There are a few events in your life that are highly stressful; moving might be on the top of that list. The average person moves 11 times in their lifetime according to the U.S. Census Bureau – this is a lot of stress in one’s lifetime. I am here to say that no matter how prepared you are, there will be some level of stress. But if you follow these 9 tricks your move will go much more smoothly. Can your move be stress-free? Sure, with some planning and preparation!
I have moved many times and helped many of my friends and family. Over the years I have come up with tricks that will help you on moving day. If you are like me, you are a planner – you have all the details planned out weeks in advance. On the other hand, if you are like my wife, you are not a planner and tend to just go with the flow. Nothing wrong with either! Whichever you are, these tricks will help make your move stress free:
Research
Whether you are moving out of state or in-town, you need to do some research on what you need for your move. Do you know what size moving truck you should rent? A simple calculation of how many bedrooms you have can provide guidance for what truck you may need. Can you use a trailer for your move? You will need to have a hitch installed on your vehicle for this, but this can be an inexpensive option. Which option is best for you? This is really going to depend on how far you are moving, your vehicle, and how much stuff you have. Sometimes this is just a preference thing. Do you need storage in your new area? It may be easier to put items in storage when you get to a new city until they are needed. What about things to do in your new area? There are a lot of great “living in” and “moving to” posts on many cities across the U.S. These are all great questions to ask yourself early on in the process.
Pack early
I don’t know how many of my friends have done this to me – They ask for help with their move and of course, I offer to help. I show up on moving day and a large amount of their stuff is not packed yet. I always get the “Oh it’s just a few miscellaneous items” Which ends up taking quite a bit of room in the moving truck or just ends up being shoved into their cars. This one is probably the most important aspect of reducing stress on moving day. If I have everything packed way before moving day, my stress is usually fairly low. Set yourself small goals each day (like I am going to pack up all my books today) and each week (I am going to pack up the garage this week) leading up to moving day. If you don’t, a large amount of stuff to do will get overwhelming. Getting the right amount of supplies can help too- check out this moving supply calculator!
Plan
Once you know where you are moving, figure out the best route to get there, especially with a large moving truck. Some places like New York City, you are not able to drive on certain roads or bridges. It is best to check with the local government sites. Also, as you are packing up your stuff make sure you know what is going first in the moving truck. Keep the items you want to unload first in a spot that won’t get in the way of loading and can be loaded last.
Don’t expect things to go perfect
Every move is going to have some form of a bump in the road or stressful moment. There are things that are out of your control and need to be handled as such. I hope these things don’t happen, but if they do, try your best to not let them affect your day and your experience with the process of your move. Moving can be very rewarding if you let it!
Label
Once you pull up to the new place and have all the boxes piled in your new living room, it will make life so much easier if you know what is in each box and where that box should be. Also if your boxes are labeled with the room and what’s inside your helpers will be able to place them in the correct room instead of just plopping them in the said living room or wherever they see fit. You will also be able to organize and unpack effectively knowing what is already inside. This trick also will help with that one box that you may have for years but have never quite unpacked.
Clean as you go
Whether you are trying to get your security deposit back or looking to sell your home. I have typically said, “oh we’ll come back tomorrow and clean up after everything is out”. This may sound like a good idea, but I have found that I don’t want to come back once I am in my new place. This has also been costly to me. I suggest you clean as much as you can during the packing process. If you have extra help on your moving day, task someone with cleaning rooms and appliances as items are cleared out.
Stay on task
This is more for the packing process! Have you ever started packing up old photos or mementos and found yourself reminiscing of the past. This is a major time suck. Avoid this as much as possible. Setting up those goals will help with this, but I also suggest that you take care of these items first as you are most likely more motivated earlier in the process.
Get help
Whether its to get your friends or parents to help in packing, or hiring professional movers on moving day. No matter how little stuff you may have, a little help will go a long way.
First out, first in
I mentioned this earlier – Clearly define the items that you want to go in the front of the moving truck (items that you won’t need along your journey) and those things that you need in the back of the truck (items you will need immediately upon arrival such as clothes, toiletries, vacuum, step ladder, etc). Typically I like to clean my place before I move everything in, so keep your cleaning supplies handy as well
Move Stress-Free
No matter how you move and what equipment you use, take some time to enjoy the process. I know it’s stressful, hectic, draining, etc. etc. Take these tricks with you on your next move and see how stress-free moving can be.
Pin this infographic to help on your next move:
What other tricks do you have for your stress-free move? Tell me in the comments and I’ll add them to my list!