Have you bagged your dream job and are planning to move across the country? Or perhaps you’ve just bought your first home and are planning to relocate from your current apartment? Or you might just be tired of living in the same house for many years and are craving a change of place?

Well, the joy of setting up your own home is unparalleled. But before that, comes the dreaded moving day. And even before that, you need to pack all your belongings, label them, and ensure that they’re ready to be transported. While relocating to a new place is always exciting, packing and moving can get on your nerves.

But it doesn’t always have to be this stressful. If you create an action plan in advance and get professional help, moving can be pretty straightforward. Of course, it’s going to be physically exhausting. But there are ways to avoid feeling emotionally drained while you shift base.

If you’re planning to move to a new place or know someone who’s going to, here are a few simple and useful hacks:

1. Prepare a Checklist

Checklists come in handy for organizing any aspect of your life. Irrespective of whether you’re going on a vacation or hosting an intimate family gathering, checklists always come to your rescue. Relocation isn’t any different.

Start by preparing a list of all the items you need to pack. Next, make a list of errands you need to run to procure moving supplies and notify local authorities. Also, you can jot down the things you need to take care of at your new place to make it suitable for living.

The idea is to collate all major activities in one place so that you don’t miss out on anything important before your moving day.

2. Send Out Notices

Depending on whether you’re moving to a new neighborhood, city, or country, you likely have to inform a few official authorities. Most often, this includes your bank, credit card company, and electricity supplier. Make sure you notify these people in advance to avoid any major last-minute hiccups.

3. Declutter Your Belongings

From empty milk cartons to outdated electronic gadgets – you’re likely to have accumulated plenty of junk at your home over time. Most of these things have lost their utility and will likely end up in the garbage some time or the other. It’s recommended that you get rid of all your unnecessary belongings to make relocation less stressful. Also, decluttering is going to make the process of unpacking and setting up your new place far easier.

4. Start Packing Early

The last thing you want to do is to start packing in the eleventh hour. If you do this, you’ll end up throwing your belongings into random boxes. Needless to say, this is inefficient, time-consuming, and nerve-wracking and can even cause damage to your stuff. Also, it makes the process of unpacking exceptionally difficult.

That’s why you should always start packing in advance. This will give you enough time to organize your things and safely pack fragile items. It’ll also save you from undue stress and panic. Try keeping aside an hour or two each day for packing. It can also help if you set small goals such as packing your books or wrapping all delicate crockery by the weekend.

5. Pack Judiciously

The key to a pleasant moving and unpacking experience is to carefully pack your belongings. Start by fetching good quality moving boxes in various sizes. Next, use different colored tape to color code these boxes according to the room in which they’re going to go. Also, make sure you utilize your towels, linens, t-shirts, and other clothing items to packs fragile items such as crockery, utensils, showpieces, etc.

When dismantling furniture, don’t forget to label individual parts and take photographs to remember what goes where. Store all nuts, bolts, handles, and small parts in separate bags to avoid misplacing them. Avoid over-packing your boxes or it’s going to be difficult to move them. Also, remember to pack light items such as clothing in large boxes and heavier items such as electronics and books in smaller boxes.

6. Separate Your Essentials

Chance are you’re not going to be in the mood for unpacking on your first day at the new place. That’s why it always helps to separately pack your essentials. Set aside a small suitcase or duffle bag for packing all the things you’re going to need as soon as you move. Make sure you include toiletries, tissue rolls, light snacks, beverages, phone chargers, etc.

7. Hire Professional Movers

While you can take care of packing on your own, you’ll need help to move those boxes around. Unless you have friends and family members to help you, it’s recommended that you hire a trusted and professional moving company. This is particularly important when you’re moving to a new city or country. The good news is that a simple Google search will help you find a credible moving company in Oakland, California, or any other city.

Have you used any other house relocation hacks? Share your tips in the comments section below.