Moving can be a miserable experience. Doesn’t matter if you’re moving by yourself, or with friends, or with a moving service. If you don’t plan ahead and prepare for the worst, chances are, it’s gonna happen. This includes leaving irreplaceable valuables behind, or not having access to your new place when you arrive (or having no power when you get there), or even getting stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire while en route.

That said, preventing a stressful moving day is actually quite simple. Just a little planning can get you through an otherwise long, hard day, with little muss and even less fuss.

Here are some tips for moving to make it easier and more efficient:

• Make a list of items, room by room (or use checklists).
• Phone a friend. Someone somewhere owes you one, and now’s the perfect opportunity to cash in on the favor.
• Label EVERYTHING on all sides.
• Have plenty of packing supplies (paper, bubble wrap, newspaper, or even sheets and towels).
• Pack an overnight bag containing all the essentials.
• Pack plates vertically, like records. They’ll be less likely to break.
• Take a photo of how your electronics are connected so you can remember how and where all the wires go.
• When disassembling furniture, tape a zip lock bag with all the screws and small parts inside to a large piece.
• If you have a lot of fragile valuables, hiring movers as opposed to asking friends can end up paying for itself.
• Remember to defrost your refrigerator at least a day before moving and wipe up any liquid.
• Pack the kitchen and the bathroom last, and unpack them first after your move.

Use the Garbage Bags for Junk, Not Moving

Professional movers will not move anything “packed” in a garbage bag, and with good reason. Bags tear easily and are more likely to result in broken or lost items then packed boxes. Also, any fluids packed in a garbage bag could easily ruin everything you own by leaking or spilling into the moving truck through a tear in the bag.

Speaking of, if you really want to avoid unnecessary aggravation, toss the liquids. Chemicals like cleaning supplies, paint, lighter fluid, and gasoline cannot be moved by a moving crew for safety reasons, and if you don’t have a secure method of relocating these items, it might be better to just toss them or give them away.