Get Organized
Get organized before a move
Question: I'm moving next month and figured now is the perfect time to get
organized. Things are cluttered in my current house, but our next home is
bigger and has more closet space. Do you have any suggestions for before we
pack and how to organize things when we unpack?
Julie
Answer:
Good for you! Getting organized BEFORE your move makes unpacking so much
easier. You'll be amazed at how little storage space you will really need in
your new place once you declutter and purge the unused stuff you've
accumulated.
The first thing you need to do is make a plan. Write down or sketch out your
floor plan- sit on the floor of your empty home if you need to, or do it
from memory. Decide what goes where BEFORE you are getting dirty looks from
a tired mover on moving day! Pack things by location, clearly label them,
and don't hesitate to make a master list of your boxes and their locations
if you're moving yourself. If this move is being handled by a moving
company, your mover will do this for you.
Now is the time to simplify those closets! Clothes closets in the bedroom,
hall, mudroom, and kids rooms can easily be purged, pulling items that
haven't been worn in a year. If you find clothes needing repairs, cleaning,
or alterations, put those in a large milk crate or small cardboard box so
you can take care of them before packing them away.
Be sure to get the kids
to help you with decluttering their closets. Let them learn the art of
charity by helping you box up items for donations, or Recycling 101 by
taking quality toys and clothes to the local resale shop (don't hesitate to
bribe them with the promise of keeping any earned monies from sold items--
hey, whatever works, right?) Try not to keep old unusable clothing as
"rags"-- most of us never use these and it's just moving clutter from the
closet to the garage anyway. And of course, broken and items with missing
parts go into the trash. Use these same principles for cleaning out
drawers, cabinets and under the beds.
As you pack, try to group or organize items together by location, rather
than type. That means instead of packing ALL your linens together, try using
smaller boxes grouped by where they will be stored. For example, pack your
towels, toiletries, and organizers for the master suite in a box, then label
MASTER BATHROOM. Include things you use on a regular basis in this area, and
store other things less used, or used by your kids, in the GUEST BATHROOM.
Sometimes it's easier to store sheets in the bedroom in
under-the-bed-storage rather than finding a small space in your already
crowded guest or half bath. Do the same for all the items in your home,
grouping by room: kitchen, living room, kids rooms, etc.
Tips from a frequent mover
I've moved an average of once each three years,
and I've learned a few tricks to keep things running smoothly from one house
to the next:
* Pack a Survival Kit for your first night in your new home. If you need to
toss a few things into a dufflebag or suitcase, then stash in the car, do
it! Your survival kit might include 2 changes of clothing for work and for
play, sheets or sleeping bags, pillows, towels, toiletries, toilet tissue,
bill paying items (bills, envelopes, stamps, pen, and checkbook), maps,
snacks, address book, and contact information for utility hookups. If
you're a cook and are very optimistic, pack a small box or milk crate with a
couple of knives, forks, spoons, bowls, plates, bowls, chef knife, spatula,
skillet and pot. Don't forget the paper towels!
- Put aside a group of items to be packed last,
either in a locked closet
or in your car, so that you can have them as you move. Snacks, eating
utensils, paper goods, mop and vacuum. If a company is moving your
household items, label the vacuum "pack last/unpack first" to make it easy
to see just where and when this item should be loaded.
Grab your kids' favorite toy, pillow, or stuffed animal and your sense of
humor, and hit the road! Best of luck to you in your new home.
Good luck,
Debbie Williams
Also see:
More ideas on containing kid clutter
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