Moving to a new home can be very exciting. You realize the potential of the new place, envision your future life there, and dream about making it the home that you’ve always wanted for your family. But it can also be extremely stressful – a daunting task that tests your patience and can have you at your wit’s end. Fortunately, there are ways to alleviate much of the stress associated with relocating. Here are 5 moving tips for a stress-free move:
Create a moving checklist
Identify what needs to be done well ahead of time by compiling a moving checklist. The more organized you are, the less stressful your move will be. What needs to be done prior to moving? What about on moving day, or after? Be sure to include things like switching cable, internet and utilities, updating your address and so on. Use the Tippet-Richardson preparation checklist as a starting point.
Get supplies ahead of time
You’re going to have enough on your plate without having to worry about supplies like boxes and moving tape. You should start gathering these as early as possible, for a couple of reasons. First, it allows you to start packing earlier. Second, by starting to gather supplies early, you can get them cheaper from stores, coworkers, family and friends, who may have unused (and unwanted) boxes lying around their homes. This way, the only boxes or packing supplies you’ll need to buy are those that are specially designed to carry particular items, such as wardrobe boxes.
Pack early
Packing is one of the worst parts of moving, especially if you leave it until the last minute. You don’t want to be scrambling to get everything together under a tight deadline; this makes it much more difficult to properly organize your items and, when you pack unmethodically, unpacking is much more difficult. By beginning to pack early, you give yourself more time to pack more efficiently, which ultimately reduces the stress come moving day.
Alleviate the clutter
A common problem among homeowners is the accumulation of things and clutter – a lot of which isn’t used or needed. We collect items and there never seems to be time to sort through and get rid of what we don’t need. You should look at moving as an excellent opportunity to do so. Donate, sell or give away all of the stuff that you’ve wanted out of your house for years. Less stuff means a less stressful move, making packing and unpacking much easier.
Hire professionals!
Hiring a professional moving company eliminates not only the mental stress, but also the physical. It also helps ensure that all of your things arrive safely at your new home, as experienced movers employ certain techniques in order to keep your property (and your walls) damage-free.
With these 5 helpful moving tips, you can make sure your move runs smoothly and hassle-free. By alleviating some of the most common pains associated with moving (packing late, disorganization, clutter and so on), relocating will become much easier. Who knows, you may even have some fun throughout the process!
