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I’ve moving again for the 2nd time in less than 2 years. I asked my friends at HouseTipster.com for some of their helpful moving tips. I think these are great tips and reminders!
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5 Tips for Stress-Free Moving
According to a survey published in 2015, moving home is one of life’s most stressful experiences. Two-thirds of people said that moving to a new home is even more stressful than getting a divorce or starting a new job. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to reduce the stress of moving. Here are five tips to help you have a moving experience that’s as close as possible to being free from stress.
1. Start Early
Planning for a move can take more time than you expect. To avoid leaving things to the last minute, start preparing for your move at least two months in advance of moving day. This should give you plenty of time to find an apartment you like in your new location, compare quotes from several different moving companies, and take an organized approach to packing.
2. Throw Away Anything You Don’t Need
Do you really want to pay to transport the ski equipment you haven’t used for five years across the country? Or pack up the guitar you never learned to play? When sorting through your stuff, be tough with yourself: anything you haven’t used in over a year doesn’t get to come with you to your new home. Take the chance to go through your closet and donate any clothes that don’t fit. When you arrive at your destination, you’ll be glad to have fewer boxes to unpack.
3. Label Boxes
After a long journey, the last thing you will feel like doing is rummaging through dozens of unmarked boxes to find your toothbrush. Pack everything you will need on the first night in your new home in a single box that’s clearly labeled. Don’t forget to label the rest of your boxes too. This allows the movers to take your pots and pans to the kitchen and your clothes to your bedroom, cutting down the amount of work you’ll need to do later.
4. Don’t Pack Food or Liquids
Food can easily spoil in the back of a hot moving truck, while liquids can spill and stain your belongings. If you’re moving to a new country, you may even be breaking customs regulations by bringing certain types of food over the border. If you don’t have time to use everything in your pantry before you move, perhaps you can give it away to friends or coworkers as a goodbye gift. Or, unfortunately, just put it in the trash.
5. Check Your Insurance
Many moving companies provide insurance for your possessions as standard. However, it always pays to check exactly what the policy covers before you make your move. If you’re transporting valuable and fragile objects, such as antiques, you may want to purchase additional insurance so you’re not left out of pocket if they are broken during the trip.
Moving can be one of the most stressful events in a person’s life, but it doesn’t have to be. Take these tips to heart along with other resources like housetipster.com for house moving advice the next time you’re relocating.
✏ Bea Elle is an interior designer and writer based in New Jersey. She lives with her partner and three little monkeys in the mountains.
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Do you have any additional tips for moving? Let me know in the comments!
From my home to yours,
Mary
Afton Jackson says
I definitely agree that throwing away unneeded items can help make a move more stress-free. My son used to be extremely interested in baseball, but now that he’s focusing on his studies, it became apparent to us that he’s not going to use his old equipment much anymore. Since it might just add to our load and make things harder for us, I’ll talk to him about this so we can sell off or even donate this equipment before we get a moving service to assist us with the rest of our belongings.
Mary says
Great idea 🙂
Jill says
Thank you for these wonderful tips for moving, Mary! We are trying to find a place to live that is affordable and a good place to raise our family. We are looking for good Christian or Catholic schools that are affordable and good communities. I have been doing a lot of research and still having a hard time. Would you recommend any places that you know of that are good moral, and affordable places to raise a family? I know you have moved on numerous occasions and I would love your insight on the matter.
Mary says
Well, there are a lot of communities scattered around that fit that bill I think. Texas is working out for us right now. 🙂