Whether you’re moving across town or across the country, moving is one of life’s most stressful events. From the packing strategies to the actual physical labor, there’s not many people out there who can honestly say they enjoy moving. So here’s a quick guide to make moving as easy as possible!

Decide what not to pack

Now’s a good time to declutter your life by deciding which items you don’t want to take with you. Decide what you want to give away, throw away, or sell. Make separate piles for each and give, throw or sell!

Get packing materials

If you’re not using a professional mover, you’ll need to get some packing materials. Good deals for bubble material can be found on eBay. Bookstores often have strong boxes they don’t want anymore — call on the day of a delivery to ask for them. Talk to the produce manager at your local grocery store and ask him/her to save their apple and other large produce boxes for you (but make sure they’re bug-free).

Draw a floor plan — and use labels

Create a plan of your new home that you can use as a guide throughout the moving process. Label each of your boxes according to this plan. And clearly list what’s in each of the boxes. When Carol and I recently moved eBay came to the rescue again! We ordered color-coded, room-coded labels and used them on every box we packed. We then taped a piece of paper with the corresponding label color/room over each door of our new house so the movers knew where to put boxes and other items. They actually thanked us for making it easier (and it saved us time and money).

What to pack first

Pack things you don’t need often first. Books, out-of-season clothes, and memorabilia make good candidates to go into boxes right away.

Pack “essentials” boxes

Mark some boxes as “essentials” and put in them the things you need on your first night in your new home. Then you won’t waste time (and valuable energy) trying to find important things.

Food…and plants

Food, particularly from the freezer, isn’t easily stored, so try to use it up. Put plants in big plastic bags to avoid dirt spilling.

Making it happen

We hope these tips help make your upcoming move as easy as possible. And we hope we were the catalyst for making you move to a new home! But if you’re just getting warmed up we’d love to help you find your next home (and get your home sold quickly). We also offer a free, detailed moving checklist. Contact us today and we’ll email it to you right away.