Ready, set, MOVE! Moving tips to help you prepare for the big day

Everyone loves buying a new home but no one loves the actual process of moving. You never really know how much stuff actually has found a place in your home until you are packing it all up to move to the next location. Lucky for you, I have lived in 3 different homes in the past 2 months thanks to selling, renting and buying and have some tips for you when you make your next move!

Chances are 20% of the “stuff” in your home is just there because you haven’t had time to donate, trash, recycle or give it away. Now is the time to do this! There is no need to waste energy on moving something you do not need or want. Go through your closets, if it doesn’t fit or you haven’t worn it in over a year, donate it. Way too many linens in the hall closet but some are in too poor of shape to donate? Think again! Animal shelters are always in need of towels, sheets and blankets, no matter what the condition of the items may be. Kids are notorious for holding on to toys. Help them make a fresh start by donating the toys they no longer use. What was once collecting dust will make another child’s day!

Now that you have gone through your home and gotten rid of all the stuff you do not use or want, it’s truly time to pack. Tackle one room each day if you can or even one room every 2 days. When you box up your items, make sure you have plenty of paper to wrap fragile items in. My biggest mistake when packing was not labeling each box properly. While you may think you will remember what “glass stuff” means today, you probably will not remember what it means tomorrow or 2-3 weeks from now when you are unpacking it! By taking 2 extra seconds to write “glass bowls and candle sticks” you will have saved the effort of digging through the box looking for your glass vase. When you do properly label your boxes, be sure to put the room the box needs to go into. This will make your life much easier so that all your boxes are in the appropriate room when you start to unpack.

Here is my biggest tip for you and do not miss this one. Be sure to pack a week’s worth of clothes and items as if you were going on a trip where you would also need to eat. Pack your normal clothes for work, pajamas, around the house clothes, etc as well as all your toiletries but so many times we forget essential items like towels, sheets for the beds, paper plates, cups, napkins, toilet paper and a first aid kit. By having these items, you will not have to “unpack” several boxes trying to find the items you need to eat a sandwich or to find a Band-Aid.