Moving Out-

1. Remove the clutter, downsize, edit before packing. I can’t emphasize it enough- don’t bring things you don’t use or like to your next home. It will save you packing time and energy while unpacking.
2. Return misplaced items to the room or space they belong before you pack. It can be very frustrating to unpack boxes with random things tossed in from 3 to 4 different spaces. You don’t have to organize everything perfectly before packing, just returned misplaced items to their proper homes.
3. Start early and pack one up one room at a time, starting with the rooms you use the least often. Pack as much if not all you can. Don’t bounce from room to room packing. It will get overwhelming and you won’t be able to tell how much you really have left to pack.
4. Number your boxes instead of writing a room name on them. Record the number on a notepad or a Word doc in your laptop and briefly describe what’s inside. You’re not always guaranteed to have the same number or type of rooms in your next home. For example: If you don’t buy a home with a den your den contents will be in boxes that are numbered and you can now determine where to distribute the stuff in your next home. Most likely it will be spread throughout other rooms instead of one.
5. Save money by searching on http://www.freecycle.com/ or http://www.craigslist.com/ for used boxes. Many people will give away their boxes from their own move or sell you a bunch of boxes for a lot cheaper price than Uhaul or Home Depot would. And after you’ve moved in, do the same thing- pass the boxes on to the next people that are moving.  

Moving In-

1. Unpacking can be very overwhelming and a daunting, exhausting task. So pace yourself. Again, tackle one room at a time. If you come across a box that doesn’t belong in that room. Don’t open it, go place it in the area that it should be and get back to it when you get to that room.
2. Be thorough. Open every box in the room you’re working in and empty the boxes. Put as much as you can away and of course, there might be some stray items left. Neatly stack them into a corner and get back to them when you’ve worked your way through the rest of rooms.
3. Break down boxes immediately. Mark off one area to collect them all if you’ll be passing them on to others, and if not, take them directly out to the garbage. 
4. It’s hard to decide what artwork will fit best with your new spaces and paint colors. I suggest designating one area to collect all the artwork. Then when you’re done unpacking, visit the art gallery you’ve made as you’ve unpacked. You’ll be able to see all you have and make the best decisions of what to hang where.