Experts tell us that moving houses is one of the things that most stresses older people (after the death of a loved one or a marital separation).

Basic Tips on How to Plan a Move

1. Organize a Moving Schedule

Keep a written agenda of the move. This can start with a list of everything to do (from purchasing boxes, labels, tape etc. to when to start packing what)

2. Get the Most Boxes

Get enough boxes and tape – you will need more than you can imagine. You can buy folding boxes in DIY stores or buy them from supermarkets or other types of stores. You can also hire any trusted moving company like H2H Move. If you’ve hired a moving company, ask if they loan boxes. Save 10-15 empty boxes for last minute items (bedding from the night before your move, food from the fridge, cleaning supplies etc. Take out all the bags, suitcases, backpacks and other bags that are in the house and fill them with more personal items (seasonal clothes, bathroom items, children’s stuffed animals, bedding and things that you will need from the first day in your new home.

3. Organize the Boxes Visually

Use color coordination to make it easier for moving company workers to know where to place each box in the new home. Put stickers of different colors on each box (for example yellow for kitchen items, bathroom blue, bedroom lilac, living room red …) and when you arrive at your new home, stickers of the same color on the door of the room where appropriate each box.

3. Organize Articles by Categories

Organize items that go together during the packing process. For example, lamps with their corresponding bulbs, cups with saucers, hand shower with its support etc.

4. Get Started as Soon as Possible

Begin the process of storing items in boxes as soon as possible. If it’s winter, put away summer clothes and accessories for weeks before the move, also put away books, toys, CDs, kitchen supplies, etc.

If you have to clean the house after emptying it, try to move forward during the days before the move, because once it is empty you will want to dedicate how many before to your new home. Clean the interiors of cabinets and drawers before move-in day, and have someone follow in the footsteps of the moving workers with a vacuum cleaner to dust the rooms as they become empty.

5. Beware of Valuables

Pay special attention to valuables and try to make room in the car so that they can travel with you. This includes not only jewelry, but important papers, passports, receipts, personal diaries, phone lists etc.

6. Moving and Children

Moving can be especially difficult if you have children, because moving from one house to another can be traumatic for children, especially if the new house is in another city. Try to involve your children in the moving process, buy cheerful boxes for them so they can put their personal things themselves.

Tell them to choose what things they want to be able to take out the first day in the new house (from a book or special toy to their favorite sheet, records, computer….) And to put them in their personal box. The more you involve them in the move, the sooner they will accept it.