How to Make Moving Less Stressful

Moving is routinely cited as one of the most stressful life events, right up there with divorce, death of a loved one, financial problems, chronic illness and marriage. Fortunately, though, unlike many of life’s other stressors, with a little forethought and planning, you can remove a lot of the stress surrounding a relocation by following these tips.

Remember how to assemble stuff: If your furniture or other knick-knacks are disassembled for packing, will you recall how to reassemble them at your new location? Take pictures of the furniture so you have an idea of what goes where. As you disassemble, put the parts into zip loc bags and label them.  (You’ll thank us later for this one.) 

Organize your boxes and label them: As you pack your container, put the things you will need first to the outside and the things you will need last to the inside. Also consider color coding with markers or tape where the boxes go. For example, blue markers could mean for the bathrooms and green for outside or in the garage.

Think About Your Electronics: If you are like most people, you have all sorts of electronic equipment that fits together in a bundle of crazy wiring! Take videos or pictures here, too, of the backs so you will know that component plugs in where. Better yet, color code the wires with Velcro.

Make a Checklist for Each Move Event: Checklists are lifesavers when it comes to moving! Using them means reducing stress. Rather than trying to capture everything into one checklist, consider a checklist for each leg of the move. For example, consider a checklist for each family member to use when packing (how to label boxes, how to prioritize boxes, how to pack valuables or glass), a checklist for cleaning, or even a checklist for walking through the house to ensure you didn’t forget anything.

There are enough stressors in life without moving having to be one of them. A little pre-planning and help from trusted partners, like Zippy Shell, can mean the difference between a stress-free move and a nightmare of a move.