Top Tips for Moving from an Organized Moving Expert

Let’s face it – moving is stressful! No matter how much you prepare, how excited you are for the move or how little you think you own, there is always going to be stress around moving. Moving is one of the top 5 most stressful life-events among death and divorce. I know what you are thinking – way to start this blog post off on a happy note but stick with me! There are SO many details when you are moving from coordinating moving your belonging to changing schools or maybe even jobs to all the paperwork and legal side of moving (see my checklist for change of address details here). It is easy to get overwhelmed and lose that sense of excitement you had about your new home.

Our team offers full service move coordination and organization in the Washington DC area (more on that here). We do everything under the sun for our move clients. We help declutter their old house, pack for the new house, coordinate the movers, arrange for storage units, design and coordinate the install of custom closets, schedule donation pickup, measure and shop for organization products for the new house, supervise the day of move, unpack the new house, organize the new house – you name it! We love taking off as many tasks and as much stress as possible for our clients when they are moving so they can focus on other details.

TodayI am sharing my top 8 tips for an organized move with you! Whether you are outside the DC area or just looking to DIY your move here is a glimpse inside the mind of a professional organizer and organized move specialist so you can stay organized while moving!

1. Decide in advance who is going to do the packing and when. If you are going to hire someone to pack (either the movers or a professional organizing team) schedule them the day before the move. This will allow the movers to arrive first thing in the morning and start moving right away. If you are doing the packing yourself make sure you are finished the night before the movers or truck arrives. Don’t think you can “just pack that in the morning” – you will thank me later!

2. Create an inventory of what is in each box. Our team creates a detailed inventory of what is in each and every box that we pack. We number the boxes and use that box number on the inventory. This will allow you to quickly find which box you need when you arrive and are looking for your coffee maker or laptop cord. Bonus tip: write the box number on the side of the box, NOT the top. When boxes are stacked you won’t be able to see anything that is written on the top.

3. Label boxes with where they are going not where they came from in the old house to help speed up the unloading process. For example, if you had a desk in your kids playroom in your old house but have a dedicated office in your new house you will want to label the box with your printer “office” and not playroom.

4. Are you hiring movers or recruiting some strong friends? If you are hiring movings make sure to review all of the details with their team. Ask about insurance, how many people will be on site, what tasks they take care of and more importantly what tasks they don’t take care of. Make sure to discuss things like plants or outdoor furniture to ensure they are included in their quote. Keep in mind that movers typically can not move grills, alcohol or open liquids like laundry detergent so you may need to move those items yourselves. Really dive into roles and responsibilities for both their team and you – you will likely be responsible for moving anything on their “banned” list as well as the items in your fridge and freezer.

5. Does your new home need any construction, touch up paint or closets installed before you arrive? If so, work backwards from the day you want to be sleeping in the house. If you want to sleep in the house on the 15th and the closets need 2 days for install they should start no later than the 12th.

6. Load the moving truck in reverse. This means the first things you need in the new house should be packed last so they are first off the truck.

7. Create a plan or layout for your furniture in the new house. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy even a rough sketch but having a plan in advance of where each piece of furniture should be placed will help you direct the movers to put everything in the right spot the first time (and save your back).

8. Finally, be mindful of the type of unpacking service your contract. We love movers ( seriously if you follow our Instagram you know how obsessed with are with our moving team) but movers unpacking services might now always be what you envision. Movers unpack by putting items on any (and every) flat surface. This will get all of the boxes out of your house but does still leave a good amount of work on your end. If you want more hands on help, a professional organizing team like ours unpacks, organizes and puts everything away in the new home.

With these tips and a positive attitude you will be on the right track to a smooth and organized move. If you are still feeling overwhelmed our team would love to chat with you about our moving services and how we might be able to to help. You can see more about our move management services and reach out here.