So it is time to move houses. You have bought a new place and it is not a long time to go until the big day arrives. I won’t lie, moving will be stressful and emotional. Try and make the best of it and be out in good time. Planning is the key to a successful move. First of all, check the Internet or ask around people who have moved houses before, what tips can they give you? What should you think about? What did they do that you should or should not do? This will give you a head start.

Plan ahead is all I say, make a list on things you need to do and in what order. First of all I suggest that you sort all your things, take it step by step, being with one room and then go to the next. Have a garage sale with all the things that you want to get rid of or give away to charity. This will help you in your packing later on. When you have gotten rid of all the things you will not bring to your new home it is time to start thinking of packing. But before you do that, make sure you get all the supplies that you need like boxes, labels, bubble plastic, paper, pens etc. Make your moving day eco-friendly and rent environmental friendly boxes that won’t break.

Then start packing each room, one at the time. Some tips on how you can pack is to put as similar items as possible together like toys, glasses, electronics etc. and pack them after usage. If there are things that you know you won’t need for a few weeks, pack them together and let them come up or getting stored after you have settled down. And the things that you know that you will use you pack into boxes marked like “PRIORITY, OFFICE THINGS” or “MICHAEL’S BOOKS” and always remember to write the destination on the boxes, that way the movers will know where to put them and it will get easier for you when you unpack.

Also, figure out what you would want to move by yourself like plants and family treasures. A few boxes should be taken care of by you. They are obviously more loved by you and will be better up in your hands. Also, movers don’t usually take plants, so this will be your responsibility.

When packing, remember to put heavier items like books in smaller boxes and your more delicate items wrapped up separately and always remember to mark the boxes on each side when they’re done. Speaking of wrapping, you should cover your furniture like mattresses, chairs, stools and couches with blankets, cloths or old sheets to protect them from getting dirty, tape or tie them together.

When you are beginning to see an end to the packing and the moving date only is a week or so away, it is time to start thinking about your “unpack first”-box. This will contain items that you will need first, like one set or cutlery for each family member, toiletries, important papers like moving documents etc. Also one small box for each family member would be good with sheets, clothes and toys etc. and keep these boxes somewhere they won’t get mixed up with other things. When you arrive to your new home, quickly check everything for damage.