There is no reason that you need to be worried about moving or relocating. Sure, for some it can be a stressful and crazy time. But moving certainly doesn't have to be. Here are some useful tips to make moving less stressful and not so chaotic!

Get Organized

Start off by creating a moving checklist, which outlines everything you need to get done before, after and during the move. This will help you stay organized and not miss any important details for your move.

Now make sure you don't move anything you don't need to move! Moving things that you no longer use can be costly, time-consuming and unnecessary physical chore. Ask yourself – If I don't use it now, am I really going to use it later? The same goes with clutter. Do not pack and move broken tools or appliances, old toys, clothes or any other item in your house that you don't need anymore. These can either be recycled, thrown in the trash or given to charity.

Now you can attempt to do all the moving work yourself, or even with friends, but if not, and you decide to go with a moving company, make sure you choose an experienced moving or relocation company that has an established reputation for good service and reliability. Choosing someone that is unreliable or inexperienced will waste more time and money than you can imagine. If you choose not to use a moving company, then make sure you recruit as much help as possible! With some outside help, you can get a lot more done, as others help you pack or unpack. In fact, assuming your children are old enough, ask them to pitch in for sure!

But assuming the children aren't old enough, it may be a good idea to find a babysitter for them while you are doing anything related to your move, such as packing, unpacking, etc. This way, the kids won't be interrupting your progress and you'll be able to accomplish more. Also try to make your move as pet safe as possible, if you have pets. Have a plan ready for when the movers arrive. You could keep your cats in the bathroom with a litter box, or put your dogs in a fenced in yard. It's also important that your pets feel comfortable in your new home. So take along their favorite toys, give them attention, and don't leave them alone for long periods of time for the first few days.

Packing Tips

Start early with packing. Even if it's just to get organized. Think about it. Simply packing 1 or 2 boxes a day for a month will leave with you around 30-60 boxes packed and ready to go. And try to pack by room, maintaining the goods from each room in separate boxes.

When it comes to packing, you're going to want to get a hold of boxes in various sizes. Make certain they are clean, in tip-tip condition (you don't want boxes falling apart on you and all your goodies falling on the ground!) and have covers that can be shut and sealed up with tape. Sure, you can go out and buy these boxes from a moving company or other store, or you can first hit up the local businesses for boxes they were going to throw away. Try to get a hold of liquor boxes. They are fantastic! Not only are they very sturdy, but they have dividers, which makes them perfect for packing glasses, and vases, etc. Just make sure these boxes have lids! After you get these boxes, you might not be just yet ready to start using them, so open up both ends and flatten them out. This is an easy way to save storage space. Cartons can be resealed with tape as they are used.

A great packing strategy is the 1-2-3 System. When you move to your new home, not everything will have to be unpacked that very first day. To know which boxes carry the most importance, label boxes containing essential items as Priority 1. If they are important but not critical, then mark the box Priority 2. You may have boxes containing out of season items, like holiday stuff and decorations, or other things you won't need right away. These boxes can be marked Priority 3. Now you have an organized way of unpacking! Speaking of labeling, use felt pens. These are perfect for marking boxes with information about things like contents, destination room, if it's fragile or should be placed "this side up." An additional way of making your life easier is to put removable, colored, circle stickers on your boxes in order to be able to easily tell which boxes contain kitchen items, bedroom items, bathroom items, etc. Use a different color for each room. I would go ahead and create a master list so you'll never forget what is in each box. Another tip, and this is assuming you can go to your new home ahead of time, is to go ahead and place a corresponding colored sticker on the door or door frame of the room that box will be delivered to.

Now don't forget wrapping paper and heavy-duty tape! You will need a lot of these. Please note that if you wrapping something in newspaper may end up with ink marks, and that means after your exhausted from unpacking, you'll have to start cleaning immediately. So make your life easier and avoid newspaper! For example, moving companies use unprinted newsprint. So go ahead and contact your mover or a moving company to purchase this type of packing paper. Other outstanding wrapping materials include Kraft paper, tissue paper and shock-resistant corrugated paper. These can all be purchased at most major department stores, craft stores or from your mover or moving company. What I like about these wrapping papers is that they make for great cushioning and lining material, also.

Keep your boxes at 50 pounds or below, but fully packed. Boxes around this weight will be much easier to handle. Finally, make sure you have address labels before you move into your new home. They will be really useful to have on hand when you need to express a change of address on anything. They are also great to leave behind with those who move into your old home just in case they need to forward anything that gets delivered there. You can even make their life easier by offering a few bucks to cover any potential postage costs.

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