7 Moving Strategies to Make Moving for a New Job Less Stressful
Moving is stressful, especially when you’re leaving everything you know for a new job. You can make the move go more smoothly — and thus make everything less stressful — by using these 7 moving strategies.
1. Hire a Professional Moving Service
A professional moving service will take care of loading, transporting, and unloading your belongings once you arrive at your new living space. You can also arrange for packing services with many moving companies, which is a relief when you have to move with little time for preparation. By hiring a professional moving service, you can help protect your belongings and reduce your stress levels.
2. Clearly Label Packed Boxes
If you’re packing on your own, you’ll know what’s going in each box. But that doesn’t mean you’ll remember what’s in each box once you’re at your new home. Clearly label each box with the room it’s supposed to go in and with what it contains. That will prevent you from having to dig through tons of boxes to find something.
3. Start Packing Now
Start early. Identify what you don’t need to have access to for the next few weeks and pack it up as soon as you can. Even if you do have a lot of time before your move, it will pass very quickly. Starting now makes it easier to pack in an organized manner.
4. Create a Folder With All Your Moving Information
Moving involves a lot of detail, so put together a notebook where you can keep receipts, make and revise timelines, store paperwork, and so on. Make a to-do list and checklists where you can keep track of everyone you’ve called and all the services you’ve set up. Don’t leave this to memory and a few notes on scratch paper.
5. Buy Most, but Not All, Your Supplies Early
When you know you’re finally moving, you go out and get boxes, right? You should still buy boxes, tape, and other packing materials, but it’s best not to buy everything you think you need right away. That’s because what you think you need may not be what you actually need, and you don’t want to waste money on extra materials. Buy a good number of boxes and supplies now and make a second purchase later when you see what else you really need.
6. Pack and Label Boxes With The Basics You’ll Need
You’ll need some supplies like clothes and toiletries throughout your move. Set aside one or two boxes per person for goods you’ll need to unpack immediately. Label them clearly with the contents and a phrase like “unpack first.”
7. Declutter Everything
Take a look at what you have and see what you can get rid of through donation, gifting or selling. You don’t have to dispose of absolutely everything, nor do you have to follow arbitrary rules like donating anything you haven’t used in a specific amount of time. But this is the time to reduce what you own, and thus what you have to pack.
