On average, the typical American moves 11 times in a lifetime. This means that for most people, moving is an essential part of our lives that happens just often enough to feel like a hassle, and not often enough to be able to master. 

As challenging as the moving process can be, there are ways to make the process a lot more enjoyable. One of the best solutions for planning a streamlined move is to hire expert moving services to help facilitate the project. Professional movers are equipped with the knowledge, experience, and resources necessary for making any-sized moving projects easy, affordable, and efficient.

One of our best tips for people planning their first, second, third, or eleventh relocation project is to lighten your load before moving. In this article, our team of expert long-distance movers at Thomas Transfer & Storage shares valuable advice on how to streamline your belongings for a much easier moving process for those that need help getting started.

Getting Started with Your Moving Project

Most people have years of stuff that they’ve accumulated over the years that are unusable, unnecessary, and unwanted, and getting rid of these things can help you to save money, time, and a lot of stress before, during, and after a move.

However, getting started is sometimes easier said than done. Here are some tips to consider that will help you to evaluate, organize, and execute the task of lightening your load before moving.

  • Set a Packing Schedule: Create a moving timeline with important dates and a schedule for packing. This will help you to organize your project and to determine how much time you have to plan.
  • Sort Through Your Belongings: You’ll also want to give yourself a few days or possibly weeks to revise and sort beforehand to eliminate items you don’t want or need. Put everything into piles according to what you’re going to do with them—in other words, identify what you want to keep, donate, or sell.
  • Start Early: Try to plan your project over a few weeks instead of a few days for the least stressful and most organized experience. If this is impossible due to time restraints, write down a schedule anyway and stick to it.
  • Dive Right In: Whatever time you commit to starting the process, get to it and don’t delay. Procrastination is very tempting, but if you don’t succumb to it, you can move mountains (or in this case, really heavy boxes).
  • Consider the 6-Month Rule: A good rule to follow is to identify items that you haven’t used for six months or more. By doing this, you can quickly identify the things that shouldn’t come with you, which means even less to pack.
  • Donate or Sell: If you don’t need it, consider donating your unused or unwanted items to a charity. The more you donate, the less you have to pack and move.You can also hold a garage sale or use garage-sale apps like LetGo or OfferUp to sell whatever items that are more valuable or that you’ll want to replace after your move.
  • Temporary Storage: Storage services can be used on a short-term or long-term basis to temporarily safeguard items before, during, or after your move. Many movers offer convenient storage solutions to help people lighten their load during a move.
  • Hire Helpers: A lot of movers offer packing services. Once you’ve separated your belongings into piles to keep, sell, or donate, have your movers take care of the rest. This can help you save plenty of time, and to start focusing on more important things—like adjusting to your new life in a new home.

Moving Services with Thomas Transfer & Storage

At Thomas Transfer & Storage, we know how stressful the moving process can be—which is why we strive to create a smooth, no-hassle experience for our customers. Our customized approach to moving makes the process easy, affordable, and even enjoyable—with superior-quality services that are tailored to suit your unique needs. Whether you’re moving across town or to a new country, we can help you make the best transition possible.

If you’re planning a local, long-distance, or international household or commercial move, our team at Thomas Transfer & Storage is here for you. Give us a call to speak with one of our friendly agents about our professional moving services or fill out our online form to schedule your free, in-home pricing estimate now.