Smooth Moving: A Guide

Moving is a stressful time in a persons life, and being unprepared will make the entire ordeal even more stressful. The act of planting yourself in a new home in a new city can be especially overwhelming. In this guide I will offer tips to help others have a less stressful moving experience.

The most important factor in relieving stress during a move is preparation. If you are well prepared and organized you will be ready to deal with any situation that presents its self. Begin your preparations by acquiring cardboard boxes, packing tape, permanent markers and a small notebook. As you pack an item, mark in your notebook what items are inside what boxes. It is a good idea to label boxes such as this: 1,2,3,4,5 and so on. Pack like items together, such as kitchen things in the same box, sheets in one box, towels in one box and so on. If you immediately need to locate a specific item you can refer to your small notebook. Finding Timmy's teddy bears will be a breeze if you record the contents of each box.

Pack an emergency bag that contains items such as cash, medications, a first aid kit, a flashlight, directions and important information that you might need in a hurry. Keep this bag in your vehicle with you at all times and do not mix it in with your boxes!

Plan ahead when it comes to disconnecting and reconnecting your utilities such as water, electric, phone and cable. Don't have your phone or water disconnected on moving day, as you might need to use these utilities on moving day.

As you are unloading your possessions if you labeled your boxes, take the boxes into what rooms they belong as you are unpacking. Designate one person to moving the boxes into the room while the others unload the truck.

Have a realistic goal for unpacking. You will not get it finished in one afternoon probably. Break down your boxes as you go to make clean up a fast process. Using your notebook of contents as a reference, determine what items are going to be needed first, such as toiletries and towels, drinking glasses and so on. Focus on unpacking these types of items first and getting to knick knacks, books and so on later.

If you have children, give them a task to complete or have toys on hand for their entertainment. I hope this guide helps you to make moving a little easier and less stressful.