22 Smart Ways to Make Moving Easier

The countdown has begun, and you can hardly wait. Very soon you’ll be settling into your brand-new dream home. But before you can kick back and relax in your spacious great room or test out that tempting recipe in your gourmet kitchen, you have to make it through your moving day. For many buyers, moving feels like the final hurdle in the homebuying journey. Between finding a moving company, packing your belongings, coordinating schedules, and saying goodbye to your old space, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed.

The good news? Moving into a new home doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. With a little forethought and a solid game plan, your upcoming move can go off without a hitch. In this article, we’ll share some practical ways to make moving easier, seamless, and stress-free.

How do you make packing easier?

When planning a move, packing can often be one of the biggest concerns. Here are a few ideas for making that task more of a breeze:

1. Purge, give away, sell, or arrange for charity to pick up unwanted items two weeks before you move so you won’t have to pay to transport them to your new home. Packing is a lot easier when you don’t have nearly as much to box up.
2. Start packing as soon as you go under contract on your new home (if not sooner). Tackle one room at a time, starting with the items you don’t use on a regular basis. For example, box up books, keepsakes, and out-of-season clothing before you pack high-use kitchen tools or toiletries.
3. Gather packing supplies ahead of time. Make sure you have plenty of boxes, tape, permanent markers, and scissors, plus bubble wrap or paper for fragile items.
4. If you want to avoid buying a bunch of cardboard boxes that you’ll just toss out later, you can also get creative with items you already own! Use baskets, laundry hampers, and plastic storage bins as makeshift boxes, and wrap breakable belongings in towels, blankets, and jackets that you’ll be moving anyway. 

How do you make moving day easier?

If you’re looking for actionable ways to make moving easier, your strategy for the day itself matters just as much as packing up all of your things.

• Decide on who will help you move well in advance. Are you hiring a moving company, or asking friends and family to give you a hand? If you use professional movers, be sure to reserve them at least two weeks (but preferably six weeks) in advance so you won’t have to scramble at the last minute. The same goes for asking loved ones ahead of time—you wouldn’t want to ask them right before moving day, only to find out that they already have plans!
• If you’re moving locally, ask a friend (or hire a sitter) to watch children and pets so you can concentrate on the task at hand. You may even consider having someone watch them for a few days before the move as well, while you’re wrapping up last-minute to-dos and packing.
• Get cash beforehand so you have plenty of money on hand to tip your movers.
• Stock up on snacks and beverages ahead of time. Moving day can already be long enough, so this helps you avoid having to make additional stops for food throughout the day!
• Pack your essentials in an overnight bag so you can access them when you need, rather than having to sift through boxes. These will be pajamas, clothing for the next day, toiletries, electronics and charging cords, etc.
• Additionally, pack a separate tool box for assembling furniture or installing curtain rods that first day.
• Take measurements of doorways, hallways, and staircases before you move in, if possible. That way, you avoid any unwelcome surprises day-of when trying to move large furniture pieces.

How do you stay organized during the move?

Never underestimate the power of organization! Consider these tips for maintaining order during a potentially chaotic time:

1. Make checklists your new best friend! Keep running lists of everything you need to pack, everything you need to buy, what you need to do at the old house, what you need to do at the new house, etc. If that all sounds a bit overwhelming, we’ve already done some of the heavy lifting for you. We have a general pre-moving day checklist, a checklist for moving out of state with kids, and a checklist for moving with pets—all printable!
2. Create a moving binder. Use it to store relevant bills, paperwork, to-do lists, the checklists mentioned above, and any other important documents. Make sure it is clearly labeled and kept within reach.
3. Label packed boxes by room. You can even make a separate list of the contents in each one, so you know what to prioritize when unpacking!
4. Number your boxes so you can easily confirm that none were lost in transit.
5. Create a plan for your first 24 hours in your new home. Decide on tasks that need to get done (like assembling beds) and items that need to be unpacked (like toilet paper and basic kitchen items) immediately.

How do you prepare for post-move life?

One of the most important ways to make moving easier is to think beyond the moving day. Consider life in your new home and take care of the tasks that will help create a seamless transition.

1. Change your mailing address two weeks before you move. That way, bills and other important documents won’t get delayed or lost in the shuffle.
2. Snap pictures of all your cords before you unplug them so you can use them as a guide to set up electronics in your new home.
3. If moving to a new city or state, be sure to gather physical or electronic copies of medical records for each household member to transfer to new medical providers.
4. Along the same lines, have your kids’ records sent to their new school or daycare (if applicable).
5. Call utility companies to cancel services at your current home and activate services at your new address on the appropriate dates.
6. Look up the closest grocery store to your new home and place an order for essential food items to be delivered the day after you move in. We’d venture to guess that no one in your household will be excited to cook after a full day of moving, so takeout might be the way to go that first night.

Although these tips are by no means exhaustive, they should go a long way toward ensuring your upcoming move is relatively smooth. With the right preparation, planning, and a positive mindset, your moving day can feel a little less chaotic and a lot more enjoyable. Before you know it, you’ll be unpacked, settled in, and exploring everything your new home has to offer!

For additional packing tips and ways to make moving easier, take a look at our extensive library of blog articles.