When you’re faced with a move, it can feel like an uphill battle. Even if you’re excited to call a new place home, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with what it’s going to take to transition all of your belongings from one place to another.
Fortunately, there are a few rather small things you can do along the way that will make the process much easier. Here are a few of them.
Start as Early As You Can
Though it may be tempting to wait until closer to the move date to begin to box things up, this can really work against you because it always takes longer to pack than you expect. Even if you’ve moved in the past.
As soon as you know about the move, aim to pack a couple boxes a day starting with things you don’t need between now and then. You’d be surprised how quickly these add up, reducing or even eliminating any last-minute anxieties.
Get Rid of Items You Don’t Need
Now is a great time to go through your belongings and get rid of things you don’t want or need because, the less you have to pack and move, the easier it will go.
If it’s in good enough condition, find a local charity that can take it and you get the bonus of a tax deduction. If it’s broken or not in good shape, just pitch it, recycling when you can.
Choose Boxes Over Bins
Unless your plastic bins are incredibly sturdy, boxes tend to hold up better. Plus, if they’re not perfectly square, they will often take up more space.
To save yourself some cash, instead of going out and buying a ton of new boxes, use ones that you’ve received when ordering things online. Most of these are made to sustain the shipping process, making them the perfect choice.
Label Boxes on At Least Two Sides
Without fail, the one side of the box that you wrote on will be the side that is facing away from you when you want to know what’s in it. Every. Single. Time.
Yet, if you write on at least two sides of the box, you only have to shift it slightly if the writing isn’t directly facing you. It may take a little more time, but it can save a ton of aggravation.
Compile a List of Address Changes
One of the most time-consuming things to do when you move is notify everyone you do business with of your new address. Inevitably, someone important always gets left out.
To keep this from happening, make a list of all of the places you need to do an address change with. Be sure to include your bank, any retirement account holders, current utility companies (so they know where to send the final bill and any refund), magazines you subscribe to, anyplace you have a loyalty card, and all of your online accounts.
Moving is a major task, even if you use a company to do most of the work. But that doesn’t mean that it has to be a difficult one. Do these five things and it will make the process much easier to survive.
