3 (More) Things to Keep in Mind about Moving

Moving is exciting business. Once everything is packed, the new place is secured, and the promise and adventure of new surroundings begins to fill us up with anticipation, the reality of moving sets in. It doesn’t matter how prepared we are to move. Stress happens!

There are three things to keep in mind about moving (outside the box) mentioned in a previous post, which get you ready to prepare for the adventure:

1. Closure
2. Recommendations
3. Organization

All three are important elements to keep in mind, but they aren’t all that you need to consider. Even the most prepared person experiences stress when moving day finally comes.

1. Organize your stuff

This is different from the organization mentioned in the previous post, which focused on non-home-related items. Now I’m talking about full-on organization of everything that’s packed. It isn’t as hard as it sounds, so don’t get intimidated just yet.

When you pack up each room, label the boxes. It’s especially important to be specific with items you will need right away, such as: linens, toiletries, pans, and clothes. Don’t just label these for the room they belong in, but what is in the moving box. Then you don’t have to stress about where you put the blankets for your bed on the first night in your new house.

Another option for the essentials is to think of this like a one-night hotel stay. As everything gets packed, think of what you would need if you were in a hotel and pack luggage with those items. Still, don’t forget to label blankets clearly.

Tip: If you are in need of boxes, check with your local grocery or liquor store. They are always throwing out boxes, and are often willing to let customers take empty ones home for use.

Keeping organized is easy if you take it one room at a time. Good Housekeeping has a great article with packing tips for moving.

2. Get help moving

We all want to be superwoman, but the truth is we often need help. Moving is one of those times when you will need as many extra sets of hands as you can get. There are two ways to go about this.

If you plan on moving everything yourself, send out a request to anyone nearby who owes you a favor. Don’t call it cashing in on the favor. Just ask them politely for help. Promise pizza or some other food delivery to the new house once everything is moved in. Anyone who helps can eat.

If moving all of that furniture is intimidating, hire movers to do the heavy lifting for you. Move the small items in your own vehicles to save on moving time and cost, and let the professionals do the heavy lifting.

Tip: Moving far from the old home means less help unloading. This is when you will want to look into moving companies like Mayflower.

3. Laugh about everything

Seriously, this is just as important as the rest, especially with the amount of stress that moving can induce. Laughter is the best medicine. If something goes wrong, laugh it off, turn it around, and find something good about the situation. If one of the kids drops a box or breaks a lamp, remember that accidents happen. Lamps can be replaced.

Yelling and stressing out accomplishes nothing. If you feel yourself getting close to eruption, take a step back to de-stress. WebMD offers 10 relaxation techniques that might help.

Sadly, there is no way to avoid stress on moving day. It will happen. Keep organized, get help, and laugh a lot. It will make a world of difference.

Photo by CameraObscure (Flickr)