Rental living sometimes requires moving to a new place, which can be a very exciting experience. Whether this is your first place or your tenth, the feeling of relocating to a new home makes you enthusiastic. In all the fun and excitement you still have to remember to get all your belongings packed and ready to go and then unpacked at your new home. This can sometimes feel overwhelming. But it does not have to be! Here are some ways to make the process go smoothly:

Be Organized

The key word in rental living is organization. Since you’ll probably move several times as you rent, the better organized you are, the easier the moves will be for you and your family.

Before the Move

Following a few simple guidelines will allow you to make your relocation much easier:

• Moving is a great chance to get rid of things. Make a toss, donate, and sell pile for stuff you no longer need or want.
• Make use of a charity to pick up the things you want to donate.
• Recycle as much as you can making sure you shred any documents with personal information on it. Paper is heavy. You don't want to move it unless you have to.
• Don't spend too much time reminiscing. This is not a trip down memory lane. Go through the stuff after the move.
• Check the pantry for expired food instead of hauling it around.
• Pack items you use the least first, such as guest bedrooms, out-of-season clothing and bulk items.
• Keep supplies such as scissors, markers, and tape close at hand. You don't want to be constantly hunting these down.
• Clean items as you pack them. It will be a great feeling when you realize you don't have to clean them when you unpack them.
• Use sturdy boxes. Flimsy boxes only make the packing job harder.
• Wrap fragile items separately with brightly colored paper so you can easily identify them.
• Fill boxes completely so they don't get crushed.
• Shake boxes before sealing them. If you hear items moving add more packing material.
• Pack a suitcase for every member of the family. After the move you can live like you are on vacation until you get unpacked.
• Use numbered labels that are made on the computer and color-coded. This will keep you from having to hand-write each label.
• Make a master list of all boxes. This will ensure all your boxes get checked at your new home and they will be easier to identify.

After The Move

• Hang color-coded cards or labels on each room in the new house. These will identify which rooms the color-coded boxes will go in.
• Have priority boxes, such as those that contain kitchen items, labeled accordingly.
• Empty each box completely before moving to the next box.
• Empty boxes take up too much room. Store them in an out of the way place after they are emptied.
• As you unpack each item put it where it belongs. If you don't know where it goes you probably don't need it.
• Have someone stand by the door and check the boxes off the master list as they are moved into the home.
• Have furniture sliders on hand for after the movers leave. You might decide you did not like where you had the furniture placed.

Rental living often requires moving every now and then. Moves can be fun and exciting but they are also nerve-wracking and stress-filled. Get organized and be as prepared as you can before your move. In this way your move will be as easy and fun-filled as it can be.

Once you've moved everything into your new rental living space, make sure that you do these 13 things fairly quickly! Once you complete them you'll feel all moved in and ready to start this next chapter of your life.