5 Tips to Organize Your Move

Moving is stressful and demanding. It can turn even the nicest of people into crazed maniacs. I’ve moved ten times in the last 12 years and have learned a few things along the way. Here are some tips to help you organize your move and save your sanity.

Purge, Purge, Purge

You’ve probably heard people say, “If you haven’t used it in two years, then throw it away.” That’s great advice. Moving companies will charge you from $10 to $30 to pack each box, depending on the contents. Each box also adds volume and weight to your shipment, which costs more as well. If you wait and purge on the other end, you’re throwing money away.

Don’t Lose Sight of the Forest for the Trees

Many of us have a tendency to be really detailed when we first start packing. But being too fussy in the beginning can cause you to be careless in the end when you run out of time. Keep the big picture in mind at all times. It helps to make a schedule and set intermediate goals, like planning to pack one room each day.

Pack and Clearly Label “Immediate Needs” Boxes

When you get to your new home there will be certain things you need right away, and you don’t want to have to tear through 50 boxes to find them. Items like toilet paper, cleaning supplies, a can opener, a flashlight, dog beds, a cork screw, etc. should be packed in the same box and clearly marked. Items like medications, breathing machines, extra glasses or contacts, etc. should be kept with you at all times.

Label Doors at Your New Home

Your new home is likely to be quite a bit different from your old home. Maybe it has a different number of bedrooms or has an office that your old home didn’t have. That can make matching up boxes from the old home to rooms in the new home more difficult. To make things go more smoothly when moving in, label all your doors with the corresponding box labels that should go in there.

Don’t Let them Rush You

If you use a professional moving company, you will most like have “bingo sheets” to check off items as they enter the house. The movers will call out the number and you will circle it on the bingo sheet. This is a way to ensure that everything that went onto the truck comes out! Chances are you’ll have multiple movers all bringing stuff in at the same time. Insist that they slow down and allow you to find the number to circle before they move on. Believe me, this will save huge amounts of time and headaches at the end when everyone is exhausted and trying to find the eight missing boxes!