Jun
Moving is one of those life events we all dread. While it’s definitely exciting to switch homes, cities, or even countries, that adventure comes coupled with a healthy dose of stress.
Roughly 35 million Americans switched homes in 2016. If you’re one of this year’s crop of movers, you’re probably already encountering stress because of it.
Keep reading to find out how to reduce your stress levels during the house moving process so you can enjoy your new home and have the easiest house moving experience.
Minimizing Your Stress for the Easiest House Moving Experience
It’s estimated that the average person will move 11.4 times in their lifetime. Thinking back, you can probably envision some past moves that did not go smoothly.
Past missteps don’t have to be repeated, however. With some planning, your next house moving experience doesn’t have to be as stressful as your previous ones.
Make a plan and follow it.
There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to transporting everything you own. Planning a strict schedule can help you prioritize your tasks and make sure that everything gets done before moving day.
When you’re making your schedule, it’s important to get your dates straight. Whether you’re buying a new home or switching rental properties, you need to know the earliest day you can move in in order to have the easiest house moving experience.
You might want to schedule a little overlap between your move-in date and the day you need to be out of your old home. An extra day or two is a very handy cushion to have in your schedule in case something doesn’t go quite as planned.
Next, schedule moving services well ahead of time. Knowing your movers will be there when they’re supposed to be will take a huge weight off of your shoulders.
It can also give your moving company time to plan for any possible issues with your move, like traveling long distances or dealing with several flights of stairs.
Next, get started packing up non-essential items. Out-of-season clothes, decorations, and spare furniture can all be boxed up or wrapped well before moving day. Just be sure not to pack up your moving survival kit—filled with essential items you need on moving day.
Donate, donate, donate.
There is no better time to clear out your cluttered closets, attic, basement, and garage than right before a move.
After you establish your schedule, go through your belongings with a fine-tooth comb and decide which items are essential and which ones you can do without. Those are the ones destined for the donate pile.
Pay special attention to your clothes collection. If you haven’t worn that shirt for the last several years—or if it’s been so long you completely forgot you owned it—donate it.
Depending on how attached you are to your belongings, this part of the process might be difficult. Just remember, the more items you get rid of, the fewer you’ll have to pack up and move. That translates to a much simpler and cheaper moving experience.
Overbuy on supplies.
Buy more boxes, tape, bubble wrap, and other moving supplies than you think you’ll need. During the packing process, you will inevitably find that your belongings take up more space than you thought and require more padding than you’d planned for.
Even with the best packing skills, your items will shift during transport. That’s why it’s important not to skimp on the padding when you’re packing up fragile items.
It’s better to have leftover supplies when you’re done, which you can always save for a future move than to run out of boxes when you’re down to the deadline.
If you’re unsure how to pack a particularly tricky item, consult a professional moving company. They’ll probably know how to handle your most prized possessions.
Label everything.
Trust your handy black marker to save you from some major headaches after you arrive at your home. Clear, descriptive labels will help you unload your belongings in the right room and make the unpacking process go by much faster. That’s especially helpful because once everything is packed, taped, and stacked up in a moving van, you will have no idea which items you put where.
Let details be your friend here. A label that says “Grandma’s Antique China: Dining Room” will help you sort things out much faster than one that says “Plates” will.
Entrust your belongings to a packing professional.
It may be difficult to relinquish control over your prized possessions, but with the right moving company, it is totally worth it.
Many moving companies offer packing and unpacking services, meaning they will show up to your home, boxes in tow, and neatly pack up every room of your house. When you arrive at your destination, they’ll whip out the box cutters and unpack everything, too.
If you’re truly dreading dealing with mountains of boxes, bubble wrap, and packing tape, these services can significantly reduce your stress levels and help make it the easiest house moving experience.
If you own a lot of fragile or difficult-to-box items, trusting a professional might also make the difference in whether your possessions show up in one piece.
Consider storage.
It may make sense for you to temporarily store certain large or extraneous items when you’re moving houses. This is an especially handy solution if you’re downsizing in terms of space.
If you’re planning on storage, let your moving company know so they have time to plan for the extra stop. Many companies can recommend a quality storage facility and some also offer storage as part of their services portfolio.
Do your research before choosing a moving company.
Look for a licensed, bonded company that is fully insured for your big move. This will protect you and the company from any liability in the event of an accident that may occur during the process.
Check online reviews, too. You want to choose a moving company that will treat your heirlooms with as much care as they would their own.
For stellar service and professionalism, contact White Glove Moving & Storage to make your next move the easiest house moving experience you’ve ever had.