Moving ranks right up there with divorce and job loss on the list of life’s most stressful events. But most of that stress comes from poor planning, not from the move itself. A few weeks of preparation can turn a chaotic moving day into something almost boring.
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Start Packing Up Things You Don’t Need
The single best thing you can do weeks before your move is start packing up things that you don’t need right now. Off-season clothes, rarely used kitchen gadgets, books you won’t read before moving day. Box them up and get them out of your way. Just avoid packing anything you’ll actually use between now and then, because digging through sealed boxes to find your phone charger is its own kind of misery.
Got a spare room full of stuff you haven’t touched in months? That’s your starting point. If you’re not expecting visitors between now and the move, pack that room first and close the door.
Label every box with the room it belongs in at the new place. This one step saves hours of confusion on moving day.
Research New Places To Live
This sounds obvious, but plenty of people lock down a moving date before they’ve secured a destination. Start researching neighborhoods and home styles early enough that you’re not rushing into a decision you’ll regret.
Look into different areas, look into different styles of homes, and make sure that you’re mainly looking at move-in ready new homes or homes that are near move-in ready so that you don’t have to hang around if you don’t want to.
Hire The Right Services
Professional movers exist for a reason. Make sure that you hire the right services to help you through the moving process. Doing it yourself is where problems usually creep in: borrowed trucks that are too small, friends who cancel last minute, and injuries from lifting furniture at bad angles.
Moving companies offer different tiers of service. Basic options handle loading, driving, and unloading. Full-service movers will pack your entire house for you. The key is booking early. Popular moving dates fill up fast, and last-minute availability often comes with a premium price tag.
