Mastering the Move: 10 Expert Tips from a Home Organizer to Make Your Move Seamless

Fun Fact: 45% of annual U.S. moves taking place between May and August, which means our team is currently in peak moving season! The process is always an adventure…but it doesn’t have to be stressful! With all of our move in projects we have been working on lately we figured it’s the perfect time to share our top 10 tips that have helped our clients!

Tip 1. Edit

Now is the perfect time to purge, purge, purge! Whether you’re moving cross-country or just across town, it’s a great time to peruse your belongings and edit them down. Donate anything you don’t want or have a yard sale to make some extra money to fund your move! When going through your belongings, keep in mind what your new space looks like, and what your organization goals are. You’ll have a much easier time letting go of things you don’t really treasure or need! (A good example of this forward planning- if you have always wanted a beautiful linen cupboard and you’ll have a great closet space in your new home, edit out those torn towels, stained sheets or fraying linens as you pack. Only keep what you will actually use and want to see in your next home.)

Tip 2. Pack with a Plan

Slow and steady wins the race! Begin packing as early as possible, beginning with the more non-essential items, such as decor, artwork and out of season clothing. This will give you time to organize your belongings and think through the process without having to do everything in a panic at the last minute. When packing your boxes, think in terms of grouping. By gathering all of one type of item into a pile, such as seasonal decor, you are then able to box up those items together, label the box and know where all of them are located. (Of course, you can always hire The Orderly Space team to come in and do all of this for you as well!)

Tip 3. Make a DO NOT PACK Box

Think of all the items you’ll be using on the first day or two of your move. Cleaning supplies, toilet paper, pet food, trash bags, phone chargers, etc. Set aside a special box, and clearly mark “DO NOT PACK” on it. This will become your last out, first in, box of essentials!

Tip 4. Organize Electronics

Before you begin packing electronic items, we have several tips that can save you some sanity when unpacking! First, snap a photo of anything that needs to be taken apart or dismantled. The back of your tv is a perfect example. When the time comes for setting up, you’ll know exactly what cord belongs where. We also love to slap a small label on cords so that we know what they belong to. We love this label maker - it’s perfect for every day use! And if you need some help organizing your electronic cords, we love using these containers.

Tip 5. Make a Life Binder

Much like the Do Not Pack box, this binder will probably be your most needed item. In this binder, you can store things like emergency numbers and contact info, stamps, checklists for moving, current prescription info, important documents, vaccine and school records for transferring, utility company info, etc. If you take some time on the front end of moving to assemble your binder, you will know where to find any important document, and things will feel a lot less stressful if you ever need any of these items in a rush.

Tip 6. Create a Packing Command Center

Once you have a game plan for what you’re going to pack first, you've snapped photos of assembled electronics, created a “don’t pack” box, and started a life binder, you’ll need a packing command center. Choose a space where you can gather items, start a box and have everything easily at hand. A basket with all packing-related items gathered in one spot, such as packing tape, box cutters, sharpies, and labels is really handy. Tuck some flattened boxes and a roll of packing paper or bubble wrap beside it and you have a command center! Once you have gathered all of these supplies, plan to keep them in this area, and if you can, bring each newly filled box to this same spot for sealing and labelling, thus spending less time frustrated when trying to hunt down the packing tape (don’t worry, we’ve all been there)! It can also be a good idea to have more than one of things - just in case someone does misplace the packing tape…

Tip 7. Don’t be Afraid to Over-Label

Often, when we pack for clients, we use color-coded stickers. You can find room labels on Amazon that are really helpful for sending boxes right into the room they belong as the moving trucks are being unpacked! If you aren’t using stickers, take a Sharpie and clearly mark the room the box is meant for (and take the few extra seconds to mark down any other specifics of the box contents as you pack). We recommend trying to write these details on the same place, on each box, so that anyone helping you move knows right where to look. Try not to skip this step…you’d be surprised how often you forget which box you packed things in! By marking the room it belongs in and the general itemized list of what’s inside, you’ll save yourself loads of hassle if you do happen to really need that wine opener. Just saying. (Second thought, you might want to include the wine opener in the Do Not Pack box right from the start…you’re welcome).

Tip 8. Enjoy

Moving can have some stressful moments, but this is meant to be such an exciting adventure! They say that it’s not the destination, it’s the journey that makes the most memories. So, snap a few photos along the way, and make sure to take some time to enjoy the process!

Tip 9. Clean as You Go

Everyone appreciates moving into a clean space, and it’s a thoughtful way to leave a space too. If you clean as you go, you will feel a sense of accomplishment, and save your self time at the end. As you empty a drawer out and pack the contents, take a moment to wipe it out before closing it up for good. It’s a good way to detach and say your good-byes to a space as well.

Tip 10. Call the Pros

If you’re overwhelmed and the idea of “where to even begin” has you tossing the covers over your head, it may be a good time to invest in a little self-care, and call the pros in. It’s a lot more peaceful to unpack your things in a new space, when you’ve been thoughtfully and carefully packed up by a team of professional organizers. And of course, this also works on the unpacking side as well! Having a team of efficient experts arrive and unpack your kitchen can be a huge load off. We break down boxes, clean as we go, create an orderly plan for your space, place your items in a functional way, and label everything so you can easily find things in your new home.