Packing It Up: Tips and Tricks for a Stress-Free Move

Moving is a double-edged sword. While you probably can’t wait to get settled in your dream place and start a new chapter in your life, you also likely have a lot of stress and anxiety heading into the process.

With some tips for a stress-free move, you don’t have to worry about losing your head. The tips in this article will show you how you can guarantee a stress-free move.

1. Hire Some Professional Help

Hiring a professional can help get rid of the stress of a move. By leaving it to some pros, it is a lot easier to relax, since you won’t have to worry about putting together all of the pieces yourself.

Since this is what they do for a living, you also get more of a guarantee that the job will be done properly. This means not having to worry about items breaking or being mishandled during the move.

While it will cost you a bit of money, you can’t put a price tag on the peace and stress-relief that you get by hiring movers.

2. Get Your Move Started Early

Procrastination kills the dream!

Of course, it’s difficult to get excited about your move if you stress yourself out by waiting too long to get started. You will bring back the stresses of school all-nighters — and unnecessarily so.

You have plenty of time to plan out every part of your move. So start early and make it fun instead of anxiety-inducing.

3. Find the Right Supplies for the Move

If you’re going to plan a move, you also need to be sure you have the right supplies.

Start by finding boxes and other containers that will store all of the items you are moving. Choose boxes that are sturdy and not likely to crumble or allow your belongings to break. You can purchase quality moving boxes from your local hardware store.

You can also look into specialty containers, such as hard plastic containers. Buy boxes and containers that fit together like a puzzle, so it’s easy to arrange them in your truck.

4. Pack With Rhyme and Reason

Handling your move becomes easy and stress-free when you learn how to pack.

If you have a uniform way of packing things, it’s easier for you to get them on and off the truck. You will remember where things are, and this will make it easier for you to get set up at your new place.

Go room by room and get organized about the way you pack things up. By having a strategy, the move will be as stress-free as possible.

5. Organize and Schedule Your Move

It’s best to have a schedule for every part of your move. Set the dates on your calendar and give yourself plenty of time leading up to the move to pack things up, turn your utilities on in your new place, talk to some movers, and other parts of the move.

Scope out your new home as well to see if there are any traffic patterns you should know about. Get to know the neighborhood so you can figure out the best place to park so you can unload.

6. Make Use of Storage if You Need It

Having some rental storage space is also an excellent way to make your move easier. When you have storage, it gives you some time so that you don’t feel rushed with the move.

You can rent a storage unit while you are packing up your current home so that you can move into your new home little by little. Find a storage rental company that has affordable monthly rates, along with the best storage space for your needs.

7. Manage the Costs of Your Move

You need to handle the financial part of your move as well. A price tag that you have trouble affording is one of the biggest areas of stress when you’re moving.

The easiest way to manage your costs is to first figure out what you can do on your own, and what you need professional help with. If you are hiring any kind of professional help, you should get some price estimates from three different movers.

You should also shop for the most affordable moving equipment and supplies so the price doesn’t become too inflated.

8. Take off the Time That You Need

Don’t make the mistake of trying to do too much. Working a full work week right before or after a move can also make the move more stressful than it has to be.

Take some time off from work so you can plan out your move, go room by room, and check and double-check every part of it. You will thank yourself that you took time off when you can get a good night’s sleep before the move and have clear thoughts and low anxiety.

9. Get Help From Friends and Family

Don’t hesitate to lean on the help that friends and family members can provide. It would surprise you to see how much work you can get done when you have people by your side.

If you have kids, getting family members to watch them at certain parts of the move can also decrease stress because you’re only focusing on the task at hand — not the temperament of your little ones.

10. Breathe and Relax

Breathe! It’s easier to relax when you have your mind made up that you aren’t going to let stress get the best of you.

Control what you can control, and give yourself permission to just live in the moment and let the move play out how it’s supposed to.

Put Together a Stress-Free Move

You can enjoy a stress-free move when you follow these tips. Since moves can be one of the more stressful things that you do, you will be glad that you had these tips at your disposal.

We are happy to hear from you. Take time to connect with us when you need some real estate help.

The Best Beaches in Laguna Beach

Take off your flip flops and dig your toes in the sand. Laguna Beach and Newport Beach have some of the most majestic, awe-inspiring scenery and beaches anywhere in the United States. If you are thinking of moving here, or just coming for a visit, we wanted to give you some insider tips to the prettiest beaches in our area.

Laguna Beach

Thousand Steps Beach

9th Ave & Pacific Coast Hwy

Laguna Beach

No, it is not 1000 steps to get up from the beach to the road, but after a long day of sun-worshipping, it may feel like it! Actually, there are only 230 steps from top to bottom. Thousand Steps Beach is a gorgeous spot right along the Pacific Coast Highway. When you are going down the steps, at the bottom you can hang a left and find a cave with a beautiful ocean view. If you are really feeling adventurous, you can try climbing through the cave on the south end of the beach and explore some tide pools. Of course, if it is high tide, you can’t explore the caves but the beauty is right in front of you nonetheless, with Pacific Coast waves hitting the rocks.

Pearl Street Beach

Pearl Street & Ocean Way

Laguna Beach

If you are in Laguna Beach and walking down Pearl Street heading west and get to Ocean Way, you are just a few steps from something pretty special.  Pearl Street Beach can be found just below a stairway. You are standing a block off Highway 1. Pearl Street Beach is a gorgeous, sandy west-facing beach with several homes built right down to the beach level. When you are walking the beach, turn left, heading south, and you will see a natural arch in the rock wall called the “Keyhole” that gives this beach the nickname Arch Cove or Arch Beach. If you are at low tide you can walk through the arch to a rocky shelf which leads over to Woods Cove. It’s good to get expert advice on high and low tides, because this is a terrific place to explore tide pools when the tide is out and the waves are not strong.

Crystal Cove

8471 N. Coast Highway

Laguna Beach

Crystal Cove is a large California state beach and park, with more than three miles of waterfront. It connects Laguna Beach and Newport Beach, with several different beach access points, and each point has its own identity. When the tide is low, you can enjoy the tide pools, and the individual beaches can seamlessly be tied together, which creates a long walking route, but when the tide is high, they need to be taken individually. You can walk on the paved pathways on the bluff above the beaches to enjoy the beauty of each spot. Crystal Cove’s beaches include:

  • Moro Beach–southern beach between Laguna Beach and Corona del Mar area
  • Reef Point Beach–large state park with 3.5 miles of beaches and day-use parking
  • Los Trancos Beach–in the historic district of Crystal Cove State Park
  • Pelican Point Beach–near Los Trancos with a gentle slope
  • Treasure Cove Beach–can be accessed from hiking trails that lead from a steep bluff inside the Pelican Point entrance
  • Little Treasure cove–on the northside of Crystal cove between Laguna Beach and Newport Beach

Victoria Beach

If you head south in your car from Victoria Drive, you’ll find a long white sandy beach. Victoria beach is a public beach but isn’t easy to see, but put in 2713 Victoria Drive in your GPS device and you’ll be right there. A long stairway will get you to the far north end of the beach. If you are a hiker, you can walk onto the rocks and around the point to see the Victorian La Tour Tower that was built nearly 100 years ago. Front that vantage point you will also be able to see a circular concrete pool that fills with salt water and sand depending on the tide.

So are you packing your hat and sunscreen? Let us show you around this gorgeous area. The Stavros Group has many listings that can make Laguna Beach (and its beaches) your home!