This article will teach you a packing process that will make your move easier — if this is the only thing you have time to read about packing for your upcoming move, it will be enough.

Get Organized

1. Buy boxes, packing tape, magic markers, and a clipboard.
2. In each room of your house, put the boxes and packing tape that you’ll need for each room. If you have the space, put together the boxes well before packing.
3. Buy a box of magic markers and put a different color marker in each room. You will use the magic marker to mark the boxes in that room, creating a ‘color code’ system for your movers — red for the boxes for the living room, blue for the boxes in the kitchen, etc.
4. Have a piece of paper for each room on the clipboard.

Pack It

1. In each room, pack first the things you use infrequently — clothes and sporting goods that are out of season, knicknacks, etc.
2. Using that room’s designated color, label the first box you pack “1″ with a description of contents, the second box, “2,” etc. When you unpack, you will unpack the higher-numbered boxes first — these are the items you use more frequently.
3. Before moving on to the next box, pack each box full and seal it. After you get a closet packed, move the boxes into the closet.
4. In addition to a brief label on the box itself, on your clipboard write a more detailed description of the box’s contents and its number — you will use this list to make sure each box was delivered, and you will use this list to help you find things you might need access to quickly.
5. Pack a few boxes a day so you don’t get overwhelmed.
6. Pack a separate box of items you’ll need right away at the new house — carry it with you in case you arrive before the movers. Pack in this box: Cleaning supplies, basic kitchen utensils, simple food items, a set of clothes per person, bathroom items, and new sheets.

Unpack It

1. Lay out the rugs, and get the furniture and dressers where you want them. Then tackle boxes.
2. Unpack these rooms first: kids rooms (keeps them occupied); your bedroom (at least set up the bed, it’s a nice thing after a stressful day); the kitchen (you like eating, right?).
3. In each room, unpack the higher numbers first, and check each box off your inventory.
4. Unpack each box completely, break down the box, and discard it before moving on.
5. Like packing, set a daily box goal for unpacking.

Moving Checklist

But don’t worry, we can help. This is a handy checklist of major accomplishments you should tackle before you move.

The tasks to accomplish further from moving day might seem trivial now, but staying on schedule will help you avoid last minute headaches. Time will be at a premium on the days right before your move, so be diligent in checking off these tasks.

 
This is the time to start strategically planning your move, step-by-step, to alleviate the stress of last-minute packing and planning.

Your Move

• If you need new blinds, curtains or furniture for your new home, buy them now and arrange it so they arrive at your new home when your things do.
• Start planning where things will go in your new home.
• Create an inventory of your stuff so that you can compare against the moving company’s list to ensure you don’t lose anything in the move. It’s also a good aid in determining how much moving insurance you need.
• Are you taking appliances? If so, draw up a plan for how to handle them.
• Get a head start on your packing by packing things that you won’t need before the move, like seasonal items such as summer sporting gear.
• Arrange childcare and pet care for the day of your move, or think about a “safe” room they can be during the move itself so they’re out of the way.
• Begin cleaning any rooms in your house that have been emptied, such as closets, basements or attics, and check to make sure you did not leave anything unpacked.
• Moving plants? Check on their special moving needs.
• Make arrangements to clean your new home, and the home you’re moving out of. Also, arrange for any services for your new home that will be easier to do before your things arrive: carpet-cleaning, wood floor cleaning, painting, etc.

Your Records

• Find pharmacies in your new town that you can transfer your family’s prescriptions over to. Make sure you have enough required medication in case you don’t locate a new pharmacist/doctor immediately.
• Organize important documents — will, passport, deeds, financial statements — to carry with you when move; make copies that you can pack with your household goods, but carry the originals with you.
• Contact or visit your local Post Office to obtain a Change of Address form. You can also obtain this form online at the Postal Service Web site.
• Give a change of address to the following: Banks, schools, friends & family, insurance company, doctors and specialists, cell phone company, credit card companies, and magazine and newspaper subscriptions. Read Moving Black Book: The People Your Should Tell.
• You may have to switch banks because your current bank doesn’t have branches in your new town. Investigate the popular banks in the area you will be living in so that you can close and open new bank accounts as needed.
• Check the requirements for a new driver’s license and complete auto registration at your new motor vehicle location.
• If you will be making an international move, make sure your passport is up to date and has not expired. Passports generally take three weeks to process.
• Let service providers — landscapers, cleaning services — know you’re moving, and look for new ones in your new hometown.

Your Family and Pets

• Is your pet ready for the move? Make sure you have transportation arranged, and that you have someone who can watch the pet during the move. Also, make sure the pet is up to date on its shots.

Quick Tips

• Collect valuable items such as jewelry or heirlooms and keep them separate from the rest of your packed belongings so you don’t risk losing them.
• Return any borrowed items, such as library books, and collect any clothing that you may have taken to be dry-cleaned.