3 Steps to a Stress-Free Move
Thursday, July 16th, 2009
Packing and moving will always be stressful, no matter how well you prepare for it. There are ways, however, that you can make the most of the your situation and reduce the tension for everybody involved.
STEP 1: PURGE
Get rid of anything you don’t love, don’t need or can be replaced for less money than it would take to move it. Buy enough cardboard boxes to pack everything you own but look at things twice before you put them into a box. Things you haven’t worn, read or used for longer than a year are unlikely to be useful again. Donate them, give them to a friend or put them out for recycling. Less stuff means less time spent packing and unpacking and less money spent on moving boxes of stuff you don’t really need.
STEP 2: TAKE YOUR TIME
Start packing as soon as you know moving time is coming. Put away things you don’t need on your everyday life, like off-season clothing and sport equipment, and holiday items. If you have a large collection of books, CDs or ceramic items, take time to find the appropriate moving boxes to support their weight and protect against falls and crashes. For a full house or apartment, you should start packing boxes at least five weeks before the scheduled moving time.
STEP 3: BUY HIGH-QUALITY SUPPLIES
Cheap cardboard boxes may seem like a good idea –Until their bottom gives out because of the weight of your book collection. The last thing you need when packing boxes for your move is to have to worry about thin boxes that won’t protect its contents or won’t allow for more than a couple of pounds of content. The same goes for packing tape (you want to make sure it stays strong even if it gets wet), and other moving supplies such as bubble wrap and wardrobe boxes.
