The prospect of moving into a new home can be exciting and daunting all at the same time. You've finally gotten past the hurdles of making an offer on a home, getting through financing and inspections, and are in the "home" stretch (see what I did there?). But now you have to get all your things from one place to another, and that requires some planning. Keeping things organized from the start of a move can prevent so many headaches later on.
Keep it simple
There are countless ways you could create custom color coded labels, moving folders, and tabbed binders to keep everything organized. Many of these methods could be effective, but could also take more time to prep than they'll actually save, especially if the process is not intuitive for you. The following tips are a basic process that will keep you organized, but also help you stay efficient!
Clean the house
There's a lot going on, so it can be difficult to find the time to keep up with dishes and laundry and clutter. But having everything in its place will make packing up so much easier. Straightening up and getting like things together is a crucial step to complete before packing up. This will enable you to pack boxes that make sense, and avoid having numerous "miscellaneous" boxes.
Pack the essentials in luggage
Think about everything you'll need access to during your move. Clothes, toiletries, important documents, etc. Every member of the family should have a packed bag as if you are going on a trip. This ensures that essentials don't get packed in boxes, and keeps everything you need close at hand.
Compile all artwork & home decor
Artwork, picture frames, and other decor pieces can be gathered up from all over the house, and brought to one designated area. These items will need to be packed with a little extra care so they don't get damaged, so keep the bubble wrap handy in this area as well. It's also easier to pack up artwork when you can box it up with similar sized pieces. Another plus - you can get these boxes done early since home decor can be packed up well ahead of time, and they can be left among the last boxes to unpack over in the new house.
Label boxes with contents and destination
Unloading a truck is so much easier when every box is labeled with its destination in the new house. You can use markers, pre-printed labels, or color codes for rooms, whatever works for you. Just make sure to label all 4 sides of the box, and including a short list of contents on the top of the box can highlight important items that are inside.
Name every room in the new house
Everyone will be getting used to the floor plan of the new house, and labeling all the rooms is so helpful. If the label on the door of the room matches the destination written on the box, all the guesswork goes away and boxes get where they need to go the first time!