The right steps in organizing can save you a great deal of three key assets: time, money, and peace of mind.  Following a few simple steps can eliminate a lot of stress later on.

1. Start Early

The biggest problem with organizing a move is not allowing enough time.It takes your average college student about 5 hours to pack up a dorm room when moving out.It's important to remember that's a single room where often only half the items belong to the student moving.Calculating those hours times the number of rooms you have in your current place, you'll quickly realize that the amount of time you'll need just for packing is substantial.

Starting early gives you a huge advantage.  While most people wait until just a few days prior to the move date for the majority of their packing hours, you can eliminate much of your moving stress by getting a jump on your moving tasks.  People who follow this advice often have much smoother moves and lower stress levels for the entire process.

2. Have a Plan For Your Move

There’s a huge temptation to just start the packing process with little or no planning.  Unfortunately, it’s also a huge mistake.  You wouldn’t start building a house without blueprints, and you shouldn’t start your move without a basic plan.  The plan doesn’t need to be complicated, but it should include the following:

• Number of days between now and your move date
• Tasks required for your move, including getting moving supplies, changing your address, and packing
• Number of rooms that need to be packed
• Amount of help you’ll have available from friends, family, and professional movers
• Quantity of items you have in each room
• Amount of time you have available each day between now and the move

If you assign tasks by day and closely monitor your progress as you go, you’re much less likely to be surprised by running out of time.

3. Use a Moving Checklist

One of the reasons moving is so stressful is the fact that there are so many details to track.Your belongings and most of your peace of mind are suddenly in chaos."  Most of the usual landmarks are about to change, from where to get groceries to what your new address and phone number are going to be.

This is where the moving checklist comes in.One of the great things about moving is that you're not alone- about 1 of every 8 American households move in any given year.  That’s more than 30 million people!Many of those folks have provided input to several moving checklists in books and on websites.  Use these checklists both as a source for your plan and a set of reminders for what needs to be done.  Some of the items may not apply to your situation, but they should give you an excellent starting point.

4. Create a Moving Kit Organizer

Moving involves a great deal of paper.  Leases and mortgages, moving estimates, new addresses and perhaps employers, checklists- it all adds up to a lot to track.  It's a good idea to have a central place for all that information.We suggest organizing your papers with a 3-ring binder with pockets, along with dividers to keep key information separate.

5. Create “Open Me First” Boxes

It’s not unusual for a move to involve over a hundred boxes.For each of the rooms of your home, there are some items that just seem more important on your first morning than others (for me, the coffee maker comes to mind).  If you reserve one or two boxes for each room as Priority Boxes (also known as "Open Me First" boxes), you'll have a much easier time on the other end of your move.Mark each of these boxes with an "Open Me First" in red on the side or with special labels that they'll be easy to find after the move.

One word of caution- don’t fall victim to the temptation of having more than two Priority Boxes per room.  If more than 2 boxes are Priority Boxes, the whole concept starts to lose its meaning, and it will end up causing more confusion instead of reducing stress.

These few steps can lead to a much more organized moving experience, and should do wonders to lower your stress level on the big day and after.

For additional, FREE moving tips, please visit us at Movers-Edge.com.  Two of the most popular articles are:

• Moving tips: 101 Best Moving Tips.
• Moving checklist: The Ultimate Moving Checklist.

Good luck with your move!

Moving Box Question:

Is there anything special about moving boxes vs. any other kind of boxes?

Moving Box Answer:

Yes. There are two main differences between moving boxes and many other boxes:

1. Moving boxes are designed and manufacturerd to be much sturdier than an ordinary cardboard box. Cardboard boxes are usually measured using two different scales: one is called the ECT, or Edge Crush Test, and the other is called the Burst Strength test. The ECT is a score of strength that can measure how well boxes can be stacked and how well they can hold their form. The BST, or Burst Strength test, is a measurement displayed in pounds, and identifies how well a box can hold together under stress. Moving boxes usually carry a higher score on the ECT scale (meaning a score of 32 or higher) and the Burst Strength Test (a value of 200 pounds or higher), demonstrating that they are better alternatives for the demands of a household move. This allows moving boxes to withstand more weight while resisting tearing or crushing.

2. Moving boxes come in specific designs to help solve specific problems associated with moving:

· Wardrobe boxes. These tall, deep boxes with built-in bars for hangers are ideal for transporting clothes from closets without causing damage or wrinkling. They are also extremely easy to use. This unique construction allows you to lift clothes straight from your closet hanger bar directly onto the hanger bar of the wardrobe box. Tip: You can use the bottom section of wardrobe boxes to transport shoes, which will cut down on the total number of boxes you’ll need. Recommendation: We recommend these boxes.

· Dish packs. Sometimes called "cell boxes," these units separate and protect dishes and glassware with internal dividers. They play an important role of keeping things for the kitchen organized. Tip: Dishes should be packed on their edges, as if they were in a dish drying rack, and stemware should be packed standing up, not on its sides. Recommendation: These boxes are very helpful, but not absolutely necessary.

· File boxes. Designed specifically for transporting papers in file folders, these boxes often come with interlocking tops. Tip: You might wonder why you would need file boxes if you already have your files neatly stored in your file cabinets. The main reason is that files are incredibly heavy, and that file cabinets were never designed to be moved with files inside them. This creates a disaster waiting to happen, where file cabinets can spill their contents and/or break apart. Even if the files and the cabinets arrive intact, the people who move them can end up with serious injuries. Recommendation: We strongly recommend file boxes.

· Picture frame boxes. As the name implies, theses boxes are designed to protect and transport large pictures and mirrors during your move,. And other than trying to flatten other boxes and tape them together, they are one of very few options available. Tip: It’s tempting to try to put multiple pictures together in the same box; however, they often get scratched or damaged if your do. Recommendation: We recommend picture frame boxes.

These two differences separate moving boxes from most other boxes. All boxes should be checked for strength (see the stamps on the box bottoms), and you should watch for the specialty moving boxes. This should prepare you well for your move.

For more FREE moving tips, articles and advice, please visit the following resources:

• Moving checklist: The Ultimate Free Moving Checklist
• Tips on moving: 101 Best Moving Tips
• Finding great movers and moving companies

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