Stressful Moving

Moving is a stressful (but luckily, temporary) time in anyone’s life. I should know – I’ve had the unfortunate displeasure of moving about once a year for a little under a decade. Packing all of your belongings – your life’s story – and then unpacking is both tiresome and tedious. However, the entire process can be made to go much more smoothly with a few simple tips. Tip 1: Spring cleaning. Determine what items you want to bring, what you want to throw away, and what can be donated to the local charity. There’s no sense in bringing along items that you do not even want, and many of us have those extra books we never read, those clothes we don’t fit into anymore, and other such possessions that should not have a place in our new home. By getting rid of them, your load becomes lighter and you will have less to move. Tip 2: Organize well. Look through all of your items and determine which items will end up where in your new home. Pack all your books together, leaving out books you may want to keep by your desk (such as reference materials). Pack all bathroom items together, all kitchen items together, all bedroom items together, and so on. Pack carefully, keeping in mind that heavy items belong in smaller, more manageable boxes while lighter items may go in larger boxes. In this way, items of the same room will not have to travel far to their final destination. Tip 3: Label, label, label. Label and color-code all of your boxes. With boxes containing matters of greater import, you may benefit from an inventory list taped to the side of the box so that you know what is in it before opening and digging. By color-coding your box (by room or person), you will make unloading boxes significantly easier. If “all blue boxes labeled ‘kitchen’ go to the kitchen,” the movers will know where to place the boxes correctly and save you a trip. These little steps will save you a great deal of headache on your next move. Go the extra mile now, and you won’t have to stay up all night sorting through duplicate boxes looking for “that thing that should have been here but isn’t.” After all, don’t we have enough troubles in our lives without adding misplaced items to the list?