Moving Made Simple

No matter the size of your apartment or house or how many times you've done it before, moving can be a big pain. Most of us can't afford to pay for professional movers, so we just have to do the grunt work ourselves.

• Start early: If you have enough notice, try to get a head start on the moving by cleaning and organizing. It would be easiest to just keep everything clean and organized in the first place, but we know that's not realistic—especially for those of us with children. Weeks before the big move, start cleaning out drawers, organizing closets, and checking the expiration dates for the food in the pantry. If you can get things cleaned and organized, it will be much easier to pack it into boxes—and much easier to unpack later. When we hurriedly throw things into boxes, we usually do it in a disorganized fashion that makes it harder to sort through when we're unpacking.
• Throw or give things away: In a way, moving is great because it forces you to evaluate the importance of your possessions. Sometimes it's too easy to hold onto junk. Remember though, that everything you keep will have to be packed up, moved, and unpacked again. Donate clothes that don't fit to a Goodwill or Salvation Army. Go through paperwork and shred and throwaway old documents that you don't need anymore (but make sure that you really don't need them first).
• Label: Pack boxes with possessions that are alike and belong in the same room. Then, label each box (e.g. "kitchen supplies," "Mary's shoes," etc.). When you unpack the moving truck, you can put the boxes directly in the room that its contents belong in, which will dramatically cut down the time it takes to unpack.
• Ask for help: Chances are, your friends, neighbors, family, or church congregation would be more than willing to help. If you're moving close by, they can help in all aspects of the moving. If you're moving far away, they can still help you pack and clean. If you get a group to help you, consider providing a simple breakfast or snack as a thank you (and send a thank you card later as well). It never hurts to ask for help.

Although moving is exhausting, remember that you will eventually be done. Go ahead and finish—don't let that last box sit in the corner for years. Then you'll be able to sit back and enjoy your new place, especially now that everything is clean and in it's place.