NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - As vice president of sales for RE/Max Relocation, Tom Kessler makes his living helping companies move their employees to new cities. As someone who's now moving his own family from Ohio to Colorado, he doesn't mince words when addressing the subject: "Moving is hell even in the best circumstances."

Kessler's misery is shared by many. Every year, 17 percent of the U.S. population moves. Half of these moves take place in the summer.

After you sell your house and find a new place to live, you still need to orchestrate the move itself. No easy feat. If you tackle these tasks week-by-week, however, you'll not only maintain some of your sanity, you're likely to have a smoother transition, whether you're moving across the street or to the other side of the country. You can also try our relocation wizard for a detailed timeline.

Moving isn't cheap. Even if you do all of the packing yourself and convince friends with pickup trucks to give you a hand, you're still going to spend money setting up new utilities and buying new shower curtains and other household goodies. According to Monstermoving.com, the average homeowner spends more than $9,400 on discretionary items in the 90 days surrounding a move.

The good news is that some of these expenses, including shipping and en-route lodging, are tax deductible if your move is work-related and takes you more than 50 miles away. While not every expense qualifies, it's not a bad idea to keep all of your receipts in a folder for further scrutiny at tax time.

If you haven't done so already, you'll want to weigh the costs of doing the move completely on your own with a van or rental truck versus hiring movers to do the job for you. If you're thinking of going it alone, you'll need to consider how far you're moving and how much stuff you have. When traveling cross-country with a house full of furniture, you're likely to find that doing the move on your own isn't worth it after you factor in the price of gas, tolls, hotels and the extra hassle.

If you plan to hire movers, click here for all the dirty details on finding a mover and insuring all of your precious belongings.

You can never have too many friends or too many boxes. Now is a good time to start rounding up clean and sturdy boxes. Most grocery stores or discount department stores are more than happy to give you old boxes if you ask for them. You'll want boxes in all sizes -- small ones for heavy items like books and large ones for bulky items like pillows.

The more packing you can get out of the way now, the less stressed you'll be on moving day. John Herr, director of customer relations for Moving.com recommends you waste no time packing your off-season clothing and sporting equipment. It's also not too soon to pack items in your basement or garage and start making trips to the nearest Salvation Army or Goodwill.

It can take a while to find a new doctor, dentist, lawyer, chiropractor, veterinarian and accountant, so take care of toothaches and tax issues before you leave. It's especially important to call on your doctor if you are taking any prescription medication. He can usually arrange to give you more than a month's worth of meds to get you through the transition. While you're letting all of these essential service people know about your move, you might also hit them up for a couple of recommendations for replacements in your new hometown.

One way to keep banking fees to a minimum is to choose a bank with plenty of branches and ATMs near your house and office. If your current bank does not have branches near your new home, you'll want to shop for a new one. A good place to start looking is at Bankrate.com where you can enter your town and zip code and get a list of branches nearby.

You might want to keep your old bank account open until after the move. Just check to make sure that you can close the account over the phone or through the mail rather than having to do it in person, which may no longer be possible.

It's time to give all your utility and phone companies a shut-off date and set up accounts with new providers. (If you're moving down the block you can just ask them to transfer service.)

When arranging for service to be turned off, be sure to give yourself a few extra days after the scheduled move. It's bad enough if the movers are late, but even worse if you have no phone and are in the dark.

If you're making a big move, ask your real estate agent or employer in your new area for a list of utility companies to contact. "A lot of Realtors offer a service where they shut off utilities and coordinate signing on utilities in new cities," said Kessler.

You might think that the phone and cable can wait until after the move. But because these services often have to be physically turned on and have waiting lists, it's a good idea to call about installation before you move. You can arrange to have the technician show up while you're home unpacking and confined to your house anyway. Also, it's nice knowing your new number before your old phone gets disconnected.

Before you move, you'll want to fill out a change of address form with the post office. Doing so will prompt your local post office to start flagging mail after your move date and re-routing it to your new address. Though the post office will forward first-class mail one year after your move, they will not forward packages, and delays are likely. "If you're moving down the block that's not a big deal, but if you're moving cross country we're talking at least three or four days added to delivery time," said Herr.

Rather than rely completely on the post office, spread the word yourself. Send out e-mails or post cards to notify friends and family of your new address and phone number. Also, put a reminder near your computer and your pile of bills to check the change-of-address box when you pay a bill and mention your move in e-mails and phone calls.

Despite all your best efforts to change your address, mail can slip through the cracks. If you didn't tip your mail carrier during the holidays, now is a good time to make good and let her know not to deliver mail to your old address. You can also leave a welcome package with the people moving into your old place. Include a bottle of wine, a few restaurant recommendations, and some large, postage-paid envelopes addressed to your new house along with a gentle request that they send anything that looks important your way.

Unless you're moving next door, you don't want to have to pack very much in the way of food. This is particularly true if you're making a big move and are paying by the pound. Spices, sugar, flour and pasta, if wrapped well, can make the move, but just about everything else should be eaten, tossed or donated to your local food drive.

Before you turn your house upside down packing, Kessler recommends that you take snapshots or videos of all your possessions. If anything is damaged or lost in the move, this will come in handy when seeking a claim from your homeowners or movers insurance.

Here's where the serious packing begins. Experts recommend that you pack one room at a time and label boxes with as many details as possible. Be sure to set aside a box of essential items to open first.

Plan to take important documents, jewelry and other valuables with you rather than sending them in the moving van. You'll also want to keep your moving contract and contact information in your possession. If your moving van is in a serious accident or stolen, you'll be happy you kept these items off the truck.

If you have children, Kessler recommends you let them help you pack their rooms and label the boxes. "Make sure that a box of toys is the last thing packed and the first thing off the truck," he added.

Check in with your moving company or the rental company to make sure everything is a go. If you live in an apartment you'll want to reserve an elevator and check on parking restrictions for the van, says Moving.com's Herr.

Chances are you'll still be packing at this point. Still, take some time out to defrost your refrigerator, give your place a good sweep and get some sleep.