Top Tips for a Stress-Free Move

Moving into a new house or apartment can seem like a daunting task. You’ve probably accumulated a lot of stuff over the years, and the idea of packing everything up can be enough to overwhelm anyone.

Make your next move a little easier with these tips.

Timing Is Everything

In real estate, you might not always have control over your timeline. But if you have any choice when it comes to your move, you should choose to move in the spring. The days are longer and the temperature is warmer, but it’s also not as hot as a summer move.

Moving to a new house in the summer can be a sweaty chore, especially if you don’t have air conditioning installed yet. And moving in the winter can be dangerous – with a layer of ice coating the ground and a limited amount of daylight to work with. Try to plan for a moving date with a forecast of sunny skies.

Pack for Success

Half of the moving struggle is packing. Before things get moving, you need to make sure all your items are packed up and ready to go.

Pack by room. The smartest way to pack is to tackle one room at a time. It’s a natural way to organize your belongings, and it will help keep everything together when you unpack later. Once you organize by room, then you can organize by item. Pack all your dishes together, or all your linens together. Don’t spread the same types of items across multiple boxes if you can help it.

Use labels. Remember to label your boxes clearly. When your boxes are all labeled with the room in which they belong and the items that they contain, unpacking will be so much easier.

Handle with care. Make sure that your fragile items are properly protected for the move. Wrap your delicate items with bubble wrap or unprinted paper – newspaper is convenient, but the newsprint can leave stains behind. It’s also a good idea to put towels or other soft materials on the bottom of boxes containing delicate items.

Get the right box. Boxes and containers designed specifically for moving can make the whole process easier. Wardrobe boxes can help you easily transport hanging clothing, and mirror boxes can help protect your mirrors. Boxes with handles are the best for moving – giving the movers something to hold onto.

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Get the Right Vehicle for the Job

If you have a car, it probably can’t fit everything you own. It probably can’t even fit your couch. When you move, you will most likely need a bigger vehicle to help you do it. Luckily, AAA members can save on truck rentals from Penske.

Penske offers truck rentals from cargo vans all the way up to 26-foot trucks. So which is right for you?

If you’re moving from a small apartment or a studio, try a high roof cargo van, which has the capacity of about one room, or a 12-foot truck, which has the capacity of two.

If you’re moving from a bigger apartment or a standard-sized house, opt for a 16-foot truck, which has the capacity of two to three rooms, or a 22-foot truck, which has the capacity of three to five.

Are you making an extra big move with even more cargo? The mammoth 26-foot truck has the capacity of five to seven rooms.

Don’t forget – when renting a truck from Penske, AAA members receive exclusive savings of 12% or more.

Do you have a tip that helped with your last move? Let us know in the comments below.