8 Ways to Do Moving Right

Moving is dreadful. No one enjoys packing everything they own up and transporting it to a new place; the process is expensive, time-consuming, stress-inducing and painful, no matter whether you are moving down the street or across the country. Yet, what most people fail to realize is that most of the horrors of moving are due to mistakes they are making in planning and executing their move.

If you are anxious about an upcoming move, here are a few tips to make your moving experience more seamless, so you can go from here to there with less expense and pain.

1. Hire Movers

Yes, you can probably find a handful of people willing to help you transport your boxes and furniture from one place to another – but you know they won’t be happy about it. Plus, can you really trust your friends and family to handle your belongings with care?

Meanwhile, professional movers handle everything from the heaviest armoires to the most delicate china, and they rarely are at fault for breakages. Most moving companies offer some kind of guarantee, so you can seek repayment for missing or busted items. After you factor in the cost of renting a moving truck, purchasing gas and buying everyone lunch, the costs of DIYing your move and paying for professional movers is comparable. Plus, you don’t have to worry about throwing out your back or dislocating a shoulder; the movers will do all the heavy lifting for you.

2. Invest in Insurance

You had some type of insurance at your old home, and you’ll have some type of insurance on your new home — but in between, your belongings aren’t protected unless you get moving insurance. Though your movers are liable for the goods they transport, this liability only extends so far; meanwhile, moving insurance will protect the full value of your belongings, so if something is lost or broken, you won’t be out of luck.

3. Pick Your Day

It’s tempting to give yourself some flexibility, but you should make a hard deadline for the day you move – and it should be sooner rather than later. That way, you won’t put off packing, and you can tell everyone you know when you’ll stop living at your old place. It also helps to have a hard date to tell utilities companies, like energy, gas, water, internet and cable, so you don’t get your power shut off a day too early or pay double utilities for months afterwards.

4. Call a Disconnect Service

One moving trick you might not be familiar with is using a disconnect service. These companies collect your information and contact all your service providers about your move. This saves you hours of waiting on hold and reciting the same information to your electricity provider, your cable provider, your gas provider, etc. Disconnect services can also transfer service to your new place of residence. Your real estate agent might be able to connect you with a disconnect service for free, so you should ask about it today.

5. Use Tech Support

The last thing you want to do is spend a night (or more) at your new place without internet. As soon as you hang up with your disconnect service, you should acquire a technical support team to help you set up your new home network. Connecting your internet and devices can take a whole day when you aren’t sure what you’re doing; tech support will guide you through the process and provide other important perks, like antivirus, computer tune-ups, email services and more.

6. Purge While You Pack

Packing can take weeks – and unpacking can take years. To reduce the stress and effort that comes after your move, you should try to rid yourself of unnecessary belongings beforehand. As you pack, hold each item in your hands, and ask yourself if you truly need it in your life. You might even employ the Marie Kondo method: Does it fulfill an important function? Does it bring you joy? If your answers are no, then you can give it away or throw it in the trash to avoid unpacking it in the future.

7. Keep Essentials Aside

When you start packing, it is hard to stop. However, you should set aside any belongings you will need on the day of your move, such as an outfit, comfortable shoes, toiletries and mobile devices. Otherwise, you’ll be forced to move barefoot, in your pajamas, with no makeup on – which is not a great way to face such a stressful endeavor.

8. Outsource Pet- and Childcare

Finally, the last thing you want is to be corralling small children and wild pets while movers are tromping in and out of your space. For the day of your move, try to coerce neighbors, family or friends into looking after your children (furry or otherwise), so you’ll know they’ll be safe and out of the way.

Moving is stressful, and nothing you do is going to prevent some anxiety from bubbling up on moving day. However, by preparing beforehand with these easy tricks, you can relax a little more while your stuff goes from here to there.