1. Pack a suitcase for every member of the family as if you are going on a trip for a week.
   1. This will enable you to have each person’s necessities (Clothes, toiletries, towels, etc) for the first few days in the new home without stressing over which box to dig through.
   2. Don’t forget to pack a bag for your animals too with food, dishes and toys!
   3. Also pre-pack a box of toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, plastic cups and utensils. Consider throwing in some cleaning supplies and basic tools too.
2. Pack according to where things will go in your new home, not where they came from.
   1. Clearly label 2 sides of each box so you can easily see where they belong. When boxes are stacked it’s hard to see labels on the top of the box.
   2. Color coding the box labels helps too!
3. Don’t empty your dresser drawers!
   1. Wrap your dresser drawers with cellophane wrap! This will keep you from having to pack, unpack and refold the contents of all of your drawers. The drawers will stack nicely and be put back into place quickly for you to use in your new home. Places like Mayfield Paper Co. are a great place to buy large cellophane wrap.
4. Hefty 2.5-gallon storage bags are a MUST when moving!
   
   2. They are big enough to hold the utensils from your kitchen drawers! Put the contents of each of your kitchen drawers into a Hefty 2.5-gallon storage bag, then stack the bags on top of each other in a box. Quick and easy to pack and unpack without having to sort everything!
   3. Use them to hold the parts of things you have had to take apart. Label and tape them to the item they belong to. (ie, cords and plugs to tv and internet router)
5. Take this opportunity to declutter.
   1. Do not bring anything with you to the new home that you do not want.
   2. Have a donation box or sale box in each room that you can easily add items to.
   3. It's best to have these boxes picked up about a week prior to moving to make your last week as smooth as possible.
6. Take care of administrative Items 1-2 weeks before moving.
   1. This includes setting up utilities. (unless your Realtors Concierge service has already done that for you)
   2. Fill out the change of address form with the post office. https://moversguide.usps.com/mgo/disclaimer
   3. Arrange for a cleaning service to clean your current house prior to closing for and your new home if the current owners might not do it to your satisfaction.
   4. Double-check that the movers you set up still have you on the schedule and have the correct truck size and manpower ready for you on moving day.

This is definitely not all that you will need to do, but hopefully these tips help you to get started! Happy Moving!