Ideally, you should plan your move well ahead. Good organization and ample time to prepare will help reduce your moving stress significantly. However, you could find yourself in a situation where you have to move rather quickly. Maybe you found out about the move at the last moment, or maybe you procrastinated a bit too much (we won’t judge). Whatever’s the cause of your rush, here are some tips for moving on a tight schedule to help you out.

Stay organized

Moving when the time is tight is bound to be chaotic. Therefore a good organization is key for moving on a tight schedule. Make lists of all the tasks you need to do, in order, you intend to do them. Once done, you can then cross out what you did, and move to the next one. This will make sure you don’t forget to do something important at the last moment. Making a list of items you intend to pack for each room or box is a good idea too. This way you will avoid having to sift through the whole box looking to check if you packed that one item. It might seem counter-intuitive to spend time on making a list when you’re in a hurry, but having these will allow you to completely focus on the task of packing as quickly as possible, without forgetting something important.

Pack light

Every move is a chance to get rid of stuff you don’t really need. More so when moving in a rush. Instead of packing everything you have and then deciding what you will keep once you move, set aside the items you won’t need. You can arrange them into a throwaway pile and a charity pile. Some charities will even come and pick the stuff you would like to donate up themselves, making it easier on your already packed schedule. Make sure you finish the selection before packing. That way you can throw or give away everything you won’t be needing before you start packing. This will help you avoid cluttering the place up, which would only add to the chaos of the whole situation.

Prepare the essentials

Set aside a bag for essentials and start your moving on a tight schedule process from there. Pack the most important things you have like documents, medications or electronics you use for work. Basically, all the items you can’t afford to forget should go into this bag. That way you will make sure that in the ensuing chaos when packing everything else, you won’t misplace or forget something that’s really important. Packing a change of clothes and daily toiletries in the same bag would also be a good idea. You might find yourself packing all sorts of items together when in a rush, so having these handy will prove useful.

Set aside all the important items in a bag you will carry with yourself.

Get help

You will work faster if you have someone helping you. Call up your friends and ask them to help you move. The pre-prepared lists could come in handy here as well as they will make your friends more autonomous. Instead of them interrupting you every few moments to check where to pack an item, they could focus on one part of your home, while you work on another. You can also award them for their help. It could be the usual food or drinks , like ordering a pizza. Also, you can let them take things that you plan on leaving. Who knows, maybe your friend needs a new couch, just like the one you were getting ready to abandon.

Having your friends’ help will speed things up significantly.

Alternatively, you could hire a professional moving company to help you pack faster. Although this will raise the costs a bit. You will probably be additionally charged for moving supplies and the movers work.  On the other hand, it will save you time, especially if you have large objects like furniture to pack. Additionally, if you’re moving fragile and expensive items, like art, having a professional moving company with experience in dealing with such items will be a major help. Not only will they pack the items much faster than you would, but they can also help properly protect your art during the move.

Make it quick

Depending on how little time you have to move you should consider packing different groups of items together. You don’t have to prioritize theming boxes or packing similar items together. There’s nothing wrong with packing glasses with books when you’re running out of time. Just make sure everything is secure so your fragile items stay intact. You can do this by using towels or clothes to wrap the items that are susceptible to breaking. This way you’ll be both saving time and packing supplies. Try to leave little to no leeway for your items to shuffle while on the move.

Pack things tightly to keep them secure.

Don’t worry about neatly folding your clothes either. Just pack them as they are. You can use a clean garbage bag to pack up the clothes you have hanging on the coat hangers in one swoop. Another trick to save you time is to remove the entire drawer from your closet and wrap it up in packing material. Also, make sure you keep the areas clean. Pack one box or bag at a time then move them to a different space. This will greatly reduce the risk of cluttering up the area you’re working in. Also, it will prevent creating chaos for you both mentally and practically.

Keep your calm

Although moving on a tight schedule can make packing feel overwhelming, it’s very important to keep your calm. Rushing too much will lead to you forgetting or badly packing your items. You might even break some. Just try to remain focused on the task at hand and do it as quickly as you can. Don’t keep stressing about the time you have left, just keep it in the back of your mind. Another important, although counter-intuitive to do is taking breaks. As silly as it sounds to just stop with everything and do nothing for a few minutes, it will really help you along. Humans tend to lose focus on stress and fatigue. Taking a five-minute break every hour or so will ensure that you are always refreshed and ready to work. Just set a timer on your cell phone so you don’t overdo it.

Survive moving on a tight schedule

Whatever caused you to be forced to moving on a tight schedule, don’t worry. Follow these steps and keep your cool and you’ll get through this. After all of this is over, you’ll have some free time to pat yourself on the back for weathering the storm. Follow these simple tips and it won’t be even that difficult. But for now, its time to get packing! Good Luck!