First, identify a target moving date. You'll want to take a variety of factors into consideration when determining your moving timeframe, such as work schedules if you're changing employment, school schedules for your kids, housing considerations such as rent or lease terms, and even the weather. A good rule of thumb is to give yourself a two-to-three week window to complete your move, from packing and cleaning your current residence, to moving, to unpacking and organizing iyour new home.

Summer is a peak moving time—particularly for families, as it provides for minimal interruption in kids' school schedules. But it is also the hottest and least comfortable time of year to be doing all that heavy lifting. While unpleasant, blistering heat is not likely to be a deal breaker, but it is worth taking into consideration. Scheduling your move for late May as opposed to mid-July could make a significant difference.

Once you’ve worked out a timeframe, take inventory. The most important part of this process is identifying what to keep, and what to get rid of before the move—there is no sense in moving items you don't plan to keep. A good way to determine what to keep and what to lose is to divide your household into three categories: 'Must Keep,' 'May Keep,' and 'Don't Need.' Once you’ve gotten rid of the 'Don't Need' items, go back through the 'May Keep' piles and eliminate everything you can.

If you're having trouble knowing when to let go of something, apply the six-month test: If it hasn't been used in the past six-months, you don’t need it. The exception is seasonal items like winter coats, box fans, etc., that aren't intended for use year-round).

Tip: Don’t automatically throw things you no longer need away—there are plenty of charity organizations that accept donations and will be happy to have your unwanted items. Plus, you can write off the donations for a nice tax break next April.

Once your household is organized and you've done a thorough inventory, think about the logistics of actually moving it all. The easiest way to do it - but also the most expensive - is to hire a full-service moving company If that is your choice, be sure to shop around for the best rate, and check out customer reviews online to make sure you choose a reputable company that won’t rip you off. They’ll come to your house, pack everything up, ship it off for you, and unpack at your new home.

The next option—a bit more time consuming and work-intensive on your part, but certainly less expensive—is to pack and unpack yourself, but hire movers for the heavy lifting and physical transportation part of the process. All you have to pay for is the time they spend physically moving your possessions.

A third option would be to rent a truck and pack, lift and move everything yourself. There are plenty of truck rental services designed movesand their rates are typically reasonable.

Finally, if you're determined to spend as little as possible, get a group of kind-hearted friends—and their cars—together and make moving a group activity. You can typically get away with a small payment to each helper, or the cost of dinner for the group. This is certainly the most labor-intensive option, but it won't cost you much at all.

Once you've chosen the right moving method for you, get everything planned out and scheduled  4-6 weeks in advance. Hit your local grocery or wholesale store to pick up empty boxes for free and pack up seasonal items and other things you don't use on a daily basis early on—fancy china, extra bedding, etc. While prolonging the moving process isn't exactly fun, spacing the massive task out will significantly reduce stress and help you feel more relaxed, prepared and in control of the process.

For the final packing, label the boxes with the name of the their destination: kitchen, master bedroom, etc. Wrap dishes in paper towels rather than newsprint, so you won’t have to wash them when you arrive. Use linens to cushion breakables. Laundry baskets can be an easy way to pack miscellaneous items into your car, esxpecially the things you’ll need immediately. Finally: pack chocolate. You deserve a reward!

Ki Grey provides information on Austin real estate for buyers and sellers investigating the Austin market.