You've bought your dream house. You're ready to move in. Now comes the really stressful part: packing and moving. Remember that the key to a smooth move isgood organization. Even if you're hiring professional movers to take some of the load off you, it's still wise to have a plan when you move.

Take a look at these tips and live by them as you organize and pack. You'll be glad you did.

1. Take Care of Preliminary Steps
   Before you even pack a box, there's plenty of organizational work to do such as: find a mover (take bids from at least three); find charitable organizations to haul away what you're not moving; make arrangements for items you can't donate to be taken away as waste, or put it on the curb to see if anyone wants it; notify utilities of your impending move; and buy your supplies, if you're packing yourself, including boxes, bubble wrap, packing tape, and a heavy black marker to mark box contents.
   
   
2. Buy Quality Boxes of Different Sizes
   If you're packing up your home yourself, get the right sizes and kinds of boxes and pack your goods accordingly. Lightweight items such as clothes and linens can go in bigger boxes. Pack heavy items, such as books, in smaller boxes. A good rule is not to pack over 50 pounds in a box.
   
   
3. Don't Leave Empty Spaces in Boxes
   Even when you carefully draw arrows and say "This end up," the movers may well up-end your boxes, shifting things around and breaking them. To prevent this, don't leave empty spaces in the boxes. Pack them with newspaper or bubble wrap so they don't shift around.
   
   
4. Pack Breakables Carefully
   Do mark fragile and breakable items carefully, but be aware, movers are sometimes in a hurry to unload. Pack carefully with newspaper or bubble wrap.
   
   
5. Use Colored Labels
   If you're using movers, buy or print colored labels for boxes according to which room they will go in. You can use a similar color of tape for each room so that movers won't have to guess where the boxes go.
   
   
6. Try Not to Move Perishable Items
   If possible, try not to move food items. Eat up what's in the fridge, or donate unopened food. You will of course want to pack and move spices and cooking supplies, but do so carefully.
   
   
7. Take Care of Furniture
   Remove drawers and doors; label them or take photos of them so you will know where they go. Put screws in a bag, labeled; fasten bags securely to the furniture items they gowith. If you have any complicated furniture items, take a picture of thembefore you take themapart.
   
   
8. Don't Pack Items That May Explode or Ignite
   You'd be surprised what people try to pack and get into a moving van. Never pack these:chemicals such as ammonia, paints, varnishes, chlorine granules, cleaning supplies,antifreeze, or solvents. Don't packheating agents like Sterno; fire extinguishers; auto batteries; charcoal; or guns and ammunition. Likewise, do not pack valuable items such as heirlooms; expensive jewelry; electronic equipment; money, credit or debit cards; valuable artwork; orphoto albums.

Our real estate agents can advise on a host of topics that will make your next move go like clockwork. Contact us.