If you moved at some point in the past, there’s a good chance that you have a horror story to share. Perhaps the water and electricity didn’t get turned on in your new place until two weeks after you moved in. Or, maybe the moving truck you rented broke down on the cross-country trip.
The point is that moving is a stressful experience because so many unexpected events can occur. While it may be impossible to have a completely problem-free move, what you can do is follow some strategies to make moving easier. Below are some tips that can help you out.
Consider Getting Your Car Shipped
When people own one or more vehicles, they often believe that there is no other choice but to drive them to the new location. However, that isn’t the case. Car shipping companies transport autos cross-country for owners. Not only that, but some businesses move vehicles internationally as well. Letting a shipper haul your car from point A to point B will prevent you from putting excessive mileage on the unit.
Why is that important? If a person ever wants to sell their vehicle, low mileage can draw buyers in and help the seller get his or her full asking price. In addition, component and system failures tend to occur more frequently when a car’s mileage gets high. So, choose an auto transport service to keep auto repairs at bay, if for nothing else.
Of course, you might simply want to avoid a road trip if it will leave you and the family cooped up in the car for an extended period. Nobody is saying you don’t like the company of your loved ones, but if your people are like everyone else’s, things could get pretty chaotic in a hurry.
Hence, if you want to avoid unnecessary stress, let a car shipper take care of your car and fly to your new city. That will get you there in less time, ensuring there is less of a chance for your family to get on each other’s nerves.
Make Charitable Donations
Another way to make a move easier is to get rid of some of your stuff. Do you have too many clothes? What about furniture or other items? If you’ve accumulated too many unusable belongings over the years, why not downsize? There are probably various places to donate goods nearby. All you’ll need to do is drop your items off at these locations. You may even find an organization that will send someone to your address to pick the donation up.
This option can make your life easier if you’re packing everything yourself. The fewer things you have, the less you have to pack now and unpack later. However, donating may even save you some money on moving. That’s because if you hire a professional mover, you could be charged by the weight of goods. Thus, the lighter the load, the less you’ll pay.
Pack an Overnight or Essentials Bag
If you’re driving to a new location, and the trip will take multiple days, take the time to pack an overnight or essentials bag. The items you’ll want to keep inside may vary, but definitely include things such as:
- Medications
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Important documents such as IDs
- Money
- Phone charger
- A change of clothes
After you’ve been driving for quite some time and drowsiness sets in, you won’t want to search in the trunk, floorboard, or anywhere else for particular objects. Rather, your primary focus will be on getting checked into a hotel and falling fast asleep. So, pack an overnight or essentials bag and ensure this part of your move goes swimmingly.
An essentials bag also comes in handy on your first night at your new house. After a day’s worth of travel, the last thing you want to do is search for toiletries and a change of clothes. With an essentials bag, you can wash off the day’s grime and get a good night’s rest.
Keep Dresser Drawers Full
Is the mere thought of unpacking your dresser drawers too much to bear? Unfortunately, many people view this part of a move as mundane and unnecessary. To some people, it doesn’t make much sense to remove clothing and other lightweight belongings if they don’t add much additional weight to furniture.
If you’d rather do away with packing clothes into boxes, be sure to grab some clear plastic wrap when gathering the rest of your packaging materials. Then, use layers of plastic wrap to secure the drawers and prevent them from falling open. That will prevent the drawers from sliding out during transport and stop your stuff from falling out. This tactic can make your life easier when it comes to moving.
Label Everything
The whole packing process can be long and tiring, but you need to take a few extra seconds to label each box. That will make unpacking a cinch, as you’ll know exactly where the contents of boxes will go. Not only will that make moving easier in general, but it will also speed things up. Nobody wants to be sitting around a year after moving with full boxes stacked in the garage.
However, that might be how things go if you don’t take the time to properly label your boxes.
Final Thoughts
Moving isn’t usually the easiest thing to do. Instead, from start to finish, the entire situation can be challenging and seem overwhelming. There are ways to get around that, though. So, use these tips for a straightforward move that doesn’t leave you feeling stressed to the brink.