How to Take Control over the Chaos of Moving

Moving can bring a lot of exciting changes and opportunity - but it can also bring a lot of stress getting there. In the almost 30 years I have been alive I have made quite a few of these moves and learned a thing or two in the process.

If you follow my social media, you probably already know that I have been in the drawn-out process of moving, yet again! While the move itself is not far from where I was, it is by far the most monumental to date for me. Why is that you may ask? Well, this time I bought a home! Yes, I bought a home in this crazy market and believe me it was just as miserable and ridiculous as everyone is making it out to be. But what can I say, when something is right, it's right. I am so proud of myself for how far I have come to get here... landing a great job that I love, working through healing, being a single mother in the face of a lot of judgement, and being able to come out on the other end with the ability to achieve a stable place for my boys and I to call home for the first time since 2018.

While this is a very happy and emotional move, it is also came in an incredibly sudden and unexpected way, which seems to be life's "M.O" for me. After getting under contract with my home in late February, I decided that the boys and I would stay with my parents until the end of the school year. It made the most sense since we were only a few months away anyways, and that is where we have been! But this weekend we officially move into our home full and could not be more excited.

The back and forth, spontaneity, and just moving in general has brought a lot of chaos... especially in the midst of many other big life events. But I took what I've learned from my many other moves and applied it to this one which has allowed me to have a sense of peace in the midst of all of the chaos that moving brings. So, in honor of officially moving in this weekend, I thought I would share some of these things with all of you:

1. Part of what was so tricky once I went under contract was that some items needed to stay at the rental where we were living until I could sell my contract, some items were being sold, some items needed to go to my parents for the two months we were staying there, some needed to be donated, and of course, the rest - and all the larger furniture items - needed to get to our new home. So, as soon as I knew a move was going to happen I began slowly moving specific items into designated boxes stacked in designated spots and labeled them based on where they needed to go.

2. I had saved my boxes from my last move because I knew our lease was going to be short anyways. I printed out four different kinds of labels: DONATE, SELL, PARENTS, and MOVE. Then as I would go about my day, clean up, or as I had time I would just put things away in its designated box.

3. I always use plastic bags to help pad valuables by putting the valuable in the bag and then wrapping it a bunch of times - usually using 2-3 bags depending on how fragile the item is. I will also use junk mail and magazine papers to also help pack items.

4. Any time I would go to visit the new house I would bring something with me, even if it was small, and then when I went to my parents I would do the same. That way when it came time to actually be out of our rental - it didn't seem as overwhelming because there wasn't as much to pack or transport. It also gave me more time to actually think about certain items - if I really needed them or not -and got me a little more organized.

5. Now this last thing is probably the biggest one. On official move day I was lucky enough to have a moving company help. I didn't really know how necessary a moving company would be, but let me tell you, it made the biggest difference! Especially because when I first move to a new place I get really excited about getting it together. But having to deal with the big items and wait until furniture is there, placed, and reassembled can feel really deflating after all the packing, cleaning, and transporting. So having movers there to take care of the big items on one end and then bring it to the other end, putting all the large boxes and furniture in their place allowed me to focus on starting to make this new house a home.

Now you may be wondering if these tips apply for those bigger, long distance moves... and the answer is yes! They absolutely do! Companies like Utah Movin', do long distance moving from Salt Lake City for those moving out of state. Utah Movin' has trained movers who assist in every step of the process which is exactly what is needed when making a big move. The best part, and what sets them apart, is that they stay with you from your start point to your end point, so you don't have to worry about your move changing hands or companies once crossing state lines.

We all know moving is almost always chaotic, but I promise if you follow these tips, it will help you take control over the inevitable chaos that comes when making a move.