I’ve always loved packing and moving. I’ve moved 10 times in 16 years, and I learn something new about myself each time. Moving can be a great opportunity to reassess your belongings, embrace minimalism, and design a more intentional life. But for most people, moving can also be incredibly stressful. 

One survey of 1,000 Americans revealed that 45% of respondents viewed moving as the most stressful event in life, followed closely by breakups and divorce. Perhaps even more surprisingly, 48% of respondents said that packing was the most stressful part of moving.  

If you dread moving, you’re not alone. Thankfully, there are many ways to make moving easier. Here are six strategies I recommend for a seamless move.

6 tips for an effortless packing and moving process

There’s no right or wrong way to move from one home to another, but there are certain approaches you can adopt to make the process as seamless as possible. Here are my top six tips for an effortless move.

1. get all the packing supplies you need ahead of time 

It can be very frustrating to get into the groove of packing your belongings only to run out of something you need. Make sure you have the following supplies before you start packing so you don’t have to run errands in the middle of everything else that’s going on.

• Boxes: A brand new moving box, such as a U-Haul box can be pricey, so I recommend getting boxes for free through a website such as Facebook Marketplace or Nextdoor, or by asking your friends, family, and local grocery store if they have any extra boxes lying around. Even with all of these options at your disposal, it can take time to accumulate as many boxes as you need to pack up your entire home, so start collecting them two to three months before your moving date.

• Packing Paper or Bubble Wrap: Packing paper and bubble wrap are essential for safely transporting delicate items such as artwork and glassware. If you aren’t able to save enough from packages you’ve received or can’t find any for free, you can buy either from a U-Haul or office supply store.

• Packing Tape: You’ll probably need more packing tape than you think you need, especially if you’re planning to reinforce heavy boxes. Buy at least two packing tape dispensers and stock up on a few extra rolls in case they run out. 

• Scissors: Scissors can be helpful for cutting tape as you pack and opening boxes as you unpack. Make sure you have several sharp pairs on hand (your kids’ craft scissors don’t count!) so you can always find them when you need them.

• Permanent Markers: Permanent markers are your best friend when it comes to moving in an organized way. You can use them to label boxes based on where they need to go in your new home (such as your primary bedroom, office, or garage) and indicate which ones contain fragile items.

  2. set aside the items you need 

Before you begin packing up your closet, kitchen, bathroom, and other spaces that house frequently used items, set aside some necessities. In the beginning, you’ll need one month’s worth of clothing, toiletries, and other essentials. Closer to your move, you’ll only need one week’s worth of these items. When it comes to kitchen items, you can narrow your selection down to two pots, pans, and serving spoons total, plus one dining set, one glass, one water bottle, and one mug per household member.  

This may not sound like a lot, but doing extra laundry or dishes right before you move will be a lot less stressful than having to pack things last minute. Plus, it’s a fun way to see if minimalist living is for you! You might be surprised to discover how little you actually need from day to day. Then, you can carry that minimalist mindset into the rest of your editing and packing process.

3. edit your belongings as you pack

Decluttering is an essential part of packing. Even if you aren’t downsizing or plan to use professional moving services or rent U-Hauls, it can be overwhelming—and unnecessary—to bring a large number of things into a new home. And if you’re interested in becoming a minimalist, moving is a great time to take a serious look at how many items you have and consider what you can get rid of to get you closer to the minimal lifestyle you crave.

Part of my story is that I moved to Portland from the Midwest in 2016 and downsized from a three-bedroom house to a one-bedroom apartment with my partner and two dogs. This forced me to downsize significantly and got me started on my minimalism journey.

When you pack, you can make decisions as you go. I recommend using the Marie Kondo method, tackling editing and packing by category instead of by room. According to the KonMari Method, those categories are

• clothes

• books

• paper

• miscellaneous (including bathroom, kitchen, garage, and pet items) 

• sentimental

As you pick up each item, ask yourself: 

does it spark joy? 

• do I need it? 

• will I have a place for it in my new home? 

If you answered no to any or all of the above questions, you should probably donate or toss the item. Then, you can do another edit as you unpack in your new home.

4. stage your home (if you’re selling)

Staging is the process of decluttering and styling a space to make it more attractive to potential buyers. You can stage your home after you move out, or you can put the majority of your items away or in storage and do an “occupied home stage.”

According to the National Association of Realtors, 82% of buyers’ agents said buyers could more easily visualize a house as their home when it was staged. As a result, staging has a direct effect on the speed and profit margin of home sales—31% of sellers’ agents said home staging significantly increases the time it takes for homes to sell, and 41% of sellers’ agents said they see a one to 10% price increase in offers on staged versus un-staged homes.

Staging your home can also help you let it go. Removing your more personal belongings, such as clothes and family photos, from each room and imagining how your home could look to potential buyers is an important part of processing the major life change you’re going through.

5. set up systems in your new home immediately

When you arrive at your new home, you’ll almost certainly need different storage solutions and organizing systems than the ones you currently have. As a professional home organizer in Portland, Oregon, I’ve worked with many clients who don’t have the bandwidth to make clear decisions or set up systems when they move into a space, and by the time they consult with someone, they’ve been putting up with chaos for months or even years. 

You can set yourself up for success and make unpacking easier by investing in help, bringing in products, and getting systems set up before you even open your first box. The modern minimalist can select and install the right products and help you do it right the first time. We can outfit your new home with cohesive bins, closet systems, and garage systems that make sense for your lifestyle.

Investing in systems early on will save you time, energy, and money you might otherwise waste on hodgepodge organizing “solutions.” Plus, it will give you a more streamlined look because you can buy uniform items up front, which are more visually satisfying and create less visual clutter in your home.

6. enlist the help of a professional home organizer 

The modern minimalist can help you downsize by being your guide and helping you stay accountable as you sift through your belongings. Our team can also help you pack your belongings so they arrive safely and are easy to find when you arrive at your new home. If you’re interested in Pod moving, we can even help you decide what to keep with you versus what to put in Pod storage and send ahead of you.

Once you arrive in your new home, we can help you select products we’ve tested, build long-lasting systems, unpack your belongings, and put them away so you can focus on all the other tasks that come with moving into a new home.

In addition to this physical assistance, the modern minimalist can provide the emotional support you need to transition from your current home to your new one, allowing you to enter this next phase of your life with revitalized energy.

let the modern minimalist make your next move easier 

The stress that most people experience around moving has little to do with physically moving their objects from one home to another. The hard part is preparing your belongings for moving, processing the change, and re-establishing yourself in a new space.

As part of our holistic organizing services, the modern minimalist helps clients edit, pack, unpack, and organize their belongings so all they need to worry about is hiring moving companies for the in-between part. 

We also offer occupied home staging consultations, where we dedicate two hours to strategizing about how to use a homeowner’s furniture and décor items or source smaller items to prepare the home for sale.

If you’re anticipating a move, book a call with us today to learn more about how we can help.