Moving can be an exhausting process. The process can seem overwhelming, from packing up your belongings and labeling boxes to finding a place for everything in your new home. I have a few tips to make things a little easier next time you have a big move coming up.
- Take Inventory: Before you move, make a list of everything you plan to take to the new home. Identify items that can be donated or thrown away, and clean those out first. Categorize the smaller items you are taking, and designate a place for them in the new home. Make a list of things that you are bound to forget in advance. Keep adding to the list as you go.
- Give Yourself Time: Start packing as soon as the details of your move are finalized. Decide what you won’t need before the move and pack those items first. Moving in the summer? Pack the winter clothes first and get those ready to go. Save the smaller things you will need up until the last minute and leave a box for them. Let that be the last box you tape up.
- Identify Your Items: Take the boxing process seriously. Label all boxes with things that you will remember. Try to avoid abbreviations or phrasing that you may forget by the time you are unpacking. Commit to the names on the box, resist the urge to throw a small bedroom item into the box labeled “kitchen”. These small things will save you time in the long run.
- Have a Timeline: What time will you load the trucks? How long is the drive to the new home? What time do you hope to complete the move? Don’t stress out about sticking precisely with the timeline, but allow it to work as an outline for the day to help stay on track.
- Embrace Change: Your new home is bound to look different. Don’t stress if something does not have an exact space like it used to. Allow yourself time to settle into the new home and make it your own.