Many psychological experts agree that moving is one of the most stressful things a person can do. It is up there with getting a divorce and losing a job. Despite this, the typical resident of the United States will move 12 times during their life. By the time a person has reached the age of 30, they have moved at least six times. Every year, about 33% of all people who rent their home move each year. There are some things you can do to make the experience of moving less stressful. Before you ask the people in your life “is there a good moving company near me?” you should consider the following tips.
- Plan ahead. If you know that your company is going to relocate you in six months or so, you can start to plan your move early. One thing that can help is to get out a calendar and put on it the things you are going to do each week. When you have to pack and move in a hurry, it will not be as easy to come up with a plan but having even a simple plan before you start to pack can make the process feel at least a little less chaotic. It can also help you not let any important details fall through the cracks as you get everything together. You can also plan your move for a day that is not the most popular in the week for moves. In 2016, about 19.45% of all moving companies were hired to work Fridays. Knowing that can help you contract with your moving services to do it on another day.
- Make lists. Lists are your friend when it comes to a move. The first thing you may put on your list is “find a moving company near me” but your to-do list will have a lot more than that. In addition to packing and moving your belongings, you have to cancel and start new internet service, television service, change the address for your credit cards and other bills, and just deal with a lot of changes. Having a to-do list for all of this can help. Another place lists will help is for the boxes. If you keep a list of what you are putting in each box, it will add time to your packing but will save you time when you go to unpack.
- Pack room by room. Keep your kitchen items with your other kitchen items. Do the same thing with each room and color code the boxes. This is good for a number of reasons. In the first place, after you have looked for a “moving company near me,” you can work with your experienced movers to put your boxes in the right rooms. Planning the way you color coordinate everything will make a difference in your experience when you get to your new home.
- Use your linens to wrap fragile items. You can buy bubble wrap but you can also use things you already have in your home. You are going to have to move your linens such as your sheets and towels so you might as well put them to work. Another time saver is to leave your clothes in the drawers. If you wrap the drawers in saran wrap, you can keep everything in them. The movers will take the drawers out of your dressers to move them but this will keep everything in place for the move and will save you time at the start and at the end. Also, get wine boxes for your wine glasses. The inserts are great at keeping your items safe.
- Pack a box for the items you will need right away. Put together a box, or several, for the items you need right away. If your day cannot get started right without your coffee, put your coffee maker and supplies in the box. This should also have some clothing and the toiletries you are going to want to access as soon as you get to your new place.
After looking around asking, “what’s the best moving company near me?” there are things you can do to have a better experience.