7 Tips For An Organized and Stress Free Move

Spring time is the time to start getting ready to put houses on the market to sell and according to moving.com 11-13 percent of all moves occur during the summer months.  That is 19 million households that move June through August.  This can be a stressful time for those families.  These 7 tips should help you move successfully and stress free. 

Tip 1 Eliminate unwanted and unused items before you move as there are 2 good reasons to do this.  One is you usually pay a mover for either the number of boxes or by weight.  Two is it will be easier and faster if you are unpacking only the items you need and not having to sort out the items you should not have packed.  I have many clients I work with who have lived in their homes for a year or more and still have boxes they have never unpacked. 

Tip 2 Have the moving company pack at least the breakables.  If they pack it, they carry the liability where if you pack it and it breaks, you have no recourse. 

Tip 3 Pack a suitcase with items needed for 2-5 days and this will depend on how far you will be moving.  You will not feel the need to unpack everything in one day with some clothes and items available. 

Tip 4 Make sure you do as much of the laundry before the day you move.  There is nothing more disappointing and stressful than unpacking dirty laundry. 

Tip 5 Assign a number or color to each room in the new house and ask that boxes being packed are labeled as such.  Put a sticky note or large sign at the entrance of each room with the number or color so boxes end up in the correct room.  It is very stressful to be searching all over your new house for kitchen items only to find them in the bathroom. 

Tip 6 Avoid using your garage as a storage place.  Try to park at least one or both of your cars in the garage on the first night.  I have had plenty of clients that have done just this and have never been able to park one or more their cars in the garage.  

Tip 7 If you have a limited time to unpack before going back to work and will not be able to complete the major portion, consider hiring someone to help.  They can help get the necessities unpacked the day of the move so you will be able to get your coffee and eat some breakfast your first morning.  Most unpackers will also eliminate the empty boxes and packing paper. 

If you have a move coming up, feel free to call me to help make it as organized and stress free as possible.