An estimated 40 million Americans move home every single year. We’re willing to bet that a lot of those people were performing a last-minute move.

Whether you need to relocate for work or move in a hurry for different reasons, a last-minute move can be a stressful proposition. But we’re here to tell you it isn’t as panic-inducing as it needs to be.

There are several ways that you can ensure you move home as smoothly as possible.

We’ve highlighted the key things to bear in mind below, so you don’t have to stress yourself out!

Rule Number 1: Don’t Panic

The first rule of ensuring a successful last-minute move is to not panic. We know that this is easier said than done but trust us.

You will manage it if you put your time and dedication into focusing on the task at hand. The more you stress or panic, the more likely it is that you’ll forget what you need to do.

That can then make the move take more time, which causes you to stress out even more. This is where the stress becomes a dangerous cycle.

If you can feel yourself panicking, try some destress exercises. Or, simply take yourself away from the situation for a moment so that you can rethink.

Moving quickly is absolutely a possible thing to do, but it becomes impossible if you start worrying about it. Figure out your destress strategies first, before you start packing or doing anything else.

If You Need to Relocate For Work Get Help With Selling Your Current Home

The second step is to approach what you’re going to do about your current home.

Many people forget this step, instead of focusing on where they’re going to live next. But if you leave this until late, it’ll become far more stressful further down the line.

Make sure you get onto the selling process early. Contact some local estate agents to obtain a valuation on your current property.

This can be a good way of assessing how much you can afford at your new place if you haven’t found one already. Think about the many options available to you also if you need to sell quickly.

One option you can consider is selling your home with a lien. If you’re unsure what this means, take a look at this post on selling a home with a lien.

If you are working with an estate agent, let them know that you have a timescale. They will help to prioritize the sale of your home so that everything happens within your timescale.

This kind of transparency with an estate agent, or anyone else who’s helping you, will work wonders in the long run. Just ensure everyone else is on the same page as you, then things should run smoother.

Go Through Items You Don’t Need

If you’re in a hurry, you’re going to need to speed up the packing process.

The first thing you can do to pack quicker is to run through your house and get rid of anything you don’t need. We don’t mean literally run, but make sure you check each room individually.

This is a great way to ensure you have fewer things to actually pack. We all have a million different items in our homes that we haven’t used or even seen in months.

You can even try to sell these items for a bit of extra cash, just make sure you don’t spend too much time doing this.

Packing Tips For a Quick Move

Once you’ve got rid of everything you don’t need, there some additional tips to packing that you need to bear in mind.

First of all, don’t think too much about what you’re packing; just pack it. If you’ve already thrown everything out that you don’t need, you know that everything must be packed somehow.

In normal circumstances, it’s a good idea to sort things as you pack them, but you won’t have that kind of time on your hands.

If you are struggling, some moving services will help you pack up items when you actually move. This can be helpful for particularly large items, such as furniture or large electronics. 

Make sure that you wrap up any breakables as you go. If you don’t have things like bubble wrap to hand, you can wrap breakables in clothes or blankets.

Make sure to pack tightly as well, so things aren’t moving around too much during transit. This is particularly important if you’re making a long-distance move.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask For Help

Finally, the most important thing to remember if you’re making a quick move is to ask for help.

A lot of people feel ashamed about asking for help when packing or moving. But you don’t have time to feel ashamed!

We’ve already mentioned how beneficial it can be to work with someone like an estate agent when selling your home. Packing goes twice as fast if you have a second pair of hands doing the job with you.

If you do get help from your friends, neighbors, or family, the timescale you have will feel far more manageable. It can give you a little more time to plan out other things, like finding a new place if you need to.

After all, situations like this are what friends or family are for. Just make sure to get them a little something to say thank you for their support. After you’ve finally moved, that is!

Where Can I Find Out More About Making a Quick Move?

Whether you have to relocate for work or otherwise, you should now know the many tricks to packing for a quick move. Moving can be an organizational nightmare, but remember our first rule; stay calm.

You can do this.

If you need any more assistance with packing or moving or any other domestic topics, make sure to take a look through some of the previous posts on our website.