Five tips to make your life easier when moving

Is there anything fun about moving? Some would say no cause packing your entire life in a few bags can be rather stressful; yet it’s all in the approach; you can turn it into an enjoyable, uneventful experience with some proper planning and rigorous organization. Take it from someone who’s changed places eleven times so far; and I’m not sure I’m done.

First you have to make a personalized checklist of all the things you need done before, during and after the move is complete. Depending on whether you choose to contract some professional movers to take care of the whole job, rent a truck and do it yourself or load your belongings in a container and have it delivered to your door once you’re in your new digs, you can further plan your strategy.

It’s very important to settle any utilities issues you might have pending at your old place, before you make arrangements for new ones. Be sure to change subscriptions, set up end-of-service dates with your utility providers and discuss final bill details.

Don’t leave everything to the last minute. Start packing some time before the move; surely you have things lying around your house that you won’t need for the last few days there. Pack ahead your winter clothes, décor pieces, bedding, unessential kitchenware or any other paraphernalia you think you won’t use till the moving day. Sell, donate or throw away anything that has been standing in your closet, unused and unwanted, for more than 12 months; chances are they will just take up precious space of your new apartment, without ever making it to your “wearables” list .

An excellent idea that will ensure a smooth unpacking process would be to color coordinate; use same color stickers to mark boxes that go in the same room. For instance choose green for your living room stuff, red for the kitchen or blue for the bedroom and let your movers know about it. You’ll know exactly where to dig when you’ll be looking for that cute pair of sandals you’ll be wearing to work on Monday.

For those of us who are not technology-savvy, re-hooking cables to our TVs or computers might seem rocket science; a clear picture of the original hook-up might save you a lot of trouble on the moving day. Don’t put all your electronic wires in one bag as you won’t be able to tell which is which; instead use plastic baggies to keep them apart.