Moving is no fun! In fact, it can be downright dangerous for some people - especially those who think they're still young and strong enough to carry a ten-foot couch up two flights of stairs. The elderly know better than to try this stunt. But it's the 37-50 year olds who fall prey to these self-induced and painful challenges. Although it may be humorous to see, the end result can be devastating. Sore backs, broken tendons, and smashed fingers can be avoided if we just buckle down and hand over the job to a younger professional. (Hey - there's nothing wrong with that!)

Hire a professional mover and you can avoid not only personal injury, but also damage to the items that you're moving. As the owner of our own belongings, we tend to believe that we know how to handle our own 'stuff' in the best way. But that's not always the case. As professionals, movers are widely experienced and know how certain items should be removed, packed, transported, and then unpacked. Without this knowledge, things are obviously prone to damage and breakage - even to the point where they can't even be used anymore.

In addition, professional movers can quickly move you from one place to another immediately. They have the equipment, the knowledge, and the skill to correctly load up your belongings and safely transport them to where you want to be without delay.

When you're ready to relocate, you'll benefit by planning your move. Naturally, part of your moving plans will include hiring professional movers. However, you can do a little work on your own before your movers arrive to make the whole process much easier.

For example, you can make a list of all the things that you can carry with you in a car and a list of things that will need to be transported by professional movers. Things that you'll carry yourself are small and personal. Even a collection of these smaller things can be placed into small boxes and fitted inside the trunk of your car.

Everything that you move won't be too large to fit into a car or too small to transport by your movers. Sometimes, items are sized right between these two extremes. So another thing that you can to is purchase medium sized boxes for items like computer equipment, Kitchen utilities, and other items of similar size. Fit several of these medium sized boxes into a larger box, and then transport the larger box with the movers. This will conserve space inside of the mover's van or truck and save space for more smaller items in your own vehicle.

To transport delicate dishes, lamps, sculptures, or anything else that's fragile, individually wrap them with 2-3 layers of bubble wrap before you place them in a box.

And don't forget labeling!! Although the

Furniture that your movers transport certainly don't need labels, you'll appreciate knowing which boxes belong to which section of the house from this simple labeling technique:

Label each box according to the room that its contents belong to. If you have a large box full of dishes, label the box 'Kitchen' rather than 'plates.' That way your movers will know where to put your items without question. (Plates could mean anything and imply any section of a house. Are the plates in the box sports equipment? Magazine or art materials? Dental matter?... you get the idea.)

You'll find that following these simple suggestions will make your move easier on both you and your movers - whether you're in your 30s, 40s, or your 50s!