Getting Organized for a Move

The thought of packing up an entire household and having it arrive in one piece at your destination can be daunting.  Many will recount their moving nightmares of broken and lost items, or how they were still unpacking years later. With a little effort and organization on the front end, your move can be smooth and nearly hassle free.

One of the easiest ways to manage your move is to prepare before you start. Buy, or collect, plenty of moving supplies before you pack one box. It is always hard to know how many boxes you will need, but it is always more than you think! By purchasing your supplies ahead of time, you save on extra errands, can keep like items in like boxes and use your time efficiently. Many times, previously used professional moving boxes can be found free on online listing sites.

Use the proper moving supplies to protect your possessions. Use plain news print to wrap dishes and difficult to clean fragile items such as lamp shades. Remember, the ink comes off and can ruin things like lampshades. When you use clean newsprint or packing paper, you save time rewashing all of your dishes as you unpack. Use sturdy moving boxes to help assure the safety of your items.

Get a notebook handy. Use a different color marker for each room, and number the moving boxes as you pack them. In your notebook, keep a general list of what is in each box, especially if you are packing cords to electronics. When you are unpacking it is helpful to know where that “one thing” went without having to unpack 20 boxes to get to it, or hoping you will run across it eventually. When you color code and number your boxes, others can help make sure things get to the right room and you can ask them to unpack box # 6 without digging through the more private contents of box #7.

Another time and stress saver is to keep the bits with the pieces. As you pack, resist the temptation to throw things together into a huge mess. Keep picture hangers taped to pictures and cords in gallon zippered baggies, taped to the back of TVs, DVD players and other electronics.  Use a “catch all” box, only as a last resort. You will thank yourself later.

Put those suit cases to good use! Pack up your suitcases as if you were going on a trip with things you will need the first few days as you unpack. Even while moving, you can stay on top of your game and be ready for whatever comes your way. By having Business and church attire ready will save you trouble in an already busy time.  If you have a supply of what you need ready, you can unpack in an orderly, unrushed fashion.

If you take the time to be well organized, when you get to your new home, all you will need to do is enjoy it!