List Of Inventory 

Another important lesson I've learned from moving is to keep a master list of inventory of the boxes. Rather than writing the contents on the box, keep inventory sheets on each box and place them in a binder or folder. When you get to your new home, you can check the list to see which boxes need to be opened first. Since they're color coded, the boxes should be in the correct rooms; you just need to check the number to quickly locate the necessary boxes.  

 Keep Parts Together 

The fifth lesson I've learned from moving is to keep all parts of your appliances, furniture, etc. together. For example, keep your printer cord with your printer when you pack it, and keep your connecting cables with the components they go with. While putting all of your cords in one box may seem like a good idea, not keeping them with the components they belong to could leave you digging frantically through boxes trying to find the right cord, or trying to figure out which cord goes with which item.