REAL SPACES
Six Tips For Summer Moving From A Professional Organizer
by Gaby Polycarpo from The Life Hack By Gaby
April 29, 2024
NASHVILLE TN
P
repping for a big move can make any calm person completely anxious. We all have been there at least once. While the thought of moving to a new home may be exciting, all the negotiations, paperwork, new schools for the kids, and hundreds of boxes to fill with stuff, can turn the experience into a real nightmare. To help you set the difficulties aside, we’ve unpacked six tips to make summer moving a breeze!
Keep hanging clothing on hangers when you pack it into a wardrobe box or S-shape it into a medium box. You’ll be glad you won’t need to re-hang the clothing when you unpack later.
Label the boxes PRIMARY CLOSET / ISLAND / DRAWER 1/2/3 or PRIMARY CLOSET / HERS / HANGING CLOTHING to make it easy to unpack later.
TIP #1. NO RUSH, BUT START EARLY
Unless you’re working with a professional organizer who can help you pack everything in a single day, don’t leave decluttering and packing until the last minute. Start one month before your move by purging items you don’t want to bring to your new home. Once you’ve eliminated what you don’t need, you can begin packing your belongings, one room at a time.
TIP #2. DECLUTTER FOR REAL
Living in a house for over ten years can lead to an accumulation of things, including items you no longer use. So, don’t bring the “extra” stuff into your new home, where it will likely remain unused. If you haven’t used something in a year, it’s probably safe to say you don’t need it at all. Take your time to open every drawer, setting aside or donating items you no longer need.
TIP #3. ONE ROOM AT A TIME
Packing by room will make unpacking much easier. It’s the simplest way to keep your items organized during the process. Please resist the urge to mix items from different rooms. Even if a box isn’t completely filled, avoid throwing in items that don’t belong to that room!
TIP #4. CREATE A FIRST BOX
While you’re packing to move to your new home, prepare a box and label it as your ‘First Box’. You are going to carry it with you (not in the truck!). It will be the first thing you open when you arrive at your new space. Believe me: it’ll make perfect sense as you start searching for essential items like keys, credit cards, disposable goods, a pizza cutter, dish soap, dishwasher pods, trash bags, a flashlight, a portable toolkit, and even toilet paper! Of course, the contents of each box can vary from person to person.
TIP #5. LABEL, YES PLEASE
There are plenty of labels on the market to help you stay organized and avoid misplacing boxes while unloading the truck. Among all the systems available, color coding is one of the most popular methods for keeping track of items. A well-organized labeling system should always include the room and subcategory such as KITCHEN/POTS AND PANS
TIP #6. MANAGE YOUR TIME
Don’t lie to yourself by thinking you can tackle the entire house in a week, only to find yourself overwhelmed by the boxes. Instead, create a plan (a real one) and start one project at a time. I always recommend prioritizing the kids’ spaces first. When they have their own organized space, they’re more likely to adapt quickly to the new place, allowing you to focus on the move without overwhelming the family.
Gaby Polycarpo is a Professional Organizer, owner of The Life Hack by Gaby, journalist, and co-featured in the Real Spaces home organization book.
Pack everything that is on this cube shelf into one box and keep it folded to make it easy to unpack later.
Go through your kids clothing to part with anything that is too small or worn out before you move. Move is a great time to declutter.
Analyze what you own and if you’ve truly worn or used it in the last year. If not, it may be time to let it go.