If you have moved before, then you already know how time consuming moving can be. You get up early in the morning the day of the move, gather all of your friends together, start shoveling things into the Uhaul, and get on the road until you finally get to your destination, where you have to do everything all over again (but in reverse).

If you’re lucky, you can get everything into the new place by the time the sun goes down; but, for those unfortunate souls who aren’t exactly what we’d call “moving experts”, a midnight finish might be a bit too generous. But, there is hope. Though you might not be able to make the time you spend moving negligible at best, there are some ways to ensure your moving day is put on the fast track. And I’m going to show you the way to do just that.

Without further ado, here are some of the most important moving tips to make sure you burn as little of the midnight oil as possible.

1. Start Packing Weeks ahead of Time—Though you’re not actually “saving” time, spreading the amount of time you spend moving over a period of weeks instead of days can make your moving day much, much easier. After all, a ton more time than you might realize is spent putting things into boxes and making sure they’re in the right places; moving those boxes really is the easy part.

So, if you have everything—and I mean everything—in boxes by the time moving day arrives, all you’ll have to do is throw those boxes and any furniture you might have into the truck, and you’re on your way! It may not save you time in the long run, but it does make your moving day a lot less stressful.

2. Organize, Organize, Organize—many people—particularly young people—like to take the easy way out and just throw everything into random boxes when packing. But, what you really should be doing is putting all of your items into marked boxes, organized by rooms or category.

Now, I know this isn’t going to save you a ton of time leading up to your move-in day; but, you will thank me when you start unpacking. It will also give you a better idea of where to put boxes as you’re taking them inside, lessening the chaos of taking boxes inside, and ensuring people know precisely where they are going. Granted, this is a pretty run-of-the-mill tip, but it’s one that needs to be repeated; organizing may cost you time at first, but it will save you so much more in the long run.

3. Try to Move During the right Season—this might be a moot point, as many people’s move out dates are tied to their lease. However, if you have the choice, make sure you are moving during a season that is comfortable for everyone. For example, if you live in a really hot location or city—moving during summer is literally the worst thing that you can do. The prohibitive climate during this season can cause lethargy and even heat exhaustion if you aren’t careful, both of which will slow down the move.

Adding to that, water breaks, rest breaks, and more will be required while moving—especially if you have a lot of large items—making your move out day that much lengthier. In short, just follow these simple tips: Don’t move out if it’s hot, don’t move out if it’s snowing, and don’t move out if it’s raining. If you have the choice, choose the perfect day, and your move will go as smoothly as possible.

4. Use Large Furniture Wisely—if you have lots of large furniture with storage space, like wardrobes, desks, etc., then you want to make sure you utilize the space that they offer. After all, most items of this type will take extra room in your moving truck, meaning more trips if you don’t plan right. So, fill every nook and cranny that you have, and make absolute positive that there is no wasted space. You’ll save yourself trips, time, and money (since most moving companies charge by the mile).

5. Get a Large Enough Moving Vehicle—I am only including this because it’s happened to me, but it’s important nonetheless; even if you want to save money, you need to get a moving vehicle that is sufficient for your home! Nothing is more annoying (and more time consuming) then having to stop packing mid-move so you can go unpack at the new place, only to have to come back and start the process over. It takes way too much time, costs you extra money, and is pretty deflating from a morale perspective.

I know you’ll have a higher up front cost, and I know you might be tempted to go the cheap route; but, it’s very important that you ignore that impulse. If you want to get out quickly, get the right size moving truck—even if it is the biggest, most expensive size.

In the end, moving is all about taking the right precautions. You want to do everything you can to have everything ready on the day that you’re moving. Then, it’s all about planning, and getting all the help you can get. If you follow these instructions, moving will be a heck of a lot easier at the end of the day. Moving sucks, but you can make it easier. And trust me; you are going to want to. Good luck!

Tyler Fleck is a multi-purpose blogger who moves way too much for his own good. As a result, he picked up all these great tips, and decided to make a blog about it; imagine that! He is also writing on the behalf of EZ Move, who offers multiple moving services, including commercial moving in Tucson. Visit their site for more information!