8 Things I Wish I Knew Before Moving House — Stress-Reducing, Expert-Approved Tips so You Can Concentrate on the Fun Stuff

For most of us, moving homes is a simultaneously exciting and stressful time. There's the excitement of embarking on a new chapter, the opportunity to make your new space your own, and the sense of accomplishment that comes with being in your new environment. But moving so much stuff, organizing who to call and book can be a lot.

I moved last month and can say for sure that I felt a mix of emotions: the thrill of new beginnings and the anxiety of wishing someone had given me more moving tips before actually executing the move.

To save you some stress, I spoke to moving companies and professional organizers with post-moving assistance services to learn the top eight lessons all of us can benefit from knowing before moving. Whether you're moving to a large home or a small apartment on your own, these essential pieces of advice are bound to come in handy.

1. Provide movers with an accurate inventory list

Your movers will have no idea what they actually have to move unless you provide them with an accurate inventory list. You don't need to go into excruciating detail, listing every single possession in your modern home, but giving your movers a good idea of volume and a heads up about any particularly large or heavy items will help save you stress on move-in day.

Lydia Zub of Local Motion Movers, says, "Provide an accurate inventory list to a moving company as soon as possible to help avoid issues including unexpected additional costs for the moving service, the inability to provide an extra mover due to a tight schedule and heavy items, the risk of canceling the loading dock reservation, and the potential need to reschedule the move. Overall, clear communication can help prevent disappointment."

2. Declutter before you move

Knowing how to declutter before moving homes isn't a must but it makes sense to add to your moving house checklist. After all, who wants to be moving even more items, especially ones they don't really want or need?

Millie Naor of Bella Organizers says, "Simplifying your belongings ahead of time will save both time and money. You’ll reduce the number of items to pack, lowering the cost of moving supplies, and streamline the packing process."

Debra Baida, owner of Liberated Spaces, adds, "Donating what you can to nonprofit or giving things away on Buy Nothing groups before the move can lighten your load. You can also minimize food waste by doing focused meal planning based on what’s on hand in the fridge, freezer, and cupboards as much as possible before your move."

3. Label your boxes clearly

Labeling your boxes is the easiest way to identify what is where in the busy nature of a move, but if you're not labeling the sides of your boxes and instead opting for the top, you likely won't even see your labels.

Ben Soreff, owner of House To Home Organizing, says, "Top labels get hidden during stacking, so they basically don't exist. Labeling the sides allows for easy, quick decisions as for location and helps to relieve some of the stress of moving."

Kimberly Corey, certified professional organizer, certified virtual organizing professional, and owner of Finely Sorted Organizing, recommends not only adding a label detailing the contents of each box during your move but also adding on the intended location of what's inside.

"Label each box with a room or destination unless you really don't know where certain items are supposed to go," says Kimberly. "I'd also recommend making an "open first" box or first night box filled with your essentials such as soap, toilet paper, and important files. This way, you don't have to dig through everything or feel pressure to unpack all of your boxes in one day to function."

Are you in need of a good label maker? We recommend this Phomemo D30 Label Maker Machine from Amazon, which is priced at just $19.99 or this DYMO LetraTag 100H Handheld Label Maker from Target.

4. Pre-organize your boxes

One time, when I was moving home, I got tired from packing around halfway through and gave up sorting my boxes into categories. I paid the price for it later, though, as I had no idea what was in each box and had to unpack everything. It was a nightmare as the contents of the boxes belonged to so many areas of my new home.

By pre-organizing your boxes, you can avoid this strenuous realization and target unpacking and decorating your rental or new home systematically, category by category.

"The more organized you are before you start packing, the easier the unpacking process will be," says Millie. "Sort and pack by category to make organizing your new home much simpler."

5. "Perfect is the enemy of done"

I love this quote from Ben, refering to how easy it can be to abandon moving boxes and leave them unpacked for weeks-turned-months. It's better to get the job done, even if it isn't perfect, to avoid the task being pushed aside.

"We often see this scenario, I'll be in a client's home and ask them about the taped box in the basement, and they will say, that box is from three, moves ago," says Ben. "Perfect is the enemy of done and with moving we want to get items out of boxes as fast as possible even if it means leaving on the floor"

6. Look into what your movers can help dispose of

It's a lesser-known fact, but many moving companies will help you dispose of empty cardboard boxes and unneeded bedroom furniture in decent condition, sometimes free of charge. The boxes and furniture will be taken to the dump for recycling or to the thrift store to help a charity and give your goods a new lease on life.

Lydia says, "Several clients may not realize that a moving company can also provide furniture removal service by delivering unnecessary items to the nearest recycling centers. There is no need to hire a separate junk removal company. Furniture in good condition can be donated to the families in need."

7. Let movers pack your valuables

Did you know that your valuable items and investment buys should be covered by insurance if you're using a reputable moving service? This means if they acquire damage, you can file for compensation.

Kimberly says, "If you have valuables, let the movers pack them because if you pack them yourself, let a friend, family, or professional organizer pack them, and something breaks, it will not be covered. Some companies do cover a Move Manager, but you must check restrictions and exceptions."

If you have many items you're concerned about, you can request additional coverage from your moving company. Therefore, it's a good idea to ask as many questions as possible.

8. Let the movers do their job

It's normal to feel concerned and protective of your possessions, especially when they are being handled by someone else. But micro-managing your movers isn't the way to go. Be kind and respectful, and give them space to do their job!

Matt Graber, owner and operator of Cool Hand Movers based in NYC, says, "Be nice to the movers, give them refreshments if it feels right, communicate with them, but then step aside and give them space to work freely and at their own pace. If you are on top of them, watching them or trying to help with the labor of the move, it can make the movers feel stressed and uncomfortable, resulting in avoidable mistakes."

In many cases, you can actually cause harm by trying to help the movers when not asked. Matt continues, "Most moving companies strictly prohibit customers from helping with the move for liability reasons. If you try to help in spite of these very normal policies, you could be putting your movers in a risky position both physically and in terms of compliance with company rules. So give the movers their space, and you'll get the best result."

What tips would you give to someone before they move?

As someone who recently moved, here are a few tips I think are worth following:

Asking about pre-furnished elements: When I viewed my new part-furnished apartment, some of the furniture hadn't yet come in — and there was more there than I anticipated come moving day. On my next house search and move, I'll definitely ask about the property's furniture.

What a lifesaver it is to sort your bills as soon as possible. I decided to have my electricity and other essentials turned on just as I moved in, which worked out amazingly. I didn't want to turn up and have no internet access, so I felt reassured that I had taken the time to compare bill providers early on. So try this before you head to your new home.

Pay attention to the flooring your home will have. After viewing my house, I knew what kind of cleaning my new flooring would require. This knowledge helped me determine what cleaning supplies I'll need in the future and how much work the floors would need to be maintained. It's useful to pay attention to these details (check your countertop materials, too, and how many mirrors and windows you'll have around to clean!) to inform your future self.

Moving homes is by no means an easy job, but to ease your moving worries, there are a few things you can do to make the process as smooth as possible:

Invest in moving boxes: These Amazon Basics Cardboard Shipping and Packing Moving Boxes are great for storing your essentials.

Use a label maker: Keep track of your belongings with this Wireless Mini Label Maker with Tape and Bluetooth Label Printer from Home Depot.

Store items in baskets: You can special items in baskets, so you don't lose them on the go. This OrganiHaus Small Fabric Storage Basket priced at $23.99 should do the trick.

Lastly, and most importantly, enjoy the journey and follow the tips above. We promise that if you follow those expert tips, you'll enjoy the experience more.