Planning your move and making numerous checklists and to-do sheets is a great idea, no doubt about it. But life will always throw you curveballs -- plans will change, timetables will get shifted, and you'll have to roll with the punches. So rather than spend time talking about all the ways to meticulously prepare yourself for your move, here are some Moving Day tips you can always rely on, when it's time to actually load out your stuff.
Too Many Cooks... It's great that you have lots of friends, and it's wonderful that they all want to help you in this stressful time... but too many helpers can make the move even more hectic, and even counterproductive. Three to five able-bodied people is the ideal -- so a healthy, married couple should ideally only have one to three people helping. If more friends show up out of the goodness of their hearts, thank them kindly, hand them a mop and a roll of paper towels, and set them to work cleaning the kitchen.
There Is No Medal for the Heaviest Load. You may think that carrying four boxes of textbooks will help you get the move done sooner, but all you're really doing is increasing your chance of injury (which, of course, would make the move take much, much longer). Instead of taking fewer but heavier loads, take smaller but more frequent loads. Your carrying-to-walking ratio will be much higher, you'll be safer overall, and you'll feel much better at the end of the day.
Fuel the Machine. You've probably spent a lot of time making sure your fridge would be empty on Moving Day, so you wouldn't end up packing food or throwing anything away. But you need to have something to eat while you're working so hard. Set a bowl of mixed nuts or some granola bars on the kitchen counter -- they're a great source of energy and easy to munch as you walk past. Buy a case or two of bottled water, and don't forget to spring for a pizza or some Chinese take-out for your helpers, once the work is all done.
Whether you use a full-service company or mobile storage containers (or you're one of those intrepid self service movers who actually like rental trucks), these Moving Day tips can help keep your big day from getting out of hand. Just remember to lift with your knees, shut off all the lights, and lock the doors when you're done.