Cry all you want, but make sure it’s because of nostalgia, and not because of stress. Yes, stress. Here are a few tips then to make house moves as no-tears as possible

Discard like a devil. So you’re sentimental and you don’t want to ever throw away that wooden rocking horse. Consider if you’ve got space for it in the new house you’re moving in. If you think it’ll just remain in the basement anyway, and then discard it right now. Or you might want to hold a garage sale. Get rid of junk and make fast buck at the same time.

Pack like a care bear. You’ll need lots of newspapers and bubble wrap for this. (Remember, never a dull moment with bubble wrap) Wrap and stuff glasses with newspapers. It’s good if you had saved your appliances’ original boxes because that’s where they’re safest. You can also wrap breakables in towels or sheets. The thing to remember here is that if you want your things to survive the trip to the new house, go the extra mile in packing them.

Label like a vandal. You’ll need markers for this and a patient wrist. Ideally, you should label boxes (on top and sides) with names of where they’re going in the new house to make it easier for the movers. To make it easier on your part, label the boxes with their original location in the old house as well. That way you know where you can get anything.

Prepare like a true boy scout/girl scout. Make lists of things to do, and plan ahead. Don’t scrimp on the moving company that you’ll hire. They’ve got hardy and friendly folks who’ll save you from the backache. But if you’re up for the challenge, and you want to get real intimate with the process, you can also rent a moving truck and do the hard work yourself.