Moving never goes exactly as planned, no matter how prepared you think you might be. Movers arrive late, you run out of packing tape — or, like me, you drop and break your laptop because you didn’t realise it was sitting under a stack of clothes you’re hurriedly throwing in a box. Inevitably, you’ll forget something.

Dear Lifehacker, I'm moving soon, and I want to make sure my beloved computer makes the trip safely. I could trust the movers with it, but is that wise? What's the best way to move a computer and all my gear?

When we moved last year, the majority of our belongings made it to the new place unscathed. The only casualty of note was my bed frame, an IKEA buy from a few years earlier that we were incapable of taking apart on our own and the mover claimed could be moved as is. It could not, and shortly after they left our place we discovered that it had essentially been ripped in half in their attempts to get it into our second-floor walk-up.

Moving house is a time of excitement. But it can also be a time of great stress. As someone who works from home much of the time, a smooth move is critical as every day that I spend messing around shifting boxes, furniture and services is a day when I'm not working and not earning any money. I thought I had everything planned perfectly. And then I wanted an Internet connection.

Many of us will pick up and re-locate at some point. Even knowing it’s a pretty common adventure, moving is supposedly the third most stressful event in a person’s life, after death and divorce. Here’s how to deal with it.

This week we have a guy who's moving into his own place and taking the stuff he bought with him. The trouble is, his old roommates use some of those things and aren't being given much time to adapt. Is there a nice way to deal with a situation such as this?

So... you're six weeks into your new life in a new city. Or six months. Or a year. No matter how long it takes, at some point your big move will start to feel less like an exciting life change and more like the daily grind. That's when you'll start thinking about everyone you left behind — your friends, your family, your favourite taco truck with the guy who knew your order — and start asking yourself why you haven't made as many new friends as you hoped you would.

Nothing beats lying on the couch and gazing about with pride at the new home you just moved into. That is, unless the reason you're lying on the couch is because you strained your back moving furniture. If you aren't used to picking up heavy things (and even if you are), it's pretty easy to wreck yourself trying to get your bed or couch in place. You bend, lift, twist, lurch, and crack! A bolt of lightning hits your spine and lays you low for the rest of the day. Or maybe the next six months.

So you're in your brand-new apartment or house. Some of the boxes are still waiting to be unpacked, but you're so excited about making this space into a home that you're spending hours at IKEA comparing couch pillows and loading up shopping carts to see how much everything you might want is going to cost.

You have problems, I have advice. This advice isn't sugar-coated - in fact, it's sugar-free, and may even be a little bitter. Welcome to Tough Love.

Dear Lovehacker, I moved to a new city recently and don't know anyone locally. Do you have some advice on how to meet new people? (I'm single and looking!)

No one enjoys packing clothes for a move. And for formal dresses, shirts and other articles that need to stay on the hanger, the process is even more annoying. Luckily, If you have some garbage bags handy -- particularly ones with the discrete straps -- you can pack and protect your fancier clothes in quick fashion.

Home improvements often mean moving things around, which involves measuring to make sure everything fits. You might jot your window or wall measurements on paper when you move into a new space, but if you want to change something later on, you'll probably have to take the time to measure again. Luckily it's easy to immortalise your numerical handiwork: just set it and forget it with a label maker.

Despite the fact that they're ridiculously expensive, cities such as New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco are also hugely populated and growing. They're great cities with a lot to offer, sure -- but how much should you earn if you want to make the move?

Dear Lifehacker, I'm getting myself organised to move out of home for the very first time in a few months. I was wondering if you had tips for the kinds of things I won't realise I need until I move in? Apart from the obvious essentials (bed, fridge, etc.), what should I be buying?

Smartphones and GPS devices make it easy to get around, but they can also inhibit your natural sense of direction if you rely on them too much. If you want to be a master navigator of an area, you need to put the screens away.

Anyone who has bought a home will tell you: it can be a long, drawn-out process. Sometimes what seems like a done deal, even going into escrow, can backfire and you have to start shopping for a home all over again. For the sake of your finances and your loan, hold off any moving plans until all the closing documents are officially signed.

"Hey, wouldn't it be cool if you modelled and 3D printed your apartment to figure out where all the furniture will go?" A tongue-in-cheek question from a coworker turned out to be one of the greatest nerd snipes I have ever fallen victim to.

Hey Lifehacker, I work in IT with a core skill set as a .Net Developer. I have noticed a slowdown in work and there has generally not been many jobs advertised. I started looking for work overseas in New Zealand and south-east Asia -- but how does anyone get a job overseas, let alone uproot themselves and move? Especially when we have commitments here such as mortgage/car/other half. Any suggestions?