I’ll admit it. Checklists make my heart beat faster. And i know that they should be banned on this blog, given its title. But i can’t help it! Moving house in less than a month just about demands a check list doesn’t it?

Well, when you need something doing in the house, turn to Martha Stewart. The domestic goddess lays it out for every home mover out there in this great and very practical list. (OK, maybe she didn’t lay it out herself, but someone who worships in the house of Martha did!). Here are my top things to remember when moving (again, sigh…):

  • Get good movers – trust me. Once you’ve sat in a room, rocking back and forth, muttering ‘don’t break anything, don’t break anything’ watching your precious (very large) sofa not make it out of a doorway intact, you’ll want good movers. Great movers.
  • Deal with cable and gas/electricity as early as you can – you don’t want to sit for days in your cold, dark, ESPN or Bravo-less apartment, waiting to be connected.
  • Buy proper packing materials – yes, i know. It’s a pain to spend money on boring things like boxes, masking tape, bubble wrap etc. But packing stuff up properly is not only weirdly satisfying, it’s also going to make you a lot happier when your photos and valuables arrive intact. This leads me onto my next point:
  • LABEL EVERYTHING – it could just save your time and your sanity when you’re hauling boxes, one after the other, into an empty pit of an apartment. And finally…
  • Treat yourselves at the end of move-in day – this really is my golden rule. After the stress of deciding to move (or not, as in our case!), searching for and finding an apt, signing a lease, packing up, planning and of course, the bone-crushing tiredness of actually moving your stuff, you deserve a treat. Last time Rick and I moved, it was Guacamole and a couple beers and Margaritas at our new, local Mexican restaurant – bliss!

Martha has the full scoop, but those are my top rules for moving and preserving your sanity. If you’re doing it too – good luck!