Starting a new job and moving into a new home are stressful enough when you’re doing it domestically.  The thought of making an international move can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be utter chaos.  There are a few things you can do to keep all your ducks in a row.

When you label your boxes: ‘Bedroom’ or ‘Kitchen’ this only helps you out a little in the unpacking process.  If you label them with a number you can not only reuse the boxes for your return trip, but also on a separate sheet of paper you can keep a list of inventory that corresponds with the number on the box.  This way you’ll know exactly what is where.

Everything must go in boxes, minus full sized furniture of course.  This isn’t like when you’re moving to another part of town and you can shove things in an empty trashcan or laundry basket.  You’ll want to have everything covered and protected for it’s journey and for the unpacking process as well.

Inevitably in most moves something fragile breaks.  This is totally preventable!  It doesn’t have anything to do with how far the items travel it has to do with bubble wrap, packing paper and packing tape.  Don’t be shy. It’s more expensive to replace your broken item than to buy extra packing supplies.  This will also help you stay organized because the better things are packed the better, the better they fit together and the less crammed each box will be.

Ultimately organization will come down to your sense of order when you’re grouping things together.  In the living room you may be tempted to put all of the books in one box, but this can make it impossibly heavy, so either use small boxes for heavy items or split the boxes with books on the bottom and throw pillows on the top.

Keep calm and you’ll get through the move just fine, carry a pen and marker with you at all times and you’ll be able to label and list everything so well you’ll know how to find anything immediately.

In his role in the self storage industry, Mike James helps customers care for their cherished belongings that must be put in storage. Mike goes to see his facilities including an Albuquerque self storage facility center.  He was also recently meeting customers and staff at the Las Vegas self storage facility.