To say the real estate market is in turmoil would be a minor understatement. That being said, homes are still being listed and sold. If you agree to sell yours, you have to sit through the escrow period. Well, you also better be packing.



Escrow is stressful enough in a market like this. The last thing you need is more aggravation. Unfortunately, moving is not known for being a peaceful time. Frankly, it is a good way to test the bonds of your family!

The key to moving after living in a home for years is to pretty simple. Get organized. I cannot emphasize this enough. Have a plan and things will go much better. To this end, here is some advice on minimizing the aggravation of a move.

Everyone helps with the move. This is not something the parents or a parent is stuck doing. The only exception is if you have really young kids. If you do, they can be left to their own devices or with friends.

Your number one weapon in moving is the cardboard box. It is strong, but make it stronger. Tape the bottom crease of the box a few times. This will prevent things falling out the bottom. Now pack heavy things in the bottom and lighter stuff on top of them.

If there is something worse than moving a heavy box, it is moving it twice. To avoid this, make a diagram of the new home. Each room gets a number. Mark all packing boxes with a relevant number. That way, everything ends up in the right place on the first try.

The next rule is to modulate. What? Modulate refers to isolating an area of the home. Pack up one room at a time. If you do this, the move will be easier and things will seem to go faster.

Why would you pack up your towels in a box? Towels double as great packing material. When you have something delicate, use them to create padded protection around the delicate items.

Along these lines, socks should also not be packed away. They make great packing material for smaller delicate things. Putting a sock over wine glasses is a good way to help them survive the move.

Now for the really hard part. All hail the number 9. Why? It shall be your guiding light when evaluating clutter. If you have not used something in 9 months, it needs to be thrown out in the garbage. It takes discipline, but is a smart move.

Obviously, there are exceptions to every rule. Your wedding cake is an exception. Your sweet bell bottom pants from long ago are not. This can be a hard rule to follow, so think of it this way. If it goes in the trash, you do not have to move it.

I am not going to lie to you. This advice will not make your move a happy family event. It will, however, cut down on the chaos involved. Less chaos means less stress and that is not a bad result when moving.