So you made it through house shopping, you championed the negotiation process, and you survived the grueling wait for your financing, inspections, appraisal, seller paperwork and the stars to all line up so you could sign on the dotten line(s). Whew! Don't exhale too quickly, though. Now it's MOVE time.

Have you ever met someone who said they LOVED the moving process? Probably not. Many folks are still surrounded by unopened boxes even months after they moved in. It is a stressful and daunting task. Just like all big tasks the key is to break it down into smaller, more manageable, less overwhelming tasks. The more of those little jobs you can do ahead of time, th less overwhlemed you will be when the big day actually comes.

Here are 5 ideas for planning ahead to make moving day easier.

*Start browsing the phonebook and collecting referrals for moving companies and book your choice as soon as you have a moving date. This way you are sure your top choice in movers will be available and it will be one less thing to do at crunch time.

*Think about what needs to be done at the new house before you move in and schedule it as soon as you have your move in date. Whether it is work to be done by a contractor, window treatments to be measured by a decorator, or top to bottom scrubbing done by you, book it in advance and you don't have to think about it again. You can keep your mind clear for everything else.

*Take inventory. Not everything in the old house needs to make it to the new house. Everything you have should fall into one of four categories. 1)TRASH 2)FRIENDS & FAMILY 3)CHARITY 4)KEEP FOR THE NEW HOUSE. If you really commit to this you will find that you have a lot less to actually move on moving day that you originally thought.

*Start collecting packing supplies. You can get boxes from local grocery stores and liquor stores, but liquor store bottles tend to be more sturdy. The moving company may also supply boxes for a fee, as do the post office and other packaging stores. Newspaper and magazine pages are great to have on hand for protecting more delicate items.

*Begin paying attention to your mail and make notes about who needs to be notified of your change in address. Whether it's bill companies or friends and fam, start planning now. Then as soon as you get your move in day send them out.

That's just the beginning. There is so much more to do to get you and your family mentally and physically prepared for the move. We will talk about these later. But for now we'll keep the tasks small and
manageable.

For more moving tips or organizational ideas for your home and family visit Organize Yourself Online. I am addicted to it.