Don't Dread Moving Day

Moving day can be an arduous, time-consuming, back-breaking endeavor. Even with the exciting prospect of living in a new place, moving can initially overshadow that excitement and turn what should be a fun, thrilling experience into an all-day war of attrition with boxes and moving supplies. Moving certainly does not have to be like that and with a few of these time-saving tips, you may even have time to enjoy your new piece of real estate.

Are You Sure You Need That?
The process of packing is a great time to evaluate what you do and do not need in your new home. Junk has the tendency to build up over time and when moving day comes, that junk can turn into a few extra hours of packing for items that are not really necessary to be moved. Sometimes tough decisions have to be made, but the time and effort it takes to pack, move and then unpack some items is simply not worth it.

What to do with all of that extra junk? While the trash can is the ultimate destination for most things that are left behind, think about having a garage/rummage/yard sale with your leftover material to not only thin out what has to be moved but make a little money in the process.

Start Early
Moving entails making a lot of plans and the sooner you start the better. If you are enlisting friends to help you move, extra notice is valuable and may make people more prone to help you. Last minute invitations for arduous labor are much easier to turn down than a notice well in advance.

Perhaps the biggest piece of advice is to start packing early. With a glance around your home, you may think that it will only take a short time to get what you own into a series of boxes and out the door. Mostly likely, you're wrong. Moving takes time and not until you start to put knick knack in box will you understand just how much time it is going to take. Start early, do a little bit at a time and you may just avoid the crush of panic that can ensue when it first dawns on you just how long packing can take.

Do A Little Bit Of Sorting
While most people label boxes according to what room the contents belong to, often there is no rhyme or reason dictating just how those boxes are packed away in the moving van or truck. By setting aside a few boxes full of essentials, you can avoid hunting through a stack of boxes for a few plates to eat on during your first few days in your new home. Packing is a long process, but so is unpacking. Anything that you can do to ease the transition to your new home will benefit you in the long run.

Make An Effort To Settle In
If you have a customary spot for your computer and that is your most-used item (as it is for me), make sure you pack it last and set it up first. If sitting on your couch and watching television is what makes you feel like home is truly home, pack your couch and television in a way that you can get to them easily upon arriving at your new home. These kinds of extra touches that ease the transition from old home to new by carrying over a comfort or tradition can help you relax and truly enjoy your new place. Having a sense of normalcy, even in the midst of stacks of boxes, can help you feel calm about your move and the work ahead of you.

While moving day will always entail some labor and hassle that you wouldn't encounter in a normal day, there are a few things you can do to lessen the burden on yourself. Follow a few of these steps and get a jump on moving day so that you can feel excited as you move on to a new home and new stage of your life.

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