Want to Make Relocation Less Stressful? Here’s How to Move Efficiently

Reasons for relocating can be many. Perhaps it is a better work position, or going to a city you’ve always wanted to live in. But, most of us dread the organizing that comes before and after the move. It’s a complicated task, we admit, but if you have a good plan and do everything accordingly, it doesn’t have to be a nerve-wracking process. We’re here to help you do some thorough planning, so everything can go swift and easy.

How to Move Efficiently and With Less Stress

There are many things you can do to prepare for your relocation much more efficiently. When getting organized to move, you should be smart about it, plan ahead and relieve yourself of some of the pressure and tension. It can be done if you start on time, and follow a general relocation timeline. The first baby steps that you can take on this journey are to create an all-around binder and a relocation checklist.

How Do I Move Like a Pro? Create a Moving Binder

It’s a simple, and yet smart solution to have a place where you will keep everything important in order. This binder should contain all of your documents, such as lease papers (if you are a renter,) loan information, utilities, information about hiring movers, receipts, and alike. Also, include the checklist in the binder, so everything is kept in one place. Write down whenever you remember something that must be done because this moving hack makes it harder to skip anything.

Don’t Skip Creating a Checklist

You can write down packing and relocating dates in your checklist, to give yourself a time frame. Estimate how long it will take you to complete each task and write that down, so you keep yourself in check. A stress-free relocation is a well-planned one, and a checklist is there to help you achieve it. Writing everything down will help you think through how to save on relocating costs and to set a budget for your move.

Choose the Right Cross-Country Moving Company

It’s not easy to pick the right long-distance movers, but with some good relocating tips this should also be a piece of cake. Searching the internet should be the first step you take and pay attention to the customer reviews and experiences. Another way to choose your long-distance moving company is to get referrals from friends and family, and even your realtor or your colleagues.

Reduce the number of preferred professional cross-country movers to 3 and get their estimates. Remember, a reputable company should give you only a rough estimate over the phone, and do a more precise one in-person. Pick the one that is closest to your planned budget, and head on to the next step.

Make a Schedule With Utility Companies and Providers

Calling the utility companies to schedule the disconnect date in your old home and a connection date in a new one is something that you should do ahead of time. Arriving in your new place only to realize that there is no electricity, gas, or water may prove to be one of those relocating mistakes we should all avoid. The same goes for your internet and cable providers. Give them a call to set-up a new connection on time, because providers have a really busy schedule.
Also, remember to cancel all of your subscriptions, and that means notifying your gym, or the yoga class, that you will relocate soon.

Change the Address Before the Relocating Day Comes

Many people put off the address change for later until they relocate and realize that their mail and bills aren’t arriving. This is something that you don’t want to postpone, as you will be busy unpacking and getting used to your fresh beginning in another location. You should notify your social security, bank, and your kids’ school of your new address, among others. Also, don’t forget to update your voter registration, postal service, as well as your driver’s license.

Decluttering Your Home Is Essential

Getting rid of all the stuff that you don’t want is one of the answers to the burning question on how to efficiently pack to move. It’s something that you can and should start early on. Also, if you’re looking for the cheapest way to move out of state, having less of your belongings to transport with your cross-country movers will save up on your budget. Go through your clothes and be honest to yourself – do you use all those pieces, or are they just taking up space? From the bulk that you separate, throw away unusable pieces, and see to donate unwanted items that are left. Do the same with everything else in your home, and that means furniture, appliances, shoes, and all. You can even organize a garage sale to earn some money that you can add to that relocation budget.

While decluttering in the style of Marie Kondo, keep in mind that some things must also be thrown away. These are on the list of what not to pack when relocating, and it includes hazardous and flammable materials, such as paint, pesticides, and even deodorants and nail polish.

Start Packing Unnecessary Items

Sure, you can’t put away all of your belongings into boxes too early, but some stuff can be done and packed up ahead. After you’ve thoroughly decluttered, you should begin putting away all that stuff that isn’t necessary for your everyday life. That means that you should enter the garage and the attic, and sort all you find there. Don’t forget to drain the gas from your mower, to secure safe transport. Besides these two spaces, you can also store away seasonal clothes and shoes, and any other belonging you won’t miss at the moment.

Think About How to Use Storage

If you are unsure whether you would like to keep some furniture or not, you can always invest in storage services – just ask the relocation company if they offer it. You can also store away seasonal clothes and Christmas ornaments. Still, some of your belongings can’t be stored this way, like the ones that you won’t package for transport. To find out which, just add it to the list of questions to ask movers.

