Moving comes with more tasks than you can possibly anticipate, and it isn’t easy to stay on top of all of them at once. As soon as you know you’re moving, your to-do list grows at an intense rate that you can’t seem to stop, and you end up feeling buried beneath it all. The only way to regain control is to get organized before your move. Whether you’ve moved within the last year or you haven’t moved in the last decade, it’s incredibly overwhelming to try to handle it all. That’s why we compiled the 7 things to do to get organized before a move so you can remain calm, cool, and collected before, during and after moving day.
How to Get Organized Before a Move: 7 Expert Tips
1. Creat a Moving Binder
One of the most stress inducing things about moving is just keeping track of everything that’s going on. From mortgage paperwork to utility contact information, from countless “to-do-before-moving” lists to change of address information–it’s enough to make anyone’s head spin. Get a binder or folder to keep all your moving documents and information in one place. Use it to keep track things like:
- moving receipts
- financial documents
- medical records
- school records
- donation receipts
- to-do lists
- any other paperwork you’ll need before, during, or after your move
2. Make Checklists
Speaking of to-do lists, one of the easiest ways to get organized for your move is to make some. The number of things you need to do before moving will seem exhausting and overwhelming unless you keep track of what you’ve already done and what you need to do. Have a master list of everything, whether that’s on your phone or in a spreadsheet. As you randomly remember things you need to do, add it to your list. To stay even more organized, break that list down into what needs to be done each day. Moving day is hectic, and if you don’t have a list of what you need to do before handing over the keys, there’s a good chance something will be forgotten.
3. Plan Your Packing Strategy
Packing takes a lot of time and energy, so don’t assume you can take care of everything at the last minute. As soon as you know you’re moving, create a packing strategy. The best place to start is to pack up non-essential items first. The kitchen and bedrooms are the most frequently used and should be packed up last. But you can always start packing items in those rooms you won’t need until after the move.
To anticipate how much time packing will take, estimate about one day of packing for each room. Plan to start packing at least 3-4 weeks before moving day. The earlier you start, the more weekend days you’ll have to pack, and you can avoid using vacation days to do so.
If you’re not sure where to start packing, check out these 8 packing tips to help you get started.
4. Number Your Boxes & List Their Contents
Number your boxes as you pack. Write down the box numbers in a notebook or spreadsheet and list the contents of the boxes. While this isn’t exactly the most necessary task, you’ll be able to locate every single one of your belongings once they’re moved to your new home. You won’t be searching through every kitchen box to find your silverware because you’ll know exactly where it is. This will also help with insurance if you’re hiring movers. If a box is damaged or lost, knowing exactly what was inside will help them locate it or speed up the claims process.
5. Meal Plan
Deciding what to eat for each meal is a decision you can avoid making by scheduling meals in advance. About two weeks before your move, plan out your meals from that day until a day or two after your move. Pick meals that utilize what you already have in your refrigerator and pantry so you’ll have less to move with. You can also strategically freeze full meals in advance. The week before your move, make extra of your meals that week to freeze. You can defrost these leftovers for moving week or for the first few meals in your new home. Even if you’re planning to have takeout most days, factor that into your meal planning. Simply planning each meal means 3 less decisions you’re making each day. And that means a little less stress you have to manage.
Tip: As you’re meal planning, don’t forget to include easy to grab snacks for moving day!
6. change Your Address
Don’t wait until after you move to change your addresses. But you also don’t have to immediately call around to every bank, doctor, school, or family member to give them the update. To make things easier on yourself, go to the USPS website. Notify them of your change of address, and they’ll forward all of your mail with your old address to your new one. This feature lets you change your address at your own pace. And as you receive your rerouted mail, you’ll probably be reminded of a few places where you forgot to change you address.
7. Pack a Moving essentials Box
Finally, to make your arrival to your new home stress free, pack a moving essentials box. Fill this box with all the things you’ll need for your first evening and morning in your new home. Add cleaning supplies, toilet paper, paper towels, toiletries, paper plates, plastic utensils, etc. If you need a little inspiration for what to pack in your moving essentials box(es), check out our post with more details.
Another way to get organized before your move is to hire movers sooner rather than later. And we at Moving U & Junk U believe we’re the best moving company for you. Whether you’re looking for assistance with moving, packing, junk removal, or a little of each, you can sit back, relax, and trust us to take care of all the heavy lifting for you. Our services are completely customizable. We’ll accommodate your needs, whether that means you only want us to move the heavier pieces of furniture or you want us to move everything down to the tiniest boxes. We are licensed and insured, and you can find and read many five star reviews on Yelp, Google, and Facebook. Our movers are professionally trained to safely move your belongings from point A to point B. We’ll treat every item with the utmost care and make your move stress free.
When you’re ready to get your quote, give us a call or text at 484-301-2442 or email us at info@movingujunku.com
