Planning an Organized Move
An Organized Move
The peak moving season usually begins in April and ends in September. That means more people than ever are moving, packing to move, or planning to make a move in the next six months.
Moving can be one of the most stressful experiences people have, and it’s almost oxymoronic to refer to moving as “organized.” But there are a number of things you can do to be more organized with your move.
START ORGANIZING YOUR MOVE EARLY
Even if it feels like you have plenty of time before your move, that day will creep up on you with stealth. The more you can do now to prepare for moving day the better. Day after day of pushing back getting started can add up quickly, each passing day adding to the work that must get done later. Starting early can help to ease stress by making progress, however small, rather than leaving the move hanging in the back of your mind. If you start early, you have more of an opportunity to work on it when you feel like it, and skip days when you’re just not in the mood. If you’re already approaching your move date, these tips can still be employed to help you have less stress during your move.
MANAGING SHORT-TERM NOTICE FOR AN ORGANIZED MOVE
The most important thing you can do when you don’t have a lot of time to plan your move is to try not to panic. Focus early on decluttering. Be merciless in getting rid of things you know you will not take to the new place. Make trips to your local second hand shop to make donations, offer items to friends, or sell them in your local online marketplace. Pack a couple of boxes every day using the FILO method.
MAKE A MOVING PLAN
It’s not enough to just know you need to pack. Packing is daunting if you see it all as one giant project. Packing needs to be broken down into more manageable steps. Goals are more easily attained when they are both specific and measurable. Instead of “pack,” make a list of things you need to do before the movers come. Prioritize tasks, and spend 20-30 minutes at a time working through the list. By not setting yourself up for a huge, overwhelming task, you can more quickly move in the right direction towards your overall goal in 20 minute increments. If, at the end of 20 minutes, you want to continue, you can.
THE FIRST STEP ISN’T PACKING
The first step isn’t even packing; it’s getting rid of all the stuff you’re not taking to your new place. Whether you’re downsizing or simply have items in your current home that you won’t need in the next, it’s a lot easier to pack when you’ve decluttered.
Just because it’s in this house, doesn’t mean it belongs in the next one!
Moving is expensive. Moving stuff you don’t actually want or need anymore is really expensive. You’re going to be paying for boxes to put stuff in, labor to move it, truck space to bring it to the next house, and valuable space in your home to continue to store it. So, as you inventory what you have and see boxes that have not been opened since your last move, recognize that not everything needs to be kept. Sort through the stuff!
FILO FOR AN ORGANIZED MOVE
Our advice when packing to move: FILO. First in, last out. In other words, start by packing what you must take but use the least. Pack books, holiday items, off-season clothing, décor that you’re keeping. You can live without them in your current home for now, and you won’t need them right away when you get to the new house.
When packing, don’t put things into a box together because they fit in there or because they were both in arms reach. Try to categorize items and group them together in boxes. Do you know how you are going to set up your new space? Use this as a guide for choosing what to pack together. Good labeling will make it easy for movers to bring boxes to the right room. It also helps you find items without having to unpack every box at once.
LABEL YOUR BOXES
Whether you color code by room, label boxes with what’s inside them, or label them with the name of what room they go to in the new house, labels make it so much easier. Whether you’re moving yourself or hiring someone else to load and unload the moving truck, getting the boxes sorted to the right rooms from the get-go can help you get settled more quickly.
MANAGE YOUR EXPECTATIONS
Even the most organized move is not completely stress-free. There are always a lot of challenges, so manage your expectations. Be flexible with yourself and with others, including your movers, your new house, your move date (which often changes), and your family members who are all experiencing their own personal stress about the move. Remember to still take time to recharge.
GET HELP
If the task seems too daunting to start or you run out of steam somewhere in the middle, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Tempt friends and family with a night of pizza in exchange for a day of helping you pack. Or hire a professional organizer! We can help keep you on track and give you the support you need to get into your new home!