Whether you're moving across the street, across town, or across the nation, moving can definitely bring mixed emotions. On one hand, you and your family are probably excited about meeting new friends and having new experiences. On the other hand, it is sometimes hard to leave friends, family members and familiar places behind. Even getting your belongings transferred to a new home might seem daunting to you. Here are some ideas that might make the move easier for you.

Enlist The Help Of Family Members - Before you even begin preparing for the move, think about bringing all of your family members together so you can enlist their help. Explain to them that no matter what is left in their rooms, the packers are more than likely going to put those items in a box. A good plan is for you to designate a day for emptying the house of clutter. Consider having different stations for things that will go to charity, things that will later be sold at a yard sale, and things that go to the trash bin. Another good idea is to work as teams as you go through things like kitchen drawers, utility room cabinets, shelves that hold movies, books and CDs. In other words, pay attention to detail.

Prepare For Moving Day - As you plan the day of your move, consider making a poster-size plan of your new home complete with tiny templets that represent your furniture and other large objects. For example, all the living room furniture templets could be made out of blue construction paper. The poster-size plan would then indicate that everything that is cut out from blue paper would go into the new living room. That might seem obvious, but that isn't always the case. For example, you might be putting a grandfather's clock in the den rather than in the library where it is now. 

Packing Day - When the packers arrive, show them the poster plan you have created and explain how it will help them know where to put things in your new house. Then, stand by. You don't need to worry about the packers. They've been trained and they have experience in knowing exactly how to pack your belongings so that they will travel safely. For example, a large oil painting will probably be placed in a crate so that it will not be damaged. If a chandelier is traveling, it will be placed in an over-sized box and will be treated with great care. Of course, if something is damaged or lost, the moving company will reimburse you for the price of the item that was affected.

Think about keeping a notebook so that you can write down things you might forget to do as your moving day approaches. Don't forget things like changing your mailing address and giving your new address to friends and neighbors so you can keep in touch.

To learn more about packing services, contact a company like Bekins Van Lines Inc.