Would you believe me if I told you that moving could be an exciting time full of adventure and wonder?  Okay, so maybe that does sound a little bit like a Disney World ad, but moving seriously doesn’t have to be a negative and stressful experience.

The key is in the planning and preparation.  If you are well-organized, have planned ahead, and prepared for the process, it should go quite smoothly with minimal angst and anxiety.  For a lot of us, we start to feel like we’re drowning when it comes to a big task, which is what makes a list tips and strategies all the more appreciated:

• Use a notebook to make a list of everything that you are putting in your boxes. Give each box a number in your notebook, and write that number on each box.  Keep that notebook in a specific section of your home, which you will refer to as your “moving headquarters”.  Anything pertaining to the move should be kept here.
• Make sure you have enough supplies. We always wind up needing way more supplies than we think we will, so find good deals for cheap moving boxes and other packing supplies on the Internet or local yard sale sights.
• One of the most helpful moving tips I have ever used was color-coordinating my boxes. Say you put a red sticker on all boxes from the kitchen, and then you a hang up a red piece of paper in the corner of the kitchen that says, “boxes here please.”  This way the movers can know where exactly the red boxes need to be stacked.

• You may have found some cheap moving boxes, but you will still wind up needing more than you anticipated. Use your luggage to pack linen closet items or even your clothes in.
• Set aside cleaning supplies so that you can clean up after yourself and prepare your new place.
• Pack overnight bags for everyone in the family so that you don’t have to worry about finding simple things like pajamas, toothbrushes, even toilet paper, on moving day/night.
• Begin the packing process as soon as you find you out you are moving.  Seriously, the sooner you begin to pack the better, because it always takes a lot longer than we think it will.  Downsize as much as possible during this time, which will hopefully make you some money at a yard sale and save you money on your move since you will be decreasing the amount of weight you are moving.  Some people even have a giant estate sale before they move, where people come in and have the option of buying whatever they see.
• Remember those cheap moving boxes? Sell them after you are done using them, and get some return on your investment.