Are you wondering how to assure you have a stress-free move? The ultimate test of your planning and organizational skills comes when you actually move to a new house. If you approach moving in a methodical, goal-oriented manner, your move will unfold smoothly. Check out our 9 expert moving tips below. They are geared to make your next moving day a pleasant one.
9 Stress-Free Moving Tips
On the flip side, when you have not properly planned ahead or made the necessary preparations, your move may turn into a stressful and frustrating experience. And, no one wants that! There are several ways to reduce the stress of moving. They require thinking ahead and having a plan.
1.) Make A Detailed To-Do List
Probably one of the most important methods of making sure things get done in a timely way is writing out your own detailed to-do list and revising it on a regular basis. Making a to-do list will help to keep you organized. Unless you commit goals, priorities, and tasks to paper (or a computer file), there's a good chance it will be forgotten about or left to the last minute. So, be realistic with your timeline, and don't leave the planning and moving of your entire home to the last minute.
2.) Plan Your Move
When you stay focused on the details of your move, you can foresee the steps that are needed to make your move a success. Then, once you have created a move plan, it is much easier to manage the moving, packing, and time of your move. Having a plan will result in everything being completed to your specifications. While last-minute moves are possible, they may make your move feel a bit like a roller coaster ride, which is something all movers want to avoid! So, if you are ready to move now, read on and follow some of our helpful tips for a stress-free moving process. Or, give our office a call and work with our moving consultant to build a move plan for you.
3.) Are You Downsizing?
If you’re moving into a smaller home, then remember that everything you have in your larger home cannot possibly fit into your new home. You need to make some serious decisions. You must analyze how much room you have and choose which items are your “favorites,” and either discard, donate, give away to friends, or place all the extra items in storage, and yes we can help with that too. Unless you truly desire to live in a smaller home crammed with extra bookcases, chairs, and tables, start thinking hard about which items you really want to transition to your new place.
4.) Junk Removal
Prior to your move, there are some recommended steps. The most important recommendation is to get rid of your personal items that you don't need. Clear out the clutter. Plan a garage sale and sell some of your things. Have a donation truck pick up unwanted items from your doorstep. Drop items off at donation bins or recycling centers. If a lot of your unwanted belongings are of questionable value or no longer bring you joy it might be time to part ways with them.
When some of these are larger items, you may want to call a junk removal service, and yes we do that too. If you are short on time when moving, you may also consider renting a dumpster. This is a convenient and affordable way to have household things hauled away. Two pieces of advice about getting rid of extra clutter; you are paying the movers to physically move every item in your new home, so the less you have to move the more you'll save. Secondly, if you let go of some of your items you can start your new life in a space that is uncluttered.
5.) Donate Unwanted Items
Since one man's junk is another man's treasure, you may also want to donate unwanted items by posting them on social networking and classified websites. If the items you want to donate are even marginally useful, the word "free" will almost always generate a few emails and phone calls from interested people looking to save or make money. Or even consider placing the items on the curb with a Free sign. For an easy and faster response, add a post on craigslist.com under free stuff. It is amazing how quickly people will show up to haul away your unwanted items when they are free!
Additionally, you may want to consider donating your clothes, furniture, and other belongings to one of these organizations that specialize in donations. Most of them accept clothes, household goods, appliances, and furniture donations. Take a look at these 7 suggestions below:
- Goodwill Industries
- More Than Words (books)
- Salvation Army
- Big Brothers Big Sisters
- Habitat for Humanity Restore
- Local Library
- Local Food Bank
6.) Packing Supplies
Having plenty of packing supplies on hand helps when planning a stress-free move. Packing supplies include an ample supply of cardboard boxes, packing tape, permanent markers, and cheap packing material. Although, you may be able to get your moving company to rent you some wardrobe boxes to save on the cost. It may be equally cost-effective to ask friends, neighbors, relatives, co-workers, and even retail stores if they have any free packing boxes or moving containers for you to use.
7.) Heavy Duty Moving Boxes
One word of caution when it comes to cardboard boxes: Flimsy containers may tear or fall apart when put to the challenge of moving. Another mistake people make is packing items in large boxes and including too many heavy items. Not only are heavy boxes more difficult to move, but it also increases the probability of breakage. In general, heavy-duty moving boxes are known to endure a greater load, than the boxes provided by the "big box" stores, or ones you may get for free. So, for your most important or heaviest items, it makes sense to invest in sturdy boxes.
Additionally, it is helpful to use heavy-duty boxes if you are moving long distances because they can withstand a large amount of jostling in a moving truck while protecting your items. In addition, the items you are moving may have many different shapes, sizes, and weights. And, each item will surely not fit into the same size box. So, be sure to purchase your heavy-duty moving boxes in a variety of sizes as well.
8.) Professional Moving Companies
Using a professional moving company to transport your belongings to a new home truly relieves you from a stressful move and from the burden of the heavy lifting of boxes and other things. If you hire full-service movers they can do everything related to your move, including packing your boxes, moving items from Point A to Point B, and unpacking your belongings at your new space. Hiring movers to do every aspect of your move, will provide you with the least amount of stress and work for you. Alternatively, if you are looking to save money and want to do most of the work, you can hire movers to only do the heavy lifting and driving. This is also a great option if you want to save money without taking on too much stress.
9.) Learn More About Moving Costs
If you are interested in learning more about moving costs and savings, check out our article on how moving costs are calculated. It will give you a better idea of what to expect to spend on moving services.
If you think you’re ready to experience the next level of relocating, check out our free moving cost calculator and get a free moving estimate to see how much it will cost you to move with us.
Or call us at (800) 96MOVE-U.
For more moving and packing tips check out the Collegian Movers Blog.
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