Moving? Check Out Www.newhomesource.com Before You Begin!

In addition to the 3 times I moved while a child. I also spent a lot of time moving after H.S. graduation. It went something like this..... 4 years at college, 2 years in grad school, another 2 years pursuing additional teachers certification work and 3 years past that living the life of a single woman, I was one busy mover....sometimes moving 2-3 times in the space of a year. The total as close as I can figure is 21 different homes from birth to the home I live in today.

That said, I wouldn't have been able to make all those moves, had I not been organized. Having had a friend who was moving a short time ago, I helped her research some tips on moving and in my search, I found newhomesource.com, a great website which not only helps you search for new homes in the simplest way possible but it also has a great checklist of tips for you as you make that all important move into a new home.

Newhomesource.com is not only a place to go to search for that "dream home", though it does have some great homes listed. It is also a "one stop shop" type of website that offers "map searches","home guides" and even a "listing service"

All these areas are great, but what has proven to be a favorite of many friends of mine who have moved, is a fantastic page filled with tips, tricks, advice and lots more to help make a move go smoother.

On newhomesource.com they cover everything from the simplest subject of making sure you have enough packing materials on hand (don't laugh...but sometimes in the flurry of packing, tape and packing materials accidentally get packed themselves).....in my experience, the purchase of a BRIGHT red or orange plastic container is a lifesaver to keep those "lost" items organized in one place.

Another point they stress, is to remember that newsprint can rub off onto items if you use it as packing materials......another tip of mine is to use cheap paper towels to wrap items in....when you unpack you can then reuse the paper towel for cleaning and polishing....it doesn't go to waste and it won't stain like newsprint can!

Another hint given, is to remember to keep one box with "must haves" with you so you can use it during the trip.....this is where another bright color of container works well, especially if you put a HUGE label on the side stating what is inside the box and place it in your vehicle as soon as possible....that way it is not only out of the way but can't accidentally get packed in the moving van. And if you can't find a bright enough box...use some of hubby's colored duct tape to label the box....anything to make it stand out works great!

Pack room by room, and keep boxes in their respective rooms for the movers to move when they are ready for them. Something that works well here, is to purchase some neon colored stickers (label size work great) and label each box with the persons name and what number box it is.....for example, if I have 5 boxes for SJWP's room I'd label them...:{SJWP 1 box of 5 } and so on....it helps keep things separated and also reminds you as you unpack how many boxes to expect for each respective room.

And certainly not last, but one point that is of utmost importance when moving is to label boxes. The site suggests you label them in 4 ways.....

1. What's in the box?
2. Is it fragile?
3. Does it need to say "this end up?"
4. Which room of the house does it belong in?

If you listen to those who have made moving a "fine art" then what could easily be the most stressful day of your life can be made a whole lot easier.....and when it comes to moving...."easy and stress-free" are the words of the day!