Found a new house? Moving to a new home can be exciting, a fresh start with a world of possibilities opening up before you, but the actual packing and moving part can be a huge headache if you don’t take the time to plan for it correctly. There’s so much to do and think about when you’re moving from one house to another, and it’s easy to get bogged down in the details and do things on autopilot when there might be simpler, smarter, more efficient ways that will cut down on the stress and labor involved. If you’re looking at moving soon, here’s a few things to keep in mind that can help make your moving day as smooth and enjoyable as it can be!

1. Do a pre-move. Before the actual moving starts, clean up the kitchen and bathrooms in your new home and stock them with some essentials: toilet paper, a shower curtain, a bath mat, paper towels, garbage bags, cleaning supplies. Also, pack an overnight bag of the things you need to feel normal, like if you were going away for a weekend trip. Every family member should have their own personal bag packed up like this. With these things set up and ready, you’ll feel much more comfortable and prepared in your new place to stop and take a break for self-care when you need to, and you won’t have to scramble to search through your packed boxes or rush to the store to get basic supplies.

2. Go label crazy. Label the tops and sides of boxes. Label what’s in them, and what room they should go in. Color code them. The more you label, the better the chance nothing will get misplaced and everything will end up where it’s supposed to be. Nobody who has moved was ever sorry that they labeled things too much.

3. Who needs bubble wrap? Popping the bubble wrap may be the best part of moving as far as the kids are concerned, but you can save on wrap and pack more efficiently by using your clothing to cushion the fragile items you’re packing. You can even stuff stemware or other small breakable items in your socks to keep them secured.

4. Before moving day comes purge day. Before you start packing everything up and hauling it to your new home, get rid of absolutely everything you don’t want to start spending the rest of your life with. Clothes that don’t fit? Toys the kids don’t play with anymore? Busted furniture? Appliances you haven’t used in years? Donate them if they’re in good shape and throw out everything that’s junk. Motivate yourself by scheduling a garbage or donation pickup. The less you have to pack, the easier your move will be, and the less clutter you’ll have at your new place.

5. Seek professional help. It’s tempting to think you can save money by calling in favors, renting a van, and doing all the moving yourself with the help of your friends and family, but hiring a moving company to do the heavy lifting and driving for you can make a world of difference when it comes to having an easy moving day. A reputable company with lots of experience will know exactly what they’re doing and can blow your mind with how fast they’ll get everything moved, and when you factor in all the time and costs you’ll have to cover if you move yourself, it can make good money sense too.

6. Take lots of pictures. Before the moving starts and everything gets packed up, your camera can be your best friend. Take pictures of how the cords on your electronics are set up. Take pictures of your most valuable belongings in case anything gets lost or damaged and you need to file an insurance claim. Take pictures of your most important documents and paperwork in case they get misplaced.

7. Don’t fill up your fridge. Moving perishable food? That’s the last thing you need to deal with! You don’t want to have to throw away perfectly good food either, so for the last week or two before you move, try to stop buying food that needs to be refrigerated when you go to the grocery store.

The internet is full of great tricks for finding creative ways to pack things, so if you take the time to research you can find all kinds of other ingenious ways to make your move cheaper, safer, and more efficient. The main thing is to make a plan and a checklist and keep yourself organized so you can deal with the mishaps and unexpected surprises of moving day with grace and confidence. Once you’re in your new home, all the trouble will have been worth it!