Let’s face it, picking up and moving a family is stressful. Not only the move itself, but usually your family has to deal with the added stress of adjusting to a new home, new job, new schools, etc. Whether you DIY or hire professional movers, with these simple moving organizing tips, you can get you and your family get settled faster and easier into your new home.
Cut the Clutter
Moving is a great opportunity to hit the reset button. Getting rid of stuff not only will make your move easier, but it can save you time and money. Consider moving only the things you absolutely need and or are in love with. Say goodbye to that old green rocking chair from the 80’s you got from great Aunt Matilda. Having a garage sale can help you with the cost of moving and cut your clutter. You can also donate anything else or have your junk picked up. The less you move, the easier it will be.
Create a Moving Plan
Creating a master list of things you need to do is a great way to start. Then breaking them down week-by-week and day-by-day. Don’t forget things like doing an address change and transferring school records for your child’s new school. Here is a great sample of a moving plan checklist.
Where do you start?
Start by packing the stuff you don’t need. Decorations, books, extra linens, things in storage, are a few of the things you can start to pack. Save the kitchen for last. Make a couple of easy frozen meals that you can throw in the oven and save some disposable plates and utensils.
Label Your Boxes
There is nothing more frustrating than getting to a new home and not knowing where anything is. Having moving boxes properly labeled can make a night and day difference between a smooth move and a nightmare. Moving labels should contain the room they go to, the contents, and a box number. Consider color-coding them for easy unpacking.
Label Your New Home
When moving day arrives and it’s time to unpack, things can become chaotic real fast. Whether you’ve enlisted your friends or some professional movers, labeling the rooms of your new home is a good idea. This way all your boxes are put in the right place the first time. Ideally you want to label correspond your boxes with the room they go to. By doing this, you are able to avoid the constant question, “Mom! Where does this go?” Color-coding your room labels with box labels is a great way to make unpacking easy.
Planning your move early on is important to make sure your move is smooth. So if you’re moving to Boston or San Francisco stay organized and happy moving!
Brittney McKay is a mother of three and loves to write about her own experiences as such. She loves writing, blogging and doing photography in her spare time (which isn’t much).
Image Credit: Brownpau