Moving is hard, I’m not even going to sugarcoat it. It takes literally months of planning and can turn the most organized, directed person into a physical and emotional wreck. But while it is a time and energy consuming affair that will require your attention no matter how much you delegate to the moving company, it can also be a rewarding experience when completed.

Not until when one wants to move houses does he/she realize the scope and sheer quantity of property they have to their name. It seems like an endless sea of stuff that needs sorting, packing and careful carrying. Some things might not even fit in some boxes while others will get broken. Some things will get lost while others will be left behind by accident, or even just on purpose.

You never know what you can get with a move and that is why I have compiled a list of tips to make sure that you get the best out of your next house move, using as little time and energy as possible, and forgetting nothing. And above all, enjoying the experience in its entirety.

Here are a couple tips to help make sure that your next move is a sweat-free experience

Strategy and organization

Do not leave anything until the last minute. Figure out early how your move is going to look like and plan accordingly. Clear your schedule for that day if need be. Also, you will need to determine the kind of truck you’ll need to rent out and the duration you will rent the truck. A shorter distance will only mean renting the truck for a day but interstate moves will mean renting out a truck or trucks for an extended period.

Transportation

This is a delicate part of the decision making process for a move. If you’re moving a short distance, you’ll be able to get away with renting out a smaller truck and having to make more than one trip. But if you’re moving long distance, you’ll need to be careful to pick out a truck big enough to cart all your belongings in one go, as making two 1,000 mile trips for one move makes just as little sense as it sounds. Styleathome suggests the following guideline to help you:

•  In general, the contents of bachelor and one-bedroom apartments will fit in a 16′ cube truck available at your local rental company.
  •    Two to three fully furnished bedrooms will require a 24′-26′ truck to ensure your move is completed in one load.
  •    The contents of most houses can be moved in the same 24′ truck with one or two trips.

Packing tips

So now you have both the size of the truck you’ll need and the amount of time in which you’ll have the truck in use. All you need to do now is the actual moving. It’s not move day yet but that doesn’t matter.

Seize the opportunity to purge your belongings, getting rid of items you no longer use. You could give them away or if time permits, sell them off at a yard sale. You could also put up furniture and other larger, more expensive electronics up for sale on craigslist.

One industry expert from AdMoversLa also suggests putting together a packing kit. “Use blank sheets of paper to record the things that will be packed from each room, ticking off on the items that end up being packed safely into boxes. This will help make sure you forget nothing. The same should go for those helping you move, they should have their own list on hand. This inventory will also help as a record to show the moving company if anything goes missing,” he said.

Lastly, always remember to label as much of your property as you can. Definitely put labels on all your cardboard boxes.

Tips to working with movers

These apply on the day of the move, before the day and afterwards. First of all, always remember to keep your movers in the loop of what is going on. For example, if you have large equipment such as refrigerators, pianos and washers, you need to intimate them beforehand so they know what they’re dealing with and can come equipped with the right manpower and machinery to do the job. This will also help them come up with cost and duration estimates for the move.

On the day of the move, make sure to be ready for the movers before they arrive. Have all your smaller belongings packed in boxes, labelled and properly kept because any delay will lead to increased costs. Lastly, always remember to give your movers a good treat post-move as a show of appreciation. It never hurts anyone.

Now you can see that there is procedure to moving and if followed, should generally make the process a less tiring, much safer, cheaper experience. So go hire your preferred moving company and make your move.