Although the average American moves once every 5 years, the thought of packing up an entire house into cardboard boxes can be overwhelming for most people. Fortunately, we’ve put together some tips to help you make your next move easier and more manageable so you can fully enjoy the excitement of moving into and decorating your new home.

Throw Away/Donate Clutter

The best way to keep the packing process as stress-free as possible is by decluttering your house before you start packing. Once you’ve finished going through every room in the house, you can decide whether to donate those items to charity, sell them online or throw them away.

Label Your Boxes or Create a Color Code

A great way to keep everything organized so you know where to find them later is to label your boxes with the room it’s going to and what’s inside. Grab some sticky notes from the store to color code your boxes or label each box in large letters. If you hire movers, be sure to make signs on each door so they can easily navigate where everything needs to go.

Make a “First Day’s Essentials” Bin

The first night in your new home can be inconvenient if you haven’t fully unpacked everything yet. Make a special bin for essential items such as hand soap, paper towels, toilet paper, and other items that you may need.

Use Cardboard Dish Pack Partitions For Breakables

These are a must for protecting glass dishes, cups or decorations from breaking throughout your move. Find them at your local Walmart or Home Depot.

Leave Clothing on Hangers

Instead of taking your clothing off hangers just to fold them, take them out of a box, and hang them back up in your new home, try leaving them on hangers. The best way to do this is to use a trash bag to wrap up the hanging clothing