So if you read my last post, then you know that I’ve undergone lots of changes since you last heard from me. One of those changes is:

I moved!

OK, yes. We only moved five minutes up the street, but a move is a move, right? My fiancé and I are self-funding our wedding, so in order to save money, we downsized and moved to a smaller and more affordable apartment back in April of this year. Let me tell you, moving in a pandemic is not ideal. It’s very difficult, actually. And considering my fiancé and I are not “spring chickens” anymore, we knew we had to come up with a good plan and execute if effectively. I’d say our move was generally pretty smooth! There were some mistakes made during the process, but the steps we took (listed below) really helped make this move a painless one.

1 – We developed a moving budget.

This was the first time my fiancé and I had ever really done this. We came up with a number that we thought would be efficient enough to cover all of our moving expenses, including things like deposits at the new apartment and even the meals we covered for everyone during the process. It’s amazing what a little planning and money can do, ha!

2 – We asked for help.

Don’t be afraid to ask your family or friends for help, whether it be for planning, packing, emotional support or anything else you may need. I don’t know where we’d be if my (soon-to-be) in-laws didn’t help us. In particular, they helped us pack and unpack a few days after.

3 – We labeled our packed boxes.

This was a LIFESAVER. In the past, I’ve never had the time or the foresight to label packed boxes or even understand how helpful this action could be. But this time we did, and it made the unpacking process so much easier for us. The “kitchen” boxes went in the kitchen, the “bathroom” boxes went in the bathroom and so on. Not to mention, if there were certain items we had to access quickly, it was super convenient to go to the appropriate box and grab what we needed. Why didn’t I think of this sooner?

Another good tip is to hire packers if you can. Yes, there is such a thing as professionals packing up your things for you. Crazy, right? Companies like Gameday Moving Services in Houston offer packing services, which have proven to save people time, headaches and potential injuries to the body.

4 – We hired movers.

We definitely hired movers during this process. We didn’t have it in us to move ourselves. We accumulated so much over the years, and I couldn’t imagine us hauling all of that without any professional help. Gameday Moving Services offers top-quality moving services, including safe moving in Houston, TX, moving antiques, art pieces, and other unique and valuable items. I don’t own anything like that just yet, but at least I know who to hire when I do!

5 – We got our new place professionally cleaned before we moved in.

Another lifesaver. I’ll be honest — it’s been three months since we’ve moved, and we haven’t properly scrubbed the place since our professional cleaning. Of course, we declutter and sweep as necessary, but our apartment is just now starting to get to a place where it needs another deep cleaning. I gotta say that’s money well spent! We’ve saved an incredible amount of time and have been able to focus on other major projects along the way. Believe it or not, Gameday also offers move-in and move-out cleaning services. They really are an all-in-one company that can help you with all of your moving needs!

6 – We didn’t unpack everything in one day.

The process of moving doesn’t stop once all the boxes are in your new space. Moving takes time, especially if you’ve hoarded a lot of junk like we have. Not to mention, you may decide on new places to put things, and all of that can’t be decided in one day. Take your time and get yourself in order. It’ll all get done eventually.

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Besides all the extra work that goes into it, I love moving! I enjoy the change in scenery, and I enjoy rebuilding in a new space. It’s very therapeutic for me. After our wedding this November, we’re going to set aside a budget purely for décor and feng shui. This will be the first time that we’ve actually made our apartment feel like a home, and I can’t wait!

What are some tips you have for moving? Leave them in the comment section below!

Disclaimer: This blog post was sponsored by Gameday Moving Services.