It’s never too soon to start planning. Whether you are a Buyer or a Seller, you’re moving! Unless your friends are all muscle-bound professional wrestlers and you don’t mind your furniture being damaged by your grappling comrades, you need professional movers. Start your search for a reputable mover as soon as you decide you are selling or buying a home.

All movers are not created equal. Make sure that you do your homework and verify that your mover is bonded and insured. Get a quote from more than one company. They will take a look at all of your treasures and determine a cost to move them. Find out if the quotes are binding. If not, the fee may change if you don’t actually make your move for a few months. Make sure that you know how you are being billed. Is it a flat rate, or hourly? Are there extra costs for moving your Grand Piano, or is it figured into the quote? Will there be an extra charge to crate your dresser’s marble top or your coffee table’s glass top? Will they wrap your upholstered pieces? Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals from previous customers. Pick up the phone and ask those referrals how their move was handled.

Get the right supplies to pack properly! You want your belongings to get there in one piece. Grandma never chipped a single piece of her china in 50 years. Now that you’ve inherited it, wouldn’t you hate to break it all to pieces because you moved across town? Get bubble wrap, plate protectors, packing peanuts and packing tape. Don’t overload the boxes. Not only will they be easier to lift and stack, things are less likely to get broken when they are not wedged into an overloaded box. You can also use your towels, dish rags, and plastic grocery bags as free packing materials. Most wine and liquor stores are thrilled to give you their empty boxes, but don’t be afraid to buy those specialty boxes for hanging clothes or valuables. It’s worth it if your Versace couture and your Waterford vase arrive at your new home unscathed by the journey.

Pack early and pack often. You already know that you need to get your home ready for prospective buyers by removing clutter from your living room, kitchen, and those cramped closets. So, as part of your staging process, just go ahead and pack it up! Then, gradually pack a little each day after work. Think about doing one room at a time. There’s plenty that can be packed ahead of time. What about the garage or attic? Knocking these areas out ahead of time will make the actual move easier.

If you don’t use it, don’t move it! Moving is the perfect excuse to get rid of the 500 plastic containers with no matching lids that crowd your cabinets. If you look through your closet and find things that you haven’t worn in two years, don’t move them to your new home. Move them to Goodwill!