When preparing to move, many folks don’t know where to start. The key is to establish a plan to stay organized leading up to and during the move.

Many people think of moving day as being a “day event,” otherwise known as “moving day.” When in actuality, effective planning of your move should be looked at more like the planning of a wedding. It is an event that requires planning weeks and sometimes months in advance. The more you are able to chunk what is needed to be done into smaller parts, the less overwhelming it will be.

Organizing a move breaks down into 8 major parts.

1. Changing addresses - You will need to contact 20-100 different places to change addresses depending on your stage of life. Create a spreadsheet and list everyone that you will need to contact to change addresses for. You can do this well in advance of your move.

• DMV
• Social Security
• Post office for a forwarding address
• Friends/family
• Schools/churches/day cares
• Bills (Phone, cable, Internet, trash, electric, cell phones)
• Speciality delivery services like Netflix
• Doctors
• Magazines/newspapers
• Credit cards/banks/estate papers/wills

2. Donating or Recycling Items You No Longer Want - Before you even start to pack, it is advisable to go through your entire home and select which items you want to keep, and which ones you want to donate, throw out or give away. A good rule of thumb, if you have not used it in the last year, you should get rid of it. There is no point to moving items that you no longer want.

In San Diego you can donate to many wonderful charities, one of my favorites being the following:

• Father Joes Village will come to your house and pick up belongings and donate to several different causes of your choice.

Nationally:

• Salvation Army picks up donations from homes nationwide

3. Selecting your moving vendors - It is good idea to select and find your moving company 1 month in advance if you have the time. Many moving companies, particularly in the summer, get full booked. Schedule in advance, and then change the date if you need to.

• Check with your local BBB for the ratings of your moving company. Only go with a moving company that has an A rating and is fully licensed and insured.
• If you are moving locally, you will save money going with a local company that charges by the hour and who is fast and efficient. When you are paying by the hour, efficiency and experience matters.

4. Start packing early - Order moving boxes on-line to save time and start packing early. Most people create a lot of stress simply by waiting too long to get moving boxes and start packing. Areas that can be packed weeks ahead of time are the following:

• The garage
• The bathroom and laundry room (you can not move open cleaning products though)
• Winters clothes if it is the summer, or summer clothes if it is the winter.
• Fine silverware
• holiday decorations
• anything you will not use for a few weeks

5. Don’t change your routine during the moving process - A big part of organizing effectively during a move is keeping a level head. Make sure that you continue to keep your normal routine of exercise, reading, or soaking in the bath. These moments of relaxation will help you organize in a calm and effective fashion. Many people stop engaging in these activities the month they are moving, which helps increase the stress level.

6. Make Sure to Have Everything packed in moving boxes BEFORE your movers arrive.
Local movers charge by the hour. Therefore, if you are fully packed and ready to be moved, the total cost of your move will be less than if the movers have to wait for you to seal moving boxes or collect loose items off the floor. Time is money when you are moving and you are totally in control.

Happy moving!

Note: My colleague Jerry Berzanski, President of Discount Movers has graciously provided these professional moving tips.