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Today I have another guest author ready to give you tips on how to avoid costly moving day mishaps. Suzie Wilson is an interior designer with more than 20 years experience. What started as a hobby (and often, a favor to friends) turned into a passion for creating soothing spaces in homes of every size and style. While her goal always includes making homes look beautiful, her true focus is on fashioning them into serene, stress-free environments that inspire tranquility in all who enter. The Ultimate Guide to Prepping Your Home for an Open House is filled with tips, tricks and other advice based on Suzie’s years of experience in interior home design that will set you up for success.

Moving is exciting! It’s also stressful and tiring. If you throw a few blunders into the mix, the event can quickly go from becoming a pleasure to being a pain. Here are some tips for keeping your moving day positive.

Hire help. One of the best things you can do is hire a moving company to assist with your move. You’ll be exhausted even with help, so paying someone else to do the grunt work will literally take a load off. If you’re nervous about allowing a stranger handle your fragile or valuable items, one solution is to hire a company that drops the moving truck at your house, you pack it, they deliver it for you to the new place, and then you unpack. You still do some heavy work, but at least you’re relieved of the driving duty.

Another great service: hire someone to assemble furniture for you. Assembly can be a headache, especially if you’re in the middle of pointing to where boxes go and living out of your suitcase. Opt to get help through a trusted service like HireAHelper.

Arrange ahead. Good moving services get booked up well in advance, especially during summertime. Some experts recommend locking in your mover months in advance. Also, note there are some moving companies who are fly-by-night. Check references and go with a trusted service. Make sure you read through estimates and paperwork carefully, as some companies may hide fees in the fine print. Then once you’ve reached your destination, read the inventory sheet carefully and ensure all your items are present.

Don’t take it all. Most of us have more “stuff” than we really need. Take a hard look at what you own, and do some decluttering in advance of the move. Less belongings will mean less to pack, less to move, and less to unpack. Besides, if you’re staging your home for a sale chances are you need to reduce clutter anyway. If you opt to store items in another location during your home sale, box them in an organized manner. Label appropriately and store them in a way that will be logical when it comes time to move.

Last-minute packing. This is a big no-no. Don’t wait until the morning of the move to pack your kitchen, or any other rooms for that matter. You won’t be able to do a good job since you’ll be rushed and you’ll add to the chaos of the day. Some experts suggest allowing eight to 10 weeks to pack up your home.

Keep necessities handy. Think through what you may need when you get to your new location. Keep some fundamentals in a convenient location; include basic tools and cleaning supplies. You won’t want them at the back of the moving van or buried under boxes.

Secure items. Don’t pack in a manner that allows things to shift out of place. Falling items can not only become damaged, they can hurt someone. Secure your belongings with ratchet straps, shrink-wrap, and rope as needed. Also, ensure your heavy items are packed low with lightweight items higher.

Don’t rely on Mother Nature. Be prepared if the day turns out to be inclement. Have tarps, plastic sheeting, towels and plastic bags at the ready. If you need last-minute additions you can drop by a local home center for supplies, but it’s best to have some items accumulated just in case.

Also, Better Homes & Gardens recommends considering the time of day you decide to schedule the move. Chances are you will be better off planning around rush hour or big local events.

Moving success! Moving can be both exciting and overwhelming. Do some planning to avoid turning your moving day into mayhem. With smart strategies in place, your move should go smooth as silk!