Simple Steps For An Organized Move
You know how I’m always telling ya that, “everything successful in life is systematized?” Well, I’m also here to tell you that an organized move = a successful move!
Recently, we have had two new clients join our Design Membership who are moving the entire family to Seattle from various different parts of the country. Needless to say, an organized move has been percolating on my mind as of late because I realize how invaluable an organized move can be.
Look, we all know from experience — moving can be tough.
It can be tough for the kids. Tough for the dog. Tough for you.
Whether you do it yourself or you hire movers to do the heavy lifting for ya while you’re sipping down mocktails, there’s no debating that when you relocate your entire household –– there’s a lot to do in what feels like such a small window of time.
There’s the whole process of packing up all of your belongings + lugging heavy boxes all over the house.
Then there’s all of the coordinating the logistics.
Add to it, the fact that there’s a non-negotiable deadline + a departure date for closing this chapter of your life in your old home + really, boo, whether that deadline is tight or at your leisure, it can still make the entire process of moving feel painfully overwhelming.
Constantly, you’re on your toes + in a state of asking yourself, what do I need to do next?
While at the same time, you’re filled with anticipation + excitement of making new memories in your new home + the new life that awaits you. There’s a refreshed perspective + an abundant eagerness to start fresh + develop new routines as you settle in.
So yes, my love — we get it. Moving can quickly be summed up as being a rollercoaster of emotions.
And that’s exactly why having an organized move is so important to the wellbeing of you, your family, your neighbors, your friends + yes, even the helping hands you’ve hired to help things flow smoothly.
In fact when you prioritize being organized during your move it helps ensure you navigate things you need to do flawlessly +it makes you feel in control… which of course you are, you lil badass :)
But what exactly does an organized move even look like?
What are some things you can do at the onset of your move to really make life easier on yourself long term?
I thought you’d never ask… let’s dive in, shall we?
Plan Your Work
For those of you who’ve been a part of the Elegant Simplicity tribe for a while, you know that one of the first steps we take (at pretty much anything) is we plan your work. And this doesn’t have to be a daunting task — it merely has to be a comprehensive list of action items.
Ask yourself, beyond the basics of “packing” what do you need to do? What does your spouse or kids need to do to ensure everything is squared away before moving day?
From requesting estimates from movers to picking up moving boxes + supplies. From sorting through belongings to decide what to keep + what to get rid of to making travel accommodations, planning your moving tasks ahead of time (before you start packing) gives you clarity + peace of mind that you won’t forget to do something.
One final note on planning your work, take your moving action items + list them from highest priority to lowest. In other words, map out what needs to be done but also “when” it needs to be done by.
Work Your Plan — Ahead Of Time
Now that you’ve clearly defined everything you need to do in order for you to have an organized move — it’s time to work your plan. Ideally though, to avoid being stressed out, you want to work your plan ahead of time.
For instance, if your move is 12 weeks away — jumping right into packing your master bathroom or master closet is going to be a huge inconvenience because you’ll be living out of boxes, in your old home, for months on end.
Don’t be overly eager — work the plan. Work the checklist you’ve created in a logical manner so that you have enough time to not feel stressed + overwhelmed but rather prepared in phases.
Steps For An Organized Move
Create A Digital Moving Folder
Maybe for you, this is an ol’ fashioned hard copy moving binder but we recommend a digital folder stored in the cloud so that anyone who needs it can access it at any time during the move.
A digital folder not only helps you keep track of contracts, receipts, donations but it’s a great place to store all moving-related documents like a moving checklist or storing important contact information related to your move for the movers, real estate agents, contractors, utility company information, etc.
Declutter Before You Pack
As early as you want (but at least a few weeks prior to moving) begin to declutter. Room by room, start thinking about the items you don’t want to take with you to your next home.
This means digging into every drawer, rummaging through every cabinet + pulling everything out of the closet so that you can assess what things you’ll use, love or need to keep in your next home.
Professional Organizing Tip: If you find things that don't belong in a particular room, stop what you’re doing + take it into the appropriate space where it belongs v.s shoving in a box + dealing with it later. This way it gets packed with similar things + it starts out right where it needs to be in your new home.
