If you want your moving experience to go smoothly, then you have to prepare for the day long before it arrives. You can’t just show up on moving day without any prior planning and expect it to go well. In fact, if you do that, it will likely end up a disaster.

What exactly constitutes good pre-planning for a successful move?

Pre-Packing and Centralizing Your Household Items

Don’t wait until the day of your move to start packing. You should be packing your belongings a full week ahead of your move. Start with items you won’t need on your last week, such as the kitchenware you use for special occasions and guestroom linen. Start organizing your storage items, things you keep in your garage, and keep a central list of your household items and what rooms you keep them in.

As you pack, label your boxes with the items packed in them as well as the rooms they are associated with. This alone will go a long way to making your moving day go without a hitch. Staging your packed boxes in a central location is also a time saver for the crews which is a money saver for you.

Moving boxes and furniture in new home

Disassemble Furniture

Office desks, TV stands, living room furniture, and anything else that requires assembly and disassembly should be taken apart before moving day. Start with items you don’t use often. You can begin disassembling furniture two weeks before your move if you are sure you won’t need those items before moving day.

Items that you use often can be disassembled the day before the move. That includes beds, video game consoles, and stereo racks. (Any items you do disassemble cannot be assembled by the crews due to safety concerns.)

Be Patient and Have Fun

Moving day is stressful any way you look at it. Prior planning and organization will make it go a lot more smoothly. You will also want to take a healthy dose of your patient pills that morning, but you may want to ramp up on the patience the week prior. Things will get hectic, so plan for the inevitable and try to keep things organized.

You also want to have a little fun. Just because work is involved doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. Your professional movers will take care of moving the majority of your belongings, but why not get your friends to help with miscellaneous tasks and promise them a pizza party at the end. Take breaks throughout the move to kid around and keep everyone motivated. A smile and words of thanks will go a long way on moving day.