Simplify Your Move to the New Horse Property

Moving to your new horse property may be a time filled with excitement as you begin to make plans for a new life, but the move itself can throw you and your family members (whether they walk on two legs or four) into a frenzy. A move to a beautiful horse farm can mean growth, new opportunities, and renewed vigor for life.

Horses are beautiful animals and horse farming is a highly sought lifestyle for those who enjoy riding or showing their horses. It’s exciting to finally sit down and make plans to relocate everything to farm. Still, the excitement that lies on the other end of the move doesn’t necessarily eclipse the stress of the moving process. This means that it’s important to take whatever measures you can to make the move easier on you.

One simple way that you can minimize the stress you may be feeling about your move is just by packing effectively, and there are some simple tips you can follow to do just that.

Declutter Before You Pack, Not After You Move

If you’re moving from a property with abundant space for maintaining large animals to a smaller farm, you’re bound to find that you have throngs of items hidden in storage that you’ve completely forgotten about, and that you certainly don’t need.

As you’re packing, you might be so ready to get all your things in boxes and hauled to your new home that you simply throw these unnecessary things in with the rest of your items. The problem is, you’re simply putting off the problem to be dealt with until you unpack, at which point you’ll be just as busy and frenzied.

Instead, set aside the things you no longer want or need for donation as you’re packing. It will only take a few minutes longer, and you’ll be thanking your past self when it comes time to unpack that you don’t have to sift through everything you own to decide what you want to keep.

Try to be as discerning as possible while you’re packing. If you can’t remember the last time you used or looked at something, consider getting rid of it. Sentimental items, of course, hold a special place in your heart, but everyday belongings shouldn’t be held onto without a good reason.

Roll Your Clothes Instead of Folding Them

This is a minute detail in the packing process that can save a great deal of space. When you roll your clothing rather than folding it before backing it into boxes, you make it as compact as possible while still maintaining organization.

The last thing you want is to have to find more boxes when you’re nearly finished packing, so any space-saving measures can prove useful in the long run. Many people don’t realize just how much clothing they have until it comes time to pack it, so this small trick often proves rather helpful.

Mark Every Box and Pack Them Smartly

You might think that you’ll somehow remember which box is full of pots and pans and which one is full of trophies and memorabilia based on the weight, but when you get to your destination, they’re all going to look and feel the same to you.

Take a few minutes to slap a bold description on the side of each box with a permanent marker, and it will make your life far easier when it comes to sorting things at your destination. While you’re at it, make sure that you’re using smart packing habits with those boxes.

This means essentially packing your boxes like you might pack a grocery bag. Try to put heavy items on the bottom of the boxes and lighter items on top. Additionally, you should fill each box like a game of Tetris, so no space is left empty inside. Not only is this more efficient, but it prevents shifting inside the boxes while you’re moving.

Hire Full-Service Movers

If you simply have too many things to pack and too little time to get it all done, you’re probably feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of doing any packing at all. In this case, it’s worth it to explore the option of full-service movers.

There’s a good chance you’ve already planned to hire movers so that you’re not forced to make multiple trips or enlist the help of everyone you know as you relocate, but you might not realize that some moving companies will handle the entire process for you—even the packing.

While this is by far the most comprehensive service that any moving company offers, it’s often well worth the cost. The company sends highly experienced movers who use their own supplies to safely pack your items; next, they load them onto their vehicle and transport them to your new home; finally, the movers unload all your items and unpack them.

The only way that relocating could be simpler than it is when you hire full-service movers is if you could simply snap your fingers and magically be moved into a new home. If you decide to go with the full-service mover option, you can just kick back, relax, and let them take care of everything.

Don’t Buy Cheap Packing Supplies

They say you get what you pay for, and that’s certainly the case when it comes to things like boxes and tape. Not all cardboard is created equal, and neither is all tape, so buy the good stuff and don’t worry about your items falling out the bottom when you pick them up.

Investing in packaging materials that provide cushion for more breakable items is also well worth the cost, as it’s far cheaper and less time-consuming to soften these blows than to buy all new china once you’ve moved.

Basically, spending extra money on quality packing materials is bound to pay off in dividends; it’s something worth doing if you care about keeping your belongings safe as you complete your move.

Keep the Important Items with You

Try not to load things like birth certificates, social security cards, passports, and medication onto a moving vehicle. You will also want to keep your horse veterinarian records in a safe yet accessible place during the move. When you choose a new horse vet once you get settled in, those records will need to be readily available for you to send to their office so they have all the vital information to continue care. While the chances are that nothing would go wrong if you were to pack your vital things, you simply never know, and you can’t be too careful.

Dedicate a bag or a tote to packing things that you’ll keep with you rather than loading into boxes and sending on their way. This might include jewelry and other small valuables in addition to medicines and documents; you may also want to bring toiletries and everyday essentials in this tote.

Don’t go overboard with what you keep by your side. Your family photo albums are probably very important to you, but they’ll likely take up far more space in your immediate proximity than you must give. Limit the items you place a great deal of importance on to the ones that would throw your life into disarray if you lost them.

Moving is never exactly a simple experience, but it doesn’t have to be all that daunting, either. The help of simple packing tips like these can have you arriving at your new equestrian estate without too much stress to show for it.