Tips and Tricks for a Stress-Free Move

The average American moves about 12 times in his or her lifetime. Chances are, if you haven’t moved yet, you will at some point. As many as 33% of people who rent move every year. If you are a college graduate, you are significantly more likely to relocate at least once or change states several times before you’re fully settled.

Moving can be scary. Besides starting over in a new community, you’re intimidated by the work that goes into packing up and transporting your whole life. But you don’t have to deal with moving and storage on your own. Your belongings are valuable to you, and you would be devastated if you lost or broke anything during the moving process. Hiring a furniture delivery service will ensure that your items arrive at your new home safe and intact.

Before turning over your most precious things to the professionals of a residential moving service, you first need to pull it all together. The following tips and tricks will help you pack and unpack without stress.

• Pack a bag: Put everything you will need for your first night at your new home in one bag. You don’t want to be rummaging through every box just to find your comforter or your toothpaste.
• Wrap delicate things in clothing: Don’t splurge on bubble wrap. Just put your breakables inside thick sweaters, coats, socks, etc.
• Don’t forget the fridge: It’s easy to forget the items hidden away in the refrigerator. Toss out old food and pack up the nonperishables.
• Pack by room: Keep your bathroom things with your bathroom things and your kitchen things with your kitchen things. This way you can unpack one room at a time, and you will know where everything is.
• Label: Don’t just label what is in the box. Label what room the box belongs in, too.
• Extra protection: Put a cotton ball or pad inside your cosmetics so they won’t break.
• Use sandwich bags: Put all small parts in plastic bags and label them. This includes screws and such for larger furniture that you have to disassemble.
• Vacuum seal your clothing: You don’t have to do this with all of your clothing, but for out-of-season-wear that you won’t be needing for a while, this will save a lot of space.
• Change your address: Don’t wait. Change your address at least 14 days before moving in order to keep your mail secure.
• Hold onto important documents: Birth certificates, bills, bank information and other records should be kept with you during the move. Also, be sure you have the furniture delivery service’s phone number and your shipment registration number.
• Remove light bulbs before packing lamps: This sounds obvious, but can be easily overlooked.

At your new place, you may not need some items, but that doesn’t mean you won’t ever need them again. Keeping your loved but unnecessary belongings in a storage rental is a great way to avoid clutter in your new place.

Once you have arrived at your new home, and the furniture delivery service has dropped off your belongings, you can finally begin to set up your new life.