Dos and Don’ts to Get You Through Your First Move

Embarking on your first move is equal parts exciting and overwhelming. Whether you’re heading to the dorms or setting out for your first apartment, the prospect of moving and all the tasks that it entails likely has you wondering how you’re going to get everything done (not to mention where you’re even going to start). Lucky for you, we’ve all been there, and over the years we’ve learned a thing or two about how to move while maintaining your sanity. Below, we’ll tackle some of the most important dos and don’ts you need to know to ensure your first move goes off without a hitch—or at least as few hitches as possible.

Do know that a move is rarely completely stress-free

Setting your expectations is the first step in minimizing stress during a move. But you need to keep in mind that moving, by its very nature, is stressful. Moving, and especially a first move, is a time of major transition. Tasks aside, it’s a departure from your comfort zone and a journey into the unknown. Couple that with the fact that life doesn’t stop or slow down just because you’ve got a to do list a mile long, and it’s totally normal to feel stressed during the moving process. Accept from the get-go that stress during a move is natural, understandable, and pretty much unavoidable. It’s okay if your fuse gets a little shorter or if you feel anxious about getting everything done.

Don’t leave everything to the last minute

It’s human nature to underestimate just how much stuff you own and have to pack up. You don’t generally see or interact with all of your belongings on a day to day basis, and many things are probably both out of sight and out of mind. That is, until you start packing and realize that you actually have about ten times the amount of things to pack up than you had anticipated. Leave yourself wiggle room for this inevitability by giving yourself plenty of time to get everything done. Seriously—give yourself more time than you could ever imagine needing. Because what seems like a two-day job is usually more like a week-long job, and if you’ve never moved before you’re going to need to devote a lot more time to sorting and organizing than you might otherwise.

Do the math to figure out how much supplies you need

Save yourself some time by determining how much you’ll need in terms of supplies before you start, rather than having to make frequent trips to the store to stock up on additional items. You’re going to need a variety of items, including:

• Boxes of various sizes
• Packing paper
• Packing table
• Plastic wrap
• Air-filled plastic padding
• Permanent markers

Even the most seasoned of movers can have a tough time estimating how much they’ll need (particularly when it comes to boxes), but we’ve got you covered. Use our free packing calculator to find out how much you’ll need to buy based on how many rooms you’re packing up, how much you own, and your packing style. That way, you can spend less time at the store and more time getting things done.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

It’s human nature to be disinclined to ask for help, but moving is a big job and every extra set of hands goes a long way. If it’s your first move you’re likely moving out of your parents’ house, in which case you’ve got people nearby you can turn to for a little assistance. Siblings and friends make good helpers, too. Have specific jobs you can assign, such as assembling boxes or helping you sort through your closet. Better yet, schedule some helpers for moving day itself, especially if you’re doing it yourself instead of hiring professionals. Be sure to show gratitude to those who help you out with a genuine “thank you” and perhaps a pizza (the quintessential “thanks for helping me move” gesture).

Do edit down your belongings

You may be tempted to just throw everything you own into boxes, but if you do that you’re missing a big opportunity to take inventory of what you have and get rid of the things that no longer serve a purpose in your life. Moving teaches you that less really is more when it comes to your stuff, and that hauling around old, defunct electronics or your notes from high school English class is way more work than its worth. So instead, leave yourself time to edit things down. Go through everything you own and sort out those items you can get rid of, filing each unneeded item into one of three piles: donate, recycle, and trash. Try to donate as much as you can—you’d be surprised what other people have a use for. Not sure if something is worth holding on to? If you haven’t used it in a year and don’t have an immediate use for it, chances are you can live without it.

Don’t overstuff your boxes

When it comes time to start packing, be mindful of how you arrange items in boxes. Try not to make any box too overstuffed or heavy, since this can result in damaged items on top of just making the heavy lifting part of the move that much more difficult. Pack already-heavy items like books in small boxes instead of combining them with other items in a medium or large box. In terms of valuables or breakables, provide each item with plenty of padding and leave room around them in the box. Fill in any gaps with crumpled up packing paper, packing peanuts, or air-filled plastic padding to make sure that stuff doesn’t shift around.

Do be diligent about labeling

Yes, labeling is just one more step in a series of seemingly endless to-dos, but it will make your life a whole lot easier when it comes time to unpack. You don’t have to get into the specifics of what’s inside each box when you label (though you certainly can if you want!), but you should note a general location of where items are going, we well as whether any items in the box are fragile and require special care. If you’re moving to a dorm, where everything is just going into one or two rooms, you may want to be a little bit more detailed about what’s in what box so that you don’t end up desperately searching for your bedding at midnight on move-in day.

Don’t stay up all night before moving day

If you think packing is exhausting, just wait until you get to moving day. The day you actually set out for your new home is one of the most tiring parts of the process, since you’ll be doing a lot of lifting and lugging. Do yourself a favor and make sure to go to bed at a reasonable time the night before—you’ll need every ounce of energy you can get. If you still have things to get done before you move, opt to go to bed early and wake up early instead of going to bed late. That way you can ensure you get the rest you need to get through the next day, and you’ll still have time to finish up last minute tasks.

Do pack an essentials bag

Set aside a box, suitcase, or duffle bag that you can use to pack the essentials you know you’ll need right before, during, and after your move. Include things like toiletries, a couple changes of clothes, electronics and chargers, important documents, and medications. Then keep your essentials bag with you so you always have easy access to the items inside of it. It’s a whole lot easier to set these things aside into one designated place than to dig through boxes in search of your must-haves later on.

Don’t drive yourself crazy trying to unpack everything right away

There’s no rule that says you have to unpack everything all at once. In fact, although it certainly is nice to be fully settled in as soon as possible, you can easily burn out if you try to do too much too quickly. Unlike packing, there’s no deadline on when you have to be unpacked by. While you definitely don’t want to be living out of boxes for any longer than you have to, give yourself a break and just aim to chip away at unpacking as you have time. Do a little here and there, taking the steps you need to beat unpacking procrastination while also making continuous progress.

If you plan ahead and go into it with the right attitude, your first move can actually be a rather positive experience. Sure, you’ll probably resent the process at some point, but at least you’ll have a handle on all that needs to get done. Visit our moving tips page for more advice on how to make your first move go as smoothly as possible.