You Need Boxes and Some Other Supplies

If you’re planning to move out for the first time, you are most likely unaware of what supplies you should get to begin packing your way through the house. Right before you start the back-breaking labor that is packaging, you should gather materials that you will use in this process. Here’s a list of what you might need:

• Sturdy boxes – Medium-sized cartons are the ones that you will probably find the most usable, but nevertheless, get a few large ones, and a bigger number of smaller ones. If you want to save up, visit your local retailers and check if they have used cartons to give you. You can check out if you can find them on Freecycle, too.
• Padding materials – This may mean that you have to buy lots of packaging paper and bubble wrap in the store, but probably the most efficient way to pack for moving is to use your household softies instead. So, put to use kitchen towels, sheets, and old clothes, to provide you with enough cushioning for other items. And it will save you on space because you would pack those anyway.
• Packaging tape and painter’s tape – The packaging tape is sturdy and it will keep your closed cartons in place, even if you have loaded them with heavier stuff. The painter’s tape is what you will need for artwork and mirrors, to secure the glass and prevent damage. You will do this by making an X on the glass surface.

Also, add plastic wrap and ziplock bags, as well as some more common items, such as scissors, labeling stickers, and a marker to this list. And if you’ve managed to acquire all of these supplies, it’s time to get on the difficult part.

Getting Ready to Pack

After you’ve gone through the preparation phase, you should do the thing that you probably find most difficult – packing. You are probably wondering “how can I make moving easier?” The easiest way to pack for a move is like with everything else – with good planning and awesome hacks.
Strengthen the cartons with several layers of tape, and be sure that they won’t open while being carried. The next step is to pad the bottom of every box that will contain anything breakable and fragile.

Labeling Will Help You Pack Every Room

There are several options for labeling your packed stuff, that will help you answer the question “how can I make moving less stressful.” You can write on every carton, or place a sticker on it, to which room the box belongs. Put this label on the side, and on the top, so it can be easily spotted, no matter how cluttered all the boxes are. Particularly label every box with fragile belongings, to make sure they won’t be damaged when transported on a truck.
The other option is to color code packages by the room. This method will make it easier for long-distance moving professionals to unload your belongings right where you want them. The third option, which you can easily combine with one of these two, is to number the boxes. This way you can track if anything gets lost during transport.

Take a photo of the content of each package, or even write it down. This may be helpful when you begin to unpack and want to locate something, but don’t want to rummage through all the boxes. You should consider this step, even if you’re going to move to another country.

Preparing an Essentials Bag Is a Must

Ever wondered what should you move first when moving? An essentials bag or the first-day bag is something that you must take with you in your car, or on the plane if you’re shipping a car cross country using auto-transport services. This bag or package must contain basic toiletries and kitchen utensils needed for the first few days. Also, store in it all of your important documents, chargers, valuables, and some entertainment for your kids. Don’t forget that a change of clothes for each family member is also essential. If you add a package of cleaning supplies, these are all the things you need for your apartment on the first day.

Here Are Some Additional Packing Tips

By now, you should feel like a pro when it comes to relocating and you can freely claim you know the answer to “how do you move efficiently.” But, there are more tricks and tips to speed up the whole process. Let’s see some of them:

• When it comes to disassembling the large furniture pieces, remember to put all the belonging hardware in ziplock bags. These may be considered as the most commonly forgotten things to pack, and you will need them later on when you move in and start assembling everything again.
• When packaging dressers, you needn’t empty the drawers. Leave all of your belongings inside, enfold every drawer with plastic wrap, put them back into the dresser, and envelop the whole piece again with several layers.
• If your clothes are made of sensitive materials or are valuable to you, consider buying wardrobe boxes for their transport. The other method is an awesome, and much cheaper hack – leave your clothes on the hangers and package them into garbage bags.
• Use plastic wrap to secure all the shampoo and other bottles. You’ll do this properly if you place the plastic on the bottle orifice, and then put the cap over it.
• Makeup palettes and other cosmetics can be secured from breakage if you put some cotton pads inside them.
• When packing dishes and glassware, be generous on packing paper or bubble wrap. Stack both plates and glasses vertically, so they won’t be easy to break. Add cushioning where needed, so the items inside won’t shift and get damaged during transport in a truck.
• If you have to pack books, keep in mind that packages shouldn’t be too heavy. A great idea is to store them away into suitcases, as you’ll transport them easier that way.
• Have you decided to use the car shipping service? Take all of your possessions out of the vehicle, before you hand it over to the professionals.

You can find these and some other tips in the following video.

The Long Distance Moving Services May Be an Easier Answer

If you think you really can’t manage all of this and keep a sane mind, while you’re planning to move to another state and start a new chapter, there are many things that professionals offering moving services can do instead of you. You may want to skip the packaging process when you’re cross country moving, so think about investing in packing services, and be sure it will be done the right way. After all, that is the most efficient option of all, and it will save you from stress and back pain.