How to Pack, Move and Not Get Overwhelmed

You have a closing date set on your new home, and you feel more than ready to make the move. The moving process itself is both an exciting and daunting event. You may not realize until it actually comes time to start putting things into boxes that moving can be stressful - especially without a to-do list to guide you. Just getting ready to pack requires a shopping list – you must find boxes, tape and paper to wrap up breakables, not to mention renting a moving truck or hiring a professional moving company. Staying organized and packing up for the move methodically can help make your transition from one house to another less challenging.

Start preparing early

Once you have your closing date, create a list to help you remember everything you must do to get ready for the move. Here are some examples to get your list started:

• Save old newspapers for wrapping breakables
• Print labels for the boxes you will pack
• Buy boxes, or ask for discarded boxes at the local grocery or liqueur store
• Buy bubble wrap in case you won’t have enough old newspapers
• Call the utility companies from your old house and get accounts scheduled to close/switch over for the day you will close.
• Make certain new accounts at the new home are activated in time for your move-in date. Without cable, you survive fine, but without electricity things get much more difficult.
• Ask available friends or family for extra pairs of helping hands on moving day
• Consider downloading a task manager app to your phone or device, allowing you to have your checklists and reminders available wherever you go.

Break things down into manageable pieces

Sometimes the enormity of a move is overwhelming. If you start to feel you are drowning in a sea of things to do, try creating daily checklists, which will break up the long lists of tasks into manageable chunks. For example:

• Put no more than five tasks on a post it note, and don’t think about the long list of things you must do – focus only on the post-it. This makes the job of moving appear smaller and more manageable, which can ease your stress.
• Take pride whenever you check an item off your list as done.
• Remember to take care of you and your family during this stressful time. Eat normal meals and take moments to catch a movie or go for a walk. These moments of normalcy can be huge stress relievers.

Buying a new home and moving is an exciting adventure, but it comes with a lot of tasks for you to complete. Stress is normal, but planning and organizing the work ahead of time will help your move go smoothly.

Want more moving how-tos? Check out our Moving Checklist for a starting point!