Moving is an exciting experience but is also one that can quickly get overwhelming or chaotic thanks to all of the different moving parts involved in a transition like this. Especially for those embarking on a long-distance moving process or those who haven’t moved before, moving can quickly turn from being a happy time into a stressful one without the right planning or strategy involved.

Suppose you’re just beginning to look at your move for the coming year or in the near future. In that case, you might be skeptical as to why it’s even important to plan far in advance for a move, or what difference it would make to do so if you just wind up running around come moving day anyway. However, planning your move well in advance will save you a world of hardship and struggle before your movers come, and will make your moving day much easier and straightforward for everyone involved. So why is planning your move so important, and what steps can you take to make moving day easy? In this blog, we’ll cover why you need to stay prepared and how you can do so for your move.

Do I Need to Plan for Moving?

In short, yes, you absolutely need to plan for moving. Even if you’re just moving around the block, you might be surprised at everything that needs to fall into place for a move to be successful and not a mess or flurry of chaos. Having a structured approach to moving and packing will let you streamline this process instead of throwing random things into trash bags the night before, or even worse losing or damaging your things.

Not planning for your move can also result in not being able to book the movers you want (or even a DIY moving truck!). Leaving things to the last minute, especially if you plan to move during the peak of moving season, which ranges from April to September, not taking care to start the work of moving early can leave you scrambling to find any professional movers in Michigan or the surrounding areas to work with. If you do find a professional moving company, or DIY moving truck provider, waiting until the last minute to start your moving process can also significantly drive up your pricing – and no one wants that!

Planning well in advance for your move will also allow you to make your packing process a lot easier than it would be otherwise. Decluttering and organizing your home by itself can be a very lengthy process, so taking care of this well before it’s even time to start packing will let you keep yourself on track before you even start. Doing things like making packing schedules or packing goals throughout the month leading up to moving day will also let you be so much less stressed and more organized and confident in your moving process than you would be otherwise.

Now that we’ve established the importance of planning your move, what is the planning in question that you need to do for a successful move?

How to Plan for Moving?

As we mentioned, failing to plan in advance for your move can result in your move being incredibly disorganized and stressful, and can even result in your items getting lost or damaged in the last-minute moving frenzy. It can even result in you not being able to work with professional movers or not being able to find a good company for your moving needs. If you’re doing the right thing in planning your move well in advance, however, what steps should you take to make sure everything is on the right track?

• Book Your Movers

Especially if you’ll be moving during the peak of moving season, try to schedule your moving company at least six weeks ahead of time, but ideally even earlier. This might seem excessive, but locking your movers and your moving day early will give you structure and will let you get the moving day you want, instead of having to scramble for a time slot.

• Make a Packing Schedule

After locking in your moving company, it’s time to make a packing schedule with your moving day in mind. Starting your packing process as early as possible will let you benefit from gradually packing up items, instead of ending up in a mad dash. Try to set feasible and easy goals that will let you take things slowly and a little at a time. This will let you get a lot done without even realizing it! It will also let you and your family or pets be significantly less stressed leading up to moving day.

• Declutter Your Home

Once you’ve created your packing schedule and set your goals, it’s time to get started. Before you start packing anything, however, decluttering and organizing your home will let you cut out the things weighing you down, or that would be unnecessary or too cumbersome to bring along.

When decluttering your home, try to create a rule that constitutes what will be gotten rid of and what will stay, and organized discarded items into ‘donate’, ‘sell’, ‘give away’ or throw out categories to minimize waste (and even maximize the amount of money you can get back!).

• Start Packing Non-Essentials

When you get started in your actual packing process, take things room by room to keep yourself organized and to make the most progress – and never forget to label!

Start packing non-essentials according to the room first. You might be surprised by how big of a chunk of items that you don’t really use daily can make up the things you need to pack. Sorting and packing things like wall decor, books, knick-knacks, and other things that don’t get used every day will make your packing process go by significantly faster.

• Begin Packing Essentials

After you’ve spent some time packing non-essentials, start packing up essentials in the time leading directly up to moving day. We’re talking kitchen things you use regularly, and even furniture items. Don’t pack up things like toiletries or essential clothing just yet, however, These things can be left until the end, and put into separate bags to be kept directly with you during your own travels. Again, take things room by room, and never forget to label them!

• Plan Your Route

By ‘plan your route’ we mean not forgetting to plan your own method of travel to your new home. This is more so important for those getting ready for long-distance, which might involve a road trip or a plane ride to your new home. Getting this out of the way well before your moving day will keep you organized and on track.

• Get Ready for Moving Day!

After doing the right planning and coordinating your travel, it’s time to get ready for your movers! If you’re expecting less-than-ideal weather, try to have tarps or floor protectors put down to help shield your old and new homes from the weather or anything getting tracked in, and try to have refreshments or snacks available for your moving crew. You should also prepare yourself and your family for the big day, as this can be a stressful time – even for those not physically moving items!

No matter if you’re getting ready for a local residential move or are looking for long-distance moving services, having the right plan in place will allow you to take on this process with confidence and a clear head. After all, chaos is no one’s friend! Looking for the right moving company for your relocation? See what Morse Moving & Storage can do for you and your family or business today.