Whether you’re moving for a job, family or a simple change of pace, a fresh atmosphere can broaden your horizons and jumpstart your attitude. But one hurdle stands in the way of you and your new life: the dreaded move. It’s expensive, time-consuming and stressful. Move once, some say, and you’ll never move again. Not because you’ll be blissfully content with your surroundings, mind you, but because you’ll do anything to avoid the next logistical nightmare that is moving.

Don’t let airlines, brown boxes and furniture keep you from your dreams. With a few tips for moving cross-country, some help from experts and the right attitude; you can relocate without losing your head.

photo by TheMuuj

The Right Strategy

Moving cross-country isn’t a haphazard decision, so don’t go at it with a haphazard plan. Before you start loading boxes, draft a tight schedule with dates listing when you need to have everything packed up, when you’re going to be traveling and when you’re going to be unpacking. Small tasks can turn large while moving. Without a schedule, you’ll fall behind.

Here are some additional cross-country moving tips:

• If you have young children, send them on a plane with mom (or grandparents). A multi-day car ride is hard enough as it is. With impatient children, those days will feel like weeks.
• Create a system to organize where you pack belongings. Whether you color code or write the contents on every box, you’ll thank yourself when its time to unpack.
• Keep valuables close by. Important papers, jewelry and other valuables have a way of disappearing during moves. Prioritize your belongings and you’ll avoid misplacing a key possession.

The Right Help

The first mistake cross-country movers make is trying to do it alone. Hopefully you can afford some professional help to ease the load. Movers can lift the weight of packing and/or driving off your shoulders. But don’t expect to be care free if movers handle the load. Moving also usually entails a new house (which requires extensive paperwork) a new job (which demands attention and focus) and new people (which can be the toughest part).

Upack.com offers a cost-effective solution to moving. The movers themselves pack belongings into a truck, and professionals transport the truck. If you’re willing to put in the dirty work of packing, you can avoid the time and hassle of driving and stay under budget.

For larger, unusual objects that require special handling, you might consider shipping your items as less than truckload freight though companies like uShip, which coordinated shipping for more than $3 billion worth of goods, according to its website. It’s a pretty cool service that connects shippers with primarily businesses that have special shipment needs. The service allows transportation companies to bid on projects to fill empty spaces on their trucks.

The Right Attitude

Logistics and strategies aside, sometimes a good move comes down to attitude. Stress can feel unmanageable during such an involved event, but a clear perspective can help. As you and your family head to a new place, you’re completely uprooting your life. Things won’t fall into place right away. Stay patient, and focus on the excitement of the your new life. Eventually, you’ll feel comfort and satisfaction that comes with becoming integrated into a new community. Until then, keep your head up and enjoy the fresh start.

May is National Moving Month and no wonder. As thousands of college students across the country prepare to graduate and start the next phase of their left many of them will be moving. Some will pack up and move across the country, others will move home and others may just be moving from the dorm room to the apartment complex down the street. But whether you yourself are a new grad preparing to move or just helping one, these five steps will have you get there organized, while minimizing the amount of the stress.

Moving Tips for College Graduates

1. Don’t over pack your boxes. Lift them as you go to ensure they don’t become too heavy to carry.
2. Know what your credit report says
3. Toss broken belongings or items with missing pieces
4. Label the side of the box, so you can read it when they’re stacked
5. Buy doughnuts, coffee, pizza or beer if you want to people to help you load and unload boxes.

Share your own moving tips in the comments.

Packing for a move, whether you’re doing it yourself or hiring packers is a headache. But don’t turn it until heartbreak. Taking the time to pack your valuables the right way will make sure they come out of their boxes in good shape.

Here are five tips to keep in mind when packing and moving valuables:  

Take An Inventory And Get Insurance

Whether you are moving yourself or hiring a moving company you should take an inventory of your belongings before you move. Take pictures of all your valuables and make sure you have receipts and records from valuable purchases. Check to see what is covered under your home insurance and then consider purchasing additional insurance if necessary.

Pack Your Valuables First

Even if you are hiring packers you should pack your most important valuables yourself. These items should be packed first and stored separately from your other items.

Bundle Breakables

When your packing valuables that are breakable pack them together and putting pack paper around each item. Then wrap items together in bundles of four or five with packing paper.

Heavier Items Go On The Bottom

Heavy on the bottom, light on the top. It makes sense, but make sure you do it when it comes to packing boxes and packing the moving truck if you’re doing that yourself.

Take Your Valuables With You

If you are doing the move yourself this part is easy, but if you are using a moving company it gets a bit trickier. You probably won’t have room with you for every valuable but make sure you have your money, jewelry and documents such as birth certificates, bank and medical records in your possession during the move.

The more prepared you are for your move the easier and less stress-full the move will be. Visit In Order to Succeed’s moving and relocation category for more moving and packing tips. And don’t forget to check out our list of professional moving services and follow us  on Facebook and  Twitter.

Packing for a move, whether you’re doing it yourself or hiring packers is a headache. But don’t turn it until heartbreak. Taking the time to pack your valuables the right way will make sure they come out of their boxes in good shape.

Here are five moving tips to keep in mind when packing and moving valuables:  

Take An Inventory And Get Insurance

Whether you are moving yourself or hiring a moving company you should take an inventory of your belongings before you move. Take pictures of all your valuables and make sure you have receipts and records from valuable purchases. Check to see what is covered under your home insurance and then consider purchasing additional insurance if necessary.

Pack Your Valuables First

Even if you are hiring packers you should pack your most important valuables yourself. These items should be packed first and stored separately from your other items.

Bundle Breakables

When your packing valuables that are breakable pack them together and putting pack paper around each item. Then wrap items together in bundles of four or five with packing paper.

Heavier Items Go On The Bottom

Heavy on the bottom, light on the top. It makes sense, but make sure you do it when it comes to packing boxes and packing the moving truck if you’re doing that yourself.

Take Your Valuables With You

If you are doing the move yourself this part is easy, but if you are using a moving company it gets a bit trickier. You probably won’t have room with you for every valuable but make sure you have your money, jewelry and documents such as birth certificates, bank and medical records in your possession during the move.

The more prepared you are for your move the easier and less stress-full the move will be. Visit In Order to Succeed’s moving and relocation category for more moving and packing tips. And don’t forget to check out our list of professional moving services and follow us on Facebook and  Twitter.