Moving house is a stressful event, to be sure, but did you know that it’s actually even more stressful than life’s other major upheavals, such as having a baby, starting a new job, or even getting a divorce? In fact, many people are so apprehensive about this anxiety-making activity that they procrastinate when it comes to finding a new residence. 

If your lease is up, if you’re an empty-nester who needs to downsize for economic reasons, or you’ve been offered a position with a company halfway across the country, moving house is unavoidable. Although you might not be able to eliminate all the stress of relocation, there are some tips and tricks for reducing it to a more manageable level. Read on to learn more!

The Very First Step to a Successful Move

Before you do anything else, it will behoove you to get organized. Grab a three-ring binder or a sturdy folder to store a calendar, lists, and all the other paperwork related to your move. This will be your bible. 

It’s also a good idea to grab some Sharpies, packing tape, big trash bags, old newspapers, packing peanuts or bubble wrap, and of course as many boxes as you can get your hands on. Most people already know that liquor-store boxes come in handy for packing up a household, and many liquor stores piles them outside or near the entrance for just that reason. Try the supermarket, as well: banana boxes are generally very useful.

Make Yourself a Checklist

Decide or find out when moving day is, and then use a calendar, working backwards, to create your checklist. Having everything laid out like this can be a huge benefit, especially if the move is a long-distance one. It will help keep you on track.

A word to the wise: when it comes to having your utilities shut off at the old house and turned on at the new one, leave yourself a day or two of overlap. Just in case things go awry as you are vacating, or on the chance you arrive early at your new residence, you won’t want to be without water, electricity, and internet.

Time to Declutter

Moving is an excellent motivator to make you take stock, sort out what belongings you no longer need, and get rid of items that are taking up space. After all, you have enough to worry about with your essentials. No sense in taking along boxes of clothes that don’t fit or DVDs you’ll never watch.

If you have time, hold a yard sale or post valuable items on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Any cash you make can go toward your moving company bill — or to a few days’ worth of pizza and Chinese takeout so you can pack up your dishes and cutlery early.

Donate the rest of your belongings to charity or give them away to friends. Many charities will come right to your home to pick up donations — that’s one less task to worry about.

Try to use up any perishable foodstuffs, personal care products like shampoo or shaving cream, or household cleaners. Not only is it silly to cart a half-used bag of flour or can of furniture polish along with you, but if you’re using a moving company, such items are verboten. 

To Store or Not to Store? 

In some cases, renting a self-storage unit will be necessary, or at least very helpful. For example, you might be required to vacate your old apartment on the 31st of the month, but can’t move into the new one until the 15th. During those two weeks of bunking with your brother and his family or couch-surfing among your circle of friends, you’ll need someplace safe and secure for all of your stuff.

“Self-storage can really help take the pressure off when you’re in the middle of a move,” explains Terry Drayton, founder and CEO of Livible, a Boston storage company. “Since you pay by the month, you can take all the time you need to move belongings into your new home.”

Keep Essential Items Close at Hand

To make moving day go as smoothly as possible, you will want to pack up a bag or two that goes with you, not on the moving truck. It should hold everything you need for the first few days: clothes, toiletries, medications, chargers for electronics, a few towels, toilet paper, tissues, and paper towels, an all-purpose cleaner, and some garbage bags. Some nonperishable snacks are good to have on hand as well. 

Goodbye, Good Luck, and Godspeed!

While relocating might seem like a daunting, difficult experience, it’s also an exciting time. So try not to let the stress get you down. Use a calendar and checklist, pare your belongings down to the bare minimum, and pack up the rest as early as possible. 

Before you know it, you’ll be relaxing in your beautiful new home and checking out all the fun thing to do in your new city!