Moving to a new home can be a stressful situation, but you can make relocating easier on yourself. Much of the stress of moving can be reduced if you follow the right steps and use the best resources and methods to ensure a smoother move. Your move can be more of a stress-free experience if you follow these five tips.

Plan Everything in Advance Carefully

You don’t want to just rush into moving without having a clear idea of how exactly you plan to relocate. It’s important to make sure that all packing supplies are in order and that you have enough to pack your items securely for safe transporting. You may need to purchase some additional supplies that will help protect your belongings from damage better before you start packing up your home. You’ll also want to allow time to hire the right movers if you want to have professionals do the heavy lifting or make arrangements to get a rental truck if you plan to handle your move all on your own.

Keep Everything Organized

Losing or mixing up items can add stress to your move, and keeping all your belongings organized can save you a lot of hassle. Moving boxes should be labeled clearly with the specific items that they contain or at least their general categories. It’s also important to have a packing list that’s well-organized so that it’s easy to reference. There are even apps that are designed to help you stay organized while packing and transporting your stuff and can be downloaded to your mobile phone.

Arrange for Storage

If you’re moving to a smaller home, you may need to keep some of your belongings in storage. Fortunately, there are cheap storage alternatives that can help you save money. Storing some of your items at a trusted storage facility will make it possible for you to retrieve them from an off-site location whenever needed instead and will save you from trying to stuff them in closets or other areas where there isn’t enough room. If you’re looking for an even cheaper alternative, there are also options to rent extra-space storage from other local residents.

Establish a Budget

Moving can be a costly endeavor, and you’ll want to know how much you can afford to relocate before you try going to your new location. You may not have as much money as you thought once you start totaling your savings amounts, and this can affect your decision of whether to hire movers or do everything yourself. Other expenses that should be accounted for include packing supplies, moving equipment and storage fees. Unexpected emergencies can also happen during your move, so it’s best to have some additional money set aside to cover them. If you think that you’ll be short on money, you can try thinking of ways to obtain the funds that you’ll need if you figure out your finances well enough in advance.

Prepare a Moving Day Survival Kit

You may need certain items while you’re in the process of relocating. If you mistakenly pack these items with your moving load, you will have a much more difficult time finding them and may not even be able to access them at all while your stuff is en route to your new location. A survival kit should be packed with all the essential items that you need to make it through the days and nights until you can start unpacking your belongings at your new location. Your survival kit may include items like toiletries, phone chargers and medications. It’s also a good idea to include some snacks in case you get hungry and aren’t able to stop and eat anywhere for awhile. Packing some extra water bottles is advisable as well.

You can minimize the role of stress in your move if you do everything possible to avoid certain problems. Handling your move the right way can make the entire process of relocating easier to manage.