Five Tips to Make Moving Day Easier on Your Family

Moving day can be pretty stressful. It’s not easy selling your home, then packing up everything you own and transporting it to another location. It’s even more difficult if you have kids involved. Now not only are you moving your own things, but you need to keep an eye on your kids at the same time. It’s all very overwhelming, and if you aren’t careful, it can quickly become too much. With that in mind, here are five tips that you can use to make moving day a little easier on your family.

Give Yourself Plenty of Time

The most important thing you can do is give you and your family plenty of time to prepare. If you try to get ready for a move the night before you have to leave your home, it’s not going to be fun. The more time you give yourself, the more time you’ll have to pack in an orderly fashion, and to remember all of the little things you need to do. Try to give yourself at least a few weeks and do a little bit at a time as you go along.

Work with a Good Moving Company

Next, it’s vital that you work with a good moving company. There’s a big difference between working with a bad moving company and a good one. A good one will take care of most of the work for you – even going as far as to help you pack up. They’ll be on time, answer all of your questions, and get your stuff to the new location safely. Working with a bad moving company will only complicate things and make the day more stressful for everyone involved.

To find a good moving company, you’ll need to do your research. Check your area for local companies. Once you have a list, go to review sites like Angie’s List or Yelp to see what kind of feedback they have received. You can use this information, along with their rates and experience, to help you pick the right mover.

Only Bring What You Need

Sometimes the stress comes from simply having too much stuff. When you have to move a lot, you have to do more packing, getting a bigger truck, carry more things, etc. A great thing you can do before you move is to get rid of things you don’t really need.

We all accumulate things over the years, but not all of it needs to come to our new home. Start by going through everything you own and making some piles One pile is the stuff you’re going to keep, another is stuff you want to sell, another is for things you can donate, and finally the last pile is for stuff you can just throw away.

This is where getting ready well ahead of time helps. With more time you can try to sell some of your things and bring a little extra money in. If that doesn’t work, you can find a charity to donate them to and get a tax write-off. And for everything else, you can simply throw it away before you move. Now, with a less cluttered home, you’ll have an easier time packing and moving.

While you’re going through your stuff, it’s also a good idea to put stuff aside that’s going into storage. You may not have room at your new place for everything, and you’ll want to store it some place safe. According to Livible, a company that provides storage units in Seattle, “When it comes time to select a storage unit, be sure to keep in mind the area that you live in. For example, if you live in an area where it snows and freezes in the wintertime, you might want to opt for a climate-controlled storage unit – which can tack on an additional $35/mo. or more in fees”.

Staying Organized

The key to staying stress free on moving day is to stay organized. There are a few ways you can do this. First, make yourself a running list. On this list write down everything you need to do. As you finish it, cross it off. When you think of something new, add it on. Keep this list handy so that you can jot things down throughout the day. A great way to do this is by making the list on your phone, so that it’s always nearby.

Besides a list, try to keep your packing organized. Label all of your boxes with which room the items belong. Keep all of your unused packing supplies in one place so that you can always find them. Finally, stay on top of what your family members have done so that you don’t worry about their tasks as well.

Have a Plan for Your Kids and Pets

Finally, it’s important that you have a plan for your kids and any pets. Young kids will only get in the way on moving day, so it’s not a bad idea to have a place for them to go. Move on a school day, send them to daycare, or see if they can spend the day at a friend’s house. Once the bulk of the moving is done you can pick them up, have them say goodbye to the house, and then bring them to your new place.

Moving day is stressful, but with some preparation you can limit the amount of stress. The tips above should help both you and your family have an easier day, and start your new adventure off on the right foot.