So you've picked Five Star Moving. Good move. But what you do before the van arrives is just as important.

When you think of the bazillion things you have to take care of before you move, it can seem overwhelming. Fortunately, there are ways to make it less stressful.

Moving tips
Make sure all of your boxes have lids. Label all the boxes ? kitchen, bedroom, living room -- so it's easy to unpack.

Consolidate small boxes into bigger ones. This reduces the number of trips we have to make.

Pack books, magazines and other heavy items in boxes no larger than 1.5 cubic feet. (Believe it or not, it'll weigh about 50-60 pounds.)

If you live in a house with a lockable garage, put all of the filled boxes in it. If you don't have a garage or live in an apartment or condo, stack all of your boxes near your front entrance. (This can save us up to an hour of loading time.)

Reserve parking for the moving van as close to the front door as possible, at both your old place and your new one. The farther we have to carry your stuff, the longer it takes, and the more it'll cost you.

Make sure you're completely packed and ready to go when we arrive. If you aren't our crew might refuse to load anything but your large furniture items. If you're really unprepared, we may ask you to reschedule your move. We do offer full-service moving, but you must schedule it in advance.

Get rid of all hazardous materials like paints and pesticides. We can't move them, due to Federal regulations.

Empty all of your dressers, chests of drawers, bookcases and desks. Box up the contents.

Box up all audio, video and computer components. If you don't have boxes, we'll wrap them in furniture pads, but you'll have to transport them in your vehicle.

Have a garage sale. Don't pay to move stuff you haven't used in four or five years. "Recycle" it.

Invite friends over to help. They can carry small items to the truck. Just save the celebratory libations for after the move.

Take your beds apart before we arrive. Disconnect washers and dryers. Empty refrigerators and freezers. Cribs should be disassembled, too. We can't disconnect any gas appliances or other "hard wired" appliances.

Getting ready to move can seem overwhelming. Try breaking the move down into manageable tasks and it might not be as stressful.