Stress-Free Family Moving Tips to Make Your Life Easier

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Contributed by Gabrielle Gardiner

Did you know that according to USPS data, more than 15.9 million people moved last year during the pandemic? It’s no secret that moving is one of the top stressors in life, especially when you’re moving for work and there are professional responsibilities to be concerned about.

It’s definitely helpful to have a solid plan on how to approach moving and deal with any potential challenges. There are some stress-free moving tips you can follow to help you keep your head on straight during the moving process.

With so many folks uprooting their lives to get a change of scenery in the wake of the pandemic, there’s never been a better time to get a refresher on how to streamline the moving process for yourself and the rest of the family. One of the clearest solutions is to look into the cost of hiring a moving service to make your life easier. However, we’ve also highlighted some more great actionable advice for moving with kids specifically below.

Plan your move to happen mid-month or mid-week.

There will be less traffic and the cost to move furniture might be lower during these times.

Keep a master binder for moving.

Organize all documents: contracts, receipts, and other important records in one organized place.

Be wise about how you pack.

Take care of wrapping fragile or tedious items first so you’re not rushing and leaving room for error (and damage.)

Avoid leaks, lost items, or other mishaps.

By keeping expensive and valuable personal belongings close and remembering to pack items like cleaning solutions, paints, and sharp tools in clear plastic bins (rather than cardboard boxes.)

Organize your boxes using color-coding.

Consider giving every room a different color packing label. You can download our free packing labels to add to your boxes below!

Make extra cash by selling unnecessary items.

Use Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist or have a garage sale.

Schedule a pickup with WePickUp.org or a similar site.

This is especially useful if you have a lot of items you’d rather donate than sell. It’ll save you a trip to Good Will or Salvation Army!

Paint the move in a positive light when talking to the kids.

It’s easy to constantly talk about how stressed you are with the moving process. Remember, your kids are always listening and internalizing those sentiments — try to stay positive.

Notify your home insurance agent of your move.

They’ll be able to tell you if moving insurance is included in your home insurance policy. If not, you’ll want to look into moving insurance to protect your belongings.

Be prepared for stormy weather.

For example, bring old towels, extra cardboard and plastic wrap to protect items in transit when there’s rain or snow.

You can find more actionable tips here, and feel free to download the printable resources below to help with the moving process: an inventory cheat sheet, contact notification sheet, and moving labels.