Poll the average person and ask them what they think of having to move to a new residence and the answer won’t be all peaches and sunshine. It’s certain that almost can agree that having to move can be a time-consuming necessity, but nonetheless it’s a necessity. Settling on a new place can be a chore in and of itself, and having to plan, pack and unpack is on deck.

And procrastinating won’t get you any further, either. In fact, having a plan in place and the motivation to see through it is what separates an easy move from a loathsome one. With that said, below are a few basic tips to making the most from your move.

The Plan Before The Plan

Right off the bat, you must decide if you have the time and energy to do the move yourself or if you should hire a professional to do the task instead. There’s probably an abundance of moving companies around your area, but if you have some spacious trucks and a few helping hands to do if for you, that’s another option. Just make sure you’ve got this one decided before doing anything else.

Lists, Lists And More Lists!

Grab the nearest legal pad and start surveying your possessions. Make a note of every one, from the most fragile to the sturdiest. What this does is allow you to see just how much clutter you have in your home and you’ll know whether or not a garage sale is in order, or better yet, you can donate them to local charities.

Sort Packaged Items By Room

This one will save you time during the unpacking phase. As you start to pack up items, label the boxes for kitchen, living room, bedrooms and so forth. The last thing you want is a bunch of boxes stacked on top of each other in one empty room of your new home and not know which go where.

Pack Weeks In Advance

As procrastinators love to wait till a few days before the move, you should do the opposite. You should begin packing up all small to medium-sized belongings weeks in advance. In fact, save a block of time on certain days and dedicate that solely to packing. Also, if you’re in the hunt for big, sturdy boxes and don’t want to have to pay for them, ask around for some and see if friends and family have some in storage. Or go to the grocery store or liquor store and see if they have any extra boxes lying around.

Take Your Time When Lifting and Hauling

I included this one specifically because I’ve injured myself needlessly by either trying to act like a hero and carry more items than I should at once, or I just was not aware of my surroundings (see: steps and stairs). Be cautious with how you lift and haul away bulky items like couches and mattresses or other heavy objects to and from the truck and on into the home. Instead, call upon the help of two or three of your friends with each heavy item, being careful to bend at the knees and not put the weight solely on your back. There’s no sense in pulling a muscle or having something worse happen.

If Possible, Make Less Trips Back And Forth

Some moves require a lot of backtracking from the old home to the new one because there are simply too many items to be hauled away. But, if you take a few extra minutes with how you store every box in a truck or moving van and open up more space, you’ll be saving yourself an extra trip, which in turn saves the gas tank in the end. And really, this is all about making the move as effortless and swift as possible.

Lastly, Don’t Put Off Unpacking

I fell into this category on a couple of my moves where I just wanted to rest on the couch in my pretty bare-bones living room with just the T.V. and cable box to bide my time. All those unpacked boxes scattered around the house just stood there for a couple days to the point I would get to them one by one through the week.

Don’t do that.

You’ll have wasted all those good hours you saved from doing the previous steps and probably tack on a few more in the process. While you may be exhausted from the moving day, unpacking and sorting your possessions throughout your new residence can give you a good idea of what you want the layout to be and feel.

Concluding Thoughts

Moving into a new home should be about good vibes and getting the new chapter in your life underway. Don’t let the happy emotions fall by the wayside by dreading the moving process. Rather, embrace it and get a jumpstart on it. The rest should fall in place.

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Author Bio: Jack is an avid writer who loves covering topics of all ranges, be it real estate or more specific topics like storage and moving tips and tricks. He consults for Great Day Moving, a company based in Kansas City and other surrounding areas.