Proper preparations improve moving process

With so many families buying and selling this year, there are many people looking for the fastest and most efficient way to move from one home to another.

According to HealthStatus.com, moving ranks as one of the top five most stressful life situations, second only to death of a spouse or divorce. No matter your living situation, even if you are upgrading to a much more spacious and luxurious home, moving sends extreme stress signals to your brain because of the way it disrupts your routine. Whether or not you realize your need for routine, changing your surroundings, furniture position and spacial awareness impacts everything you and your family do while you adjust to your new home. Packing up every one of your earthly belongings is a daunting task, and if you are a parent of young children, you know first hand how much longer the process takes with little ones in the mix. Even if you are fortunate enough to have movers assist in the process, moving still disrupts your norm and it can take a few days or even weeks to get established in your new digs.

In an effort to make the process more manageable, we have scoured the internet to find the top 5 moving tips you need in order to make your next move easier all around.

Color code

This tip is at the top of our

list because it makes the entire moving process SO much faster and more organized! Assign each room of your home a different color duct tape (even the garage, basement, shed, spare bathroom, etc.) and put a strip of tape on every single box or furniture item that belongs to that room. In addition to labeling the contents of each box, adding a colorful strip of tape will help movers put every box in the correct room of your new home. It can also help you quickly identify boxes that have been placed in the wrong room of your home,

saving you time and effort of unboxing only to discover the contents are in the wrong location.

Press’n seal to the rescue

Don’t waste time and energy taking clothes out of drawers! Simply take the drawers out and cover them with press’n seal wrap! Your clothes will stay perfectly folded, and your dresser will be lighter and easier to lift and move around. Drawers can be put back in the dresser on the moving truck for easy travel.

You can also press’n seal items like hanging jewelry or kitchen drawers with utensil inserts. Any items that can be shipped

safely in their current containers will make life easier for you in your new home.

Stretch wrap

Like a giant roll of plastic wrap, investing in a roll of plastic stretch magic will be something you will always use in the future. From rolling up rugs, to keeping cabinet doors from swinging open to simply keeping all of the parts of your toddlers bed together, stretch wrap is an invaluable resource that everyone should use on moving day and beyond.

Take pictures

Worried about reconnecting the mass of wires connecting your tv, internet, cable, xbox and appleTV? It might seem like an easy task, but getting connected at your new home is a vital first step to getting your life back into working order. Snap a picture of how your wiring is currently connected so you have an easy guide to follow on the other side of town. It’s also helpful to package each product with their respective wires so you don’t loose the proper connection pieces (hello

press’n seal!)

Another thing to photograph is EVERYTHING! Before you pack, take an inventory of all of your items for insurance purposes. In the case of a total loss, your photos will help insure everything you need is replaced.

If you are renting, take a photo of every room while it is empty before you move in as well as every room when it is empty when you move out in order to help during any deposit money disputes.

Bag it up

Hanging clothes can be a pain to pack, but never take them off of their hangers. Use a trash bag to keep large bunches them organized and a rubber

band around the hangers to make sure they stay together.

Bag up screws and bolts for beds and furniture and use stretch wrap to insure they stay attached to the correct furniture.

Maureen Hughes On Real Estate