Clients moving soon? Here’s a list to keep them sane

Moving into a new house is an exciting, memorable step for any client. But it’s also very stressful, as we all know.

So, as your client is boxing up kitchenware and on their way out the door, pass along Jaymi Naciri’s list of ten helpful reminders to get their move on the right track.

1. Breathe

When thing start to go wrong—you don’t have room in your last remaining box for the rest of the guest room knickknacks, your mover just dropped the box with your champagne glasses in it, or your labeling pen just ran out—there’s one thing that can help: just breathe. And count to 10 while you’re at it. It won’t fix the situation, but it will help you to keep your cool and stay focused on the task at hand.

2. Relax

Powering through the packing, moving and unpacking may sound like a great idea, but it might not be a pleasant experience if it means you’re skipping the activities that help keep you happy. Whether making time morning yoga, lighting candles and playing calm music, or taking a bubble bath with a good book is your method for relaxing, let yourself have it. It might feel counterintuitive if you have a ton of work to do, but you may actually be more productive once you’ve taken the edge off.

3. Drink

Specifically, water to keep yourself hydrated. Packing may not seem like hard physical work, but all that lifting, stretching, twisting and kneeling is actually quite a workout.

Make sure you also set aside a bottle of wine for when you’re done moving (plus one or two for when you have your friends over to help you pack and move).

4. Get some sleep

When we’re overtired, we’re more likely to be grouchy, which can make what is already an unpleasant experience even more so.

5. Label everything (we mean everything)

What seems like a hassle at the time will pay off later when you are able to easily locate the one remote control you need to make all of your electronics work because you listed all the contents on each box. Whether you label them per room (bedrooms are a given) or by type (bed linens in one, towels in another, all boxable electronics together) or a hybrid of both, you’ll be happy you made the effort.

6. Make a plan

You may not be the type of person to plan every minute of your day on a regular basis, but, when you’re moving, it helps to stick to a schedule. Anxiety and stress will start to wrestle with each other when moving day has arrived and you’re nowhere near done with your packing.

Work backwards from your moving day, boxing up items that are not used and identifying throwaways and donations first.

7. Ask for help

Friends and family can take the pain out of packing and moving. Make it a party with pizza and beverages, and they may just come back to help the next time you move, too.

8. Turn on your utilities before you move into your new home

Post-move, you’ll be exhausted. You know what will make it better? Being able to turn on the gas stove and boil some water for tea then kick up your feet and watch Jimmy Fallon. If that’s not possible because you don’t have access to the home before moving day, at least make sure you have a mobile hotspot or some other way to access Internet on a laptop so you can watch Hulu or Netflix. The memory of the whole family gathered around a 13″ screen on your first night in your new house will be with you forever.

9. Move the most important stuff yourself

There are bound to be a few things that are too important to trust to a truck. Set aside your important papers, jewelry and your great-grandmother’s china to move on your own.

10. Do your research on movers

You don’t want to end up on Dateline because the shady mover you hired took your stuff hostage. The key to finding a good mover is research, research, research. Ask for referrals and then check them out thoroughly to look for complaints. Protect Your Move will tell you if they are licensed or have ever had a formal complaint, and Moving Scam is a great place to look because they have a message board loaded with detailed info as well as a black list of moving companies to stay away from.