Despite the fact that moving is one of the most stressful things people endure, every year many Americans do it. Between 2015 and 2016, it has been estimated that about 11.2% of the population of the United States moved. This is from data from the 2016 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement. The same number of people moved in 2017. The good news about moving is that there are things you can do to have a better experience with moving services.

1. Start with a budget. Before you start any big project around your home, you should start with a budget. Whether you are planning to hire professional movers or do it all yourself, it is important to start out knowing how much you can afford to spend. This will also help you stay within a budget and not overspend on your move.
2. Get a timeline together. Every move is as unique as the people moving. Some people have months to plan while others have only days or weeks. Set a timeline for when you want things to be packed, when you want to talk to moving services companies, and when utilities need to be turned off at your old place and on in the new one.
3. Think about hiring a moving company. A lot of this may come down to how much stuff you have to move and how far you are moving. When you are making your budget, you should start thinking about this. If you are used to just doing it with the help of friends and family, the expense may not seem worth it but remember, your time is valuable, too. A professional moving service company can make your life a lot easier and the move less stressful.
4. Make a list of who you need to tell you are moving. This includes your utilities, cable company, internet provider, and others. Preparing a list will help you make sure you do not forget to have the paper canceled, for instance. This list can also be folded into your timeline.
5. Start your packing by getting rid of stuff. Everyone has items they do not use or need. There is no reason to pay a moving service company to move items you can do without. Before you start to pack, go through your belongings and get rid of what you do not need. Some items can be thrown away or recycled but you have more than you might think that can be donated. If you have some time before you have to move, you can work with a local non-profit to schedule a pick up of clothing or household items that you may not want but someone else can still use.
6. Do not scrimp on boxes. Whether you buy moving boxes or get them from a recycling center, make sure you get decent boxes. No matter how well you pack a box, if it is compromised by wear and tear, it can break and ruin the items you have packed in it.
7. Try to not overwhelm yourself with packing. It is easy to get into a habit of wanting to do everything all at once but that can lead to packing burnout. Pros from moving services companies say that if you schedule a set time to pack every day, you can get everything done without becoming overwhelmed and stressed out. Spending an hour or two every day will get the job done.
8. Set your “must-haves” aside in a bag. Pack some of the things you know you are going to need and want to use immediately when you get to your new home. This bag should have several days of clothing, toiletries, kitchen items you need right away, and anything else you know you use every day. If you need your coffee to wake up, the last thing you will want to do is dig through boxes to find your coffee maker and its accouterments.

Most people agree that moving is not the most fun thing in the world. Unlike other big life stressors, there are things you can do to make your move go smoothly and cause you a lot less stress.