If you’re moving into your very first home, or your 5th home one thing is always the same: Moving is always stressful. Packing, organizing all your belongings, making sure you have enough boxes, bubble wrap, and other materials; then there’s unpacking once you get moved into your new house. Living out of boxes before and after the move can seem like a never-ending process. It’s challenging to get your entire life into just a few boxes, and we’re going to give you some pro tips to help the move into your dream home be easy!

Create a moving checklist to help plan your move. Knowing what you want completed and when can really help keep the stress of moving down. This list can include the order of how you’re going to pack each room, the schedule for submitting a change of address and setting your mail to forward with the post office, contacting utility companies, making arrangements for daycare, or pet sitting, and more.

Don’t be afraid to purge! If you’ve had things packed away in closets or storage for years that you haven’t used, have a garage sale. You already have plenty to pack so there’s no reason to pack things that you haven’t touched in a while. You also want to start early. You don’t have to go through every room in your house in a weekend. Start as soon as you can and do a little each day. As you get closer to moving make sure you cut down on the food you need to pack, especially anything that is perishable or liquid. 

Label your boxes to stay organized. You can use the tried and true method of taking a sharpie and writing “kitchen,” “bedroom,” and other rooms on the boxes, or you can get more creative. Use different colored tape to distinguish different rooms, or label them with numbers and have a list of what number goes to each room. For example, 1-Living Room 2- Guest bathroom, etc. Make sure you have all of your important documents packed together and clearly labeled so you don’t lose them during the move.

 Don’t be afraid to hire professional movers. Moving on your own may seem like it will save money, but you don’t always have the manpower or equipment to move larger items like furniture that can’t be taken apart, and appliances. Hiring movers is something that can save you time and sore muscles.

If you are going through your first move or your first of many, Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices PenFed Realty provides relocation services designed to each individual's needs and goals. We can help you move locally, within the US, or internationally. Our friendly and professional agents and brokers are here to answer your questions and discuss any concerns, and we provide you with one point of contact for your entire move. Contact one of our expert real estate agents today if you need help with your move!