Moving to a new home can be very exciting. It is a chance to start fresh in new surroundings. Moving to a new home can also be a very stressful time. This is especially true if you are planning a DIY move. If you don’t want the stress to overshadow the excitement, there are a few steps that you should follow when preparing and packing for the move.
Give Yourself Enough Time
According to moving.com, you should start planning your move early. It can cause a great deal of stress if you wait until the last minute to start packing and preparing for your move, it can make things incredibly stressful. You should start preparing and packing for your move eight weeks before moving day.
Get Organized
There are plenty of things that need to be done on moving day. According to Good Housekeeping, you should make a list of all the tasks that need to be completed. Next, divide each task into weeks. This will ensure that you will have enough time to get everything completed without becoming overwhelmed. If you start preparing eight weeks before the move, you only need to handle a few tasks each week.
Get Rid of the Things You Won’t Need
According to realtor.com, before you begin packing you should go through your house and get rid of things that you no longer use or need. If you do this, when it comes time to pack, you won’t waste your time and energy packing up items that you are going to get rid of when you unpack. There are a few items that you should be sure to get rid of:
- Old towels and linens: After years of washing and drying, your linens can wear out and tear. It is a good idea to get rid of the old, worn linens and towels before you move.
- Clothes that you don’t wear: If you are holding onto clothes that you can wear if you can lose 15 pounds or if you are holding onto your old club clothes just in case you want to go out one night, it is a good idea to let them go. Holding onto things that you haven’t worn in years will add to what needs to be packed, and these clothes will take up closet space in your new home.
- Cosmetics and toiletries: Before packing up the items in your bathroom, you should go through your toiletries and cosmetics. If you have several opened bottles of sunscreen, shaving cream, and deodorant, get rid of them. You only need one of each. You should also get rid of any nail polish and cosmetics that are two years old. Within two years, these products will have expired, and you should not hold onto them.
- Space fillers: If you have any pieces of furniture that were in a room just to fill up space, you should get rid of it. The same is true with furniture and décor that you don’t particularly like and only owned to fill a room, get rid of it. Moving to a new home means that you can start with a clean slate.
When purging your home of unwanted items, you should donate everything that is in good condition and throw away the things that aren’t.
Ask For Help
Trying to pack and organize an entire household can be very time-consuming. To make things a bit easier on yourself, like your friends or family members if they can spare a few hours to help you sort through your items and pack up. Most people have gone through a move at least once in their life, so your friends and family members will understand what you are up against. If you can get some help, things will go much faster.
Make Sure You Have All the Necessary Packing Supplies
According to HGTV, the first step to staying organized while packing is to gather the necessary packing materials before you begin. You will need:
- Small, medium, and large sized boxes (about 10 of each)
- Bubble wrap
- Packing tape
- Box cutter
- Sharpie markers
According to Psychology Today, moving to a new home can be very stressful. The best way to cut back on the stress is to be sure that you are organized and prepared. If you follow the tips listed above, you should be able to get through the move with your sanity intact.