Moving residences is stressful and tiresome enough for anyone, even if you live in a small home with few possessions and are only moving a few miles or kilometres away. There is always the risk of forgetting some needed supplies, of packing something incorrectly so that it gets damaged or of finding out that you need more help with moving than you anticipated! To ensure your moving day goes smoothly, note a few simple but important tips to consider.

Make a checklist

Never assume you can go by memory when it comes to what you need to buy and get done to successfully move. A checklist will ensure you remember all the necessary tasks for your move, including transferring or disconnecting utilities, discontinuing landscaping and other such services at your current residence, collecting spare keys from friends or relatives, hiring furniture removalists and so on. It will also ensure you remember all the packing supplies and other items you need for the day, such as tarps or protective mats for your new home to protect the flooring. Once you start this checklist, you may be surprised at how many items you keep adding to it, so don't assume you can just "wing it" on moving day, but keep a checklist as needed.

Plan your expenses

It's easy to overlook the expenses that come with moving, especially if you only have a few possessions that need packing up and if you're not moving a long distance. However, it's good to plan ahead for any fees for starting utilities in your new home, for the petrol you'll need for running back and forth between residences, for your moving supplies and for the removalists you hire. If you plan those expenses in advance, you can budget accordingly and ensure you have room on a credit card or in a checking account, as needed.

Protect your items

When you're moving, you may be so eager to get it done that you fail to take the time to properly protect your items, but this can mean serious damage to furniture and other items. Taking a few extra minutes to put down cardboard so that you can slide furniture over new carpeting, to wrap clothes in plastic bags so they don't get snagged while packed and to otherwise protect your items while being packed and unpacked can ensure they're in good condition after your move. Start packing items well before your move so you have time to protect them properly, and this will make your move as stress-free as possible.