Whether you are relocating for work, school, or just to live closer to family, moving can be stressful. After making the decision to relocate comes the time to plan the packing, moving, unpacking, and settling in. The following tips will be useful to help families plan the move and make it a fun experience rather than a stressful one.

Organizing a Moving Company

When moving to another city or state, you may have the option of moving everything in your vehicle, renting a truck, or hiring a moving company to do it all for you. First, you should call a few companies and get quotes for their services and know what they include. Second, you can read reviews about the service to avoid unpleasant surprises. Lastly, when you choose a moving method and company, you need to reserve the truck or moving team for your moving day well in advance to ensure they can accommodate your desired moving date.

Packing Light

Before packing everything in a box, taping it up, and writing "kitchen stuff" on it, you need to take a step back and look at the big picture. You want to make sure you are moving only what you will really need in the new location. Go through each room and filter out the items you might be able to do without, and what you can get rid of. This will reduce the clutter you have on the other end of your move, as well as the number of boxes that you will have to unpack. Fewer boxes could result in a lower moving cost, as well.

Marking the boxes

Box markings like "Michael's stuff" or "winter clothes" are for the benefit of the family to help organize boxes when you arrive. Marking boxes should also be for movers, however. It is best to color code the boxes with either colored permanent marker or colored duct tape. In the new home, place colored tape on the doors to indicate to the movers that all boxes with red tape go into the red-taped room, all boxes with blue tape go in the blue-taped room, etc. This way all boxes will end up in the room where they belong, and you will have fewer boxes to shift after the movers leave.  

Following these tips will help everyone see the positive side of moving. Reserving the right company ahead of time ensures that you will move in the day that you planned. Packing light allows you to get a fresh start in a new home without unnecessary clutter. Color coding allows everyone to unpack their own boxes in their own room, in their own time. Moving an entire family can be stressful, but it can also be fun experience that gets the family to work together as a cohesive team. For more moving tips, contact a company like Dyer M & Sons Inc.