Whether you just learned you would be relocated with your job or youve decided that a change is in order, moving can be both thrilling and extremely stressful. While most everyone is blessed with enough common sense to know not to pack their delicate china in the same box as parts from their home gym, knowing what to do and when to do it is not always blindingly obvious.

Probably the most difficult job to do six week before you move is to decide if you should let professional movers pack and move you or if you should do the move yourself, what you should leave at your present house and what you might have to dump.

Deciding Whether to Do It Yourself

The answer to the first question is directly related to the scope of the move you are about to undertake. If you are moving across state lines and have a large household to move, then hiring a team of professionals ensures that your items will more than likely arrive in the same condition they left. Using professional movers will also leave you with time to deal with all of the remaining arrangements that come with such a large undertaking. If you have not acquired massive amounts of furniture and other heavy items, then doing it yourself saves you money and avoids having yet another set of people to deal with.

Deciding What to Take With You

When it comes to deciding on what to take and what to leave behind, the decision becomes a more personal matter. Do you really want to pay to take a old piece of furniture with you all the way across country? Is it something that you pray would get broken or lost during moving? If so then it is best to donate it to charity or sell it in a yard sale.

Getting Ready To Pack

Once you’ve figured out who is doing the packing and moving and what is going with you, there are a few other key things to decide upon at this stage. If your company is relocating you, find out if they have a specific company that does your packing and moving so that you can contact them to begin the process. You’ll also want to start accumulating packing supplies.

While many people run to their local liquor and grocery stores for boxes, you may also consider purchasing some sturdier boxes through a moving or packaging company for irreplaceable delicate items. Packing tape can be used to reinforce the bottoms of boxes. Newspaper, bubble wrap, and extra towels and linens can be used as padding. Having a permanent marker and some labels will allow smear proof directions for your contents.

Preparing For Your Move

6 – 8 Weeks before moving day is the best time to start booking flights and hotel, car rental if you will need it. Its also a good time to start checking with your local authorities in your new area for information about schools and other areas of interest.

With a little quality time spent planning at this stage; your move will be a pleasant experience instead of one fraught with unneeded stress.