Ultimately, the reason we declutter before moving is simple: because packing up your old home only to turn around + unpacking it in your new home is exhausting work. Which is why you want to be absolutely positive that you’re not moving anything you don’t have to keep.
Not to mention, decluttering ahead of time will make packing a cinch because you’ll know:
exactly what you have
want you want to keep
what you need in your new home.
In the event of donations, make a list of all the things that you’re dropping off + call ahead to see if they need those things. Psst… don’t forget to upload a picture of your tax-deductible donation receipt.
Pack Up Your Belongings Room-by-Room
This may sound like a bit of an obvious step. However, packing room-by-room is not only the best way to keep things organized during the move but as unobtrusive as moving can be to your routine.
There’s two things you want to consider when it comes to packing.
The FIRST is to strategize + outline which rooms or closets to start packing first. Huh? Yep, friend. I know this sounds granular but ideally, you start packing with rooms that are non-essential to your everyday life. Rooms like your guest suite (unless of course, you’re having guests), attics, garages, basements, storage closets. And then lastly, pack the rooms that are most integral to your daily routines like your bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, etc.
The SECOND reason, as I mentioned above, you want each packed box to only have items from one room, even if the box still has a bit of empty space. That’s ok, leave it empty.
And the reason is that it makes unpacking easier when everything from the box you open up gets placed in the room you’re in.
Professional Organizing Tip: pack a moving day essentials bag. It’s a lot like a hospital bag when you’re pregnant *wink* It's a premeditated thought around what you might need on moving day to make sure the circumstances are as ideal as possible.
Think about things like kids (or your) medication, setting aside toiletries, a place for your personal items like wallets + keys, snacks, water, as well as any cleaning supplies you may want/need.
Label Your Boxes + Make A Box List
To be honest, there is no shortage of ideas for how to create labels.
What I’m most concerned about isn’t the look of your sticker-printed labels or handwritten labels :) it’s that you come up with a labeling system that correlates with another important part of an organized move: what we call at Elegant Simplicity, The Box List.
The box list is simply a short description of what’s inside each box that you’re packing.
I promise this is absolutely well worth the 15-seconds it takes to write it down. Especially if you’re moving a large home or moving a far distance... by the time you arrive you simply want to know not only where in your home your essentials are but in what box.
If you have a box list that says in Box B1 is Sherri’s bathroom essentials — not only can you give the movers a copy with a keycode telling them where to place the box — but it will be an absolute lifesaver when it comes to taking that first shower after arriving in your new home boo *wink*
So, our recommended labeling approach + box list is simple.
Designate a Letter for each room in your home (i.e. master bathroom might be letter: B.)
The first box you pack then gets the numeric code: B1.)
On your box list, you would say: B = master bathroom, B1 = Sherri’s bathroom essentials (makeup, hair, toiletries, etc). And continue this for each box in the master bathroom.
Professional Organizing Tip: go a step further with a pack last, open first code. Add a special symbol like a * that signifies these are the boxes you want to seal up last before the move + make sure are opened first after the move. You’d put the * on both the physical box (for instance: B1*) as well as on The Box List.
This is great not only for personal items but for things like food + toiletries that’ can’t necessarily be packed ahead of time + need priority when it comes to unpacking.
Unpack + Set Up With Intentionality
Of course, get those priority boxes unpacked + placed in the right spots in your new home. Then, take a moment + before unpacking the rest consider how you want your home set up. This is a fresh start so what you really want to do is assess how you hope to live.
Simply because you had things set up a certain way in your old home doesn't mean it has to be that way in your new home.
How do you want things organized? How do you want linens folded? How do you want your pantry organized or your kitchen setup?
What makes sense for the way your family lives?
Again boo, plan your work + then work your plan *wink*
At Elegant Simplicity, we never all short when it comes to dishing out tips for creating an organized move but the reality is my friend, moving is exhausting which is why you need to set yourself up for success now — before your in over your head + swimming in a sea of cardboard boxes. While your mind is sharp alert + your body is fresh *wink*
And don’t forget, if you’re in the preliminary planning stages of moving + want help preparing + then getting set up in your new home, let’s chat.
P.S. If you loved this article then you’re going to really enjoy the 4 Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home.