1. STOCK UP

Start collecting newspaper and boxes as soon as possible.   You can also use bath and kitchen towels as well as blankets to wrap fragile items, but you won’t  have enough for everything you have in your home. If you live in an apartment building, there is usually a stock pile of newspapers in the lobby.  (and besides, who reads newspapers these days). Start collecting these items early you’ll be glad you did.  

2. HIRE A MOVING COMPANY

As soon as you have your date set for your move in / move out, start looking fore a professional moving company.   Don’t wait till the last minute.   Especially during the summer months.   You don’t want to be left with a moving company with a poor reputation.    

You may be tempted to do the move yourself but your setting yourself up for a long, stressful and unpleasant experience.   Professional movers are worth the money and will save you in the long run.  

Google makes this super easy or just ask your friends.   We’ve all been there and their personal experience is invaluable.  Recommendations will help you avoid the guess work and you’ll see how they handled others personal belongings.  

3. PURGE YOUR JUNK

Don’t make the mistake of taking all that stuff with you and thinking you’ll purge after you move. Remember, less things to pass equals less stress.

First off, start with your junk drawers. You know, the ones where you place everything from random receipts to old keys, pens, buttons, and whatever else you come across. We all have one! These are things you don’t need, so start there.

Then, months before packing, go from room to room, and evaluate all your belongings. Every single item in your home will placed into one of the following categories: keep, donate, purge or sell. And If you’ve been thinking of selling big items such as furniture for a while, now is the time to do so.

4. MAKE A TO DO LIST

There’s a million things you need to do whilst packing, but that doesn’t have you drive you nuts. Writing everything down on a to-do list will help you to stay organized, on schedule, and in the process, calm nerves.

Ticking items off a list will help you to feel accomplished and give you that much needed boost of adrenaline to keep you going. A to-do list really is a small, but essential part of keeping your sanity amongst the insanity that is moving.

5. HIRE A CLEANING COMPANY

If you’ve ever taken on the gigantic task of cleaning your home after you move, you know how difficult it can be. If you haven’t, here’s the thing: a move-out clean is different than a regular clean. You need to scrub deeply and it takes a lot of effort. The baseboards. The blinds. The cupboards. And the list goes on. Basically, every little nook and cranny needs to be cleaned and spotless.

For an inexperienced cleaner, this can take at least 2 days. Not to mention, you’re going to need some serious time to recover. Do yourself a favor and hire professional cleaners to come on the last day!  Check out the best house cleaning services in Philadelphia by doing a quick google search.  

LAST WORDS: DON’T STRESS

With a little bit of planning and organization, the typical nightmare move can be avoided. Simply follow the above steps and you’ll be well on your way to a stress-free move. Before you know it you’ll be enjoying your new place, unpacked, and settling into old and new routines.