Have you moved recently? Are you planning a move? If you have put your home on the market or are thinking about moving to a new home, be forewarned. There are some stressful days and busy hours coming your way. Moving to a new home is considered by some to be one of the hardest things you will do. It takes planning, time and lots of work. There are definitely some things you can do to make the move a little easier. Here are 7 Tips for a Smooth Move. I don’t claim that these tips will take out all the work, but it will help your transition go smoother.

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7 Tips for a Smooth Move

The number one tip to making a move easier is to relax. Start early and move slowly. Here are some step by step ways to make a move easier.

Start Decluttering Immediately

There is absolutely no point in packing up the clutter that you don’t love. If it doesn’t serve a purpose, if you don’t love it and it doesn’t make your life better – chunk it! Gift it, thrift it or trash it! But don’t pack junk!

Do a Little Everyday

The minute you put your house on the market is the best time to start packing. I’m not talking the full scale, pack a dozen boxes at once sort of action. I’m talking about the things you can live without. Pack away the toys the kids have outgrown. Put away the holiday decorations in boxes that could be moved without repacking.

Label everything

Just in case you don’t move immediately, you need to be able to find the stuff you pack. This will help if your house sits on the market for 2 years (like ours did) or if you move within 30 days and you need to find stuff in your new house asap. We love our Brother Label Maker that lets us label everything. *but of course, you can use reliable Sharpie Markers too!

Give up the Illusion of Control

The whole time your house in on the market you will not really be in control of your life. You may have a realtor calling you to show your house in an instant. Maybe you will have inspectors or appraisers coming to do their job. Realize that being flexible is going to be the only way you can survive and thrive in a moving situation.

Don’t do it all alone

It’s easy for us to think we can do this whole moving process alone. But making a move requires the help of family and friends. Enlist the help of the kids when they want to help but then let them play and be kids while you and your support system get the job done. When people volunteer, accept. If they offer to bring a bucket of chicken on moving day, say YES! If a friend offers to help clean the counters while you’re loading the truck, accept the help. No one can do this by themselves.

Have the right supplies

Everything is easier when you have the right supplies for the job. Moving is no exception. Have plenty of sharpie markers, tape and scissors sitting around the house so you will not have to scramble to find what you need. Stock up on sturdy moving boxes that you can keep filling so you don’t run out at the last minute. Keep a cooler full of water bottles for the actual moving day.

Plan to Live in a Mess for Weeks

Once the house officially sells and the boxes start to pile up in the living room, your house will officially become a mess. For people like me, that is really hard to live with. At some point, you have to accept that your house will be a chaotic mess for the next few weeks. Once you accept that, your expectations will change and your family will appreciate the way you deal with the chaos.

What are your tips to make a move easier? Your tips will definitely be able to help others who are in the process of making a move!