Constant fees and paperwork, mountains of packing paper and bubble wrap, complicated U-Haul logistics — there’s almost nothing as stressful as moving. Continue reading for our best tips and tricks for making your move as easy and stress-free as possible.

Moving Tips and Tricks

Moving your whole life and possessions can be exhausting. With careful planning and organization, however, you can avoid many of the headaches commonly associated with moving to a new home. 

Keep Careful Records

Whether you’re moving across the country or down the street, the process still requires hours of logistical planning and work. Make it easier for yourself by creating a master document, spreadsheet, or binder to keep track of all the necessary info. If you’re moving with others, consider making a Google Doc or another shareable document so everyone can easily contribute information and ideas. This way, when something goes wrong — and let’s face it, something will probably go wrong — you’ll be thankful to have all your information easily accessible in one handy place.

What to Include in Your Moving Plan:

Here are a few things to consider including in your moving folder:

• Inventory list of your possessions. This is helpful for both early on during the packing process and once everything’s stored away in boxes.
• Labels. Lots of labels. Label each box with the room it’s destined for and a brief description of the contents. Using colored tape or stickers can be especially helpful if your new home has many rooms. You simply assign each room a color and put that color tape or sticker on each box going to that room. On moving day, mark the entrance to each room with the corresponding color, so the movers have an easier time knowing where each item should go.
• Packing schedule. See below for more tips on how to prioritize your packing list.
• Moving budget. Remember to account for packing materials, cleaning fees, service costs, and rental truck fuel. It’s also smart to cushion for additional charges in case you run into any issues the day of.
• Realtor contact info. You never know if you’ll need an extra key or important questions answered.
• Vendor receipts and contact info. It’s best to book truck rentals, moving companies, and cleaning services several weeks in advance.
• Utility account information and connection dates. The last thing you want after a sweaty day of moving is to realize you forgot to hook up a water connection.
• Moving day itinerary. Once you’ve made arrangements with your vendors, sit down to create a clear and flexible schedule for the big day. 

How to Pack Efficiently

Get a Head Start

It’s best to start the packing process as soon as possible. Last-minute packing jobs can result in a disorganized mess, damaged goods, and tons of unnecessary stress. To avoid this, come up with a logical packing schedule early on that prioritizes items based on the level of use and how long they will take to pack.

It may help to go through your home room-by-room with a notepad and assess what you use most, as well as what you could go without for a few weeks or months. Rarely used items such as holiday decorations, extra bedding, books, and off-season yard tools and clothing are all good places to start. As moving day approaches, you can move on to other unnecessary objects such as décor, mementos, and rarely used kitchen appliances. Leave commonly used items, toiletries, and perishable goods for last.

Other Useful Packing Tips

• Keep irreplaceable valuables and essential items such as toiletries and chargers separate from the rest of your packed items.
• Remember to break up heavier items into smaller boxes.
• Quality packing materials are worth the extra price.
• When in doubt, look up how to pack particularly fragile or valuable items. Chances are, someone has already created a handy guide on how to best protect and organize your items.

Moving Day

Once the big day arrives, it can be easy to get swept up in the stress and excitement. Luckily, you can use the info from your handy moving plan to create an easy-to-follow itinerary. Be sure to allow extra time for rest and any snafus that may arise. Also note that even if you hire movers, moving is often a physically demanding task—remember to take breaks, drink water, and listen to your body to avoid injury or exhaustion.

Looking to move? Clarion Title can help.

There’s no doubt that moving can be stressful and time-consuming, but keeping careful records and sticking to well-planned schedules will help keep you calm and organized. If you’re planning to move soon, Clarion Title is here to help along every step of the way of the home-buying process. Check out some of our other blog posts for more helpful tips and tricks, or contact us today for more information.

This material is provided as a courtesy and for educational purposes only. Please consult your title professional for specific information regarding your situation.