AD. A house move comes with a lot of moving cogs and obstacles that can make it a challenge, even for a small house move. Staying organized is crucial for a house move, and if you’re not planning and systemizing the packing process, then everything can easily spiral out of control. Here’s everything you need to know about staying organized during a house move, whether it’s your first time or your fifth.
Phase 1: The Pre-Move Strategy
The first step is everything that comes before the big move. It’s the pre-move strategy that you’ll want to put in place to have everything ready for the day of the move itself.
Consider creating a moving binder to keep all of your physical receipts, contracts, and inventories in one place. Setting up a digital backup using cloud storage is also helpful for easy phone access.
Decluttering the spaces is important too. You don’t want to pack items that you no longer use. Instead, you should be breaking these down into keep, donate/sell, and trash categories.
Booking a reputable removals company is also something to do almost immediately. As soon as you have an inkling of a moving date, you’ll want to secure this service quickly. Scheduling utility transfer dates is also handy for going from the old to your new address.
Phase 2: Systemizing the Packing Process (2–3 Weeks Out)
It’s good to make sure you’ve systemized the packing process to remove as much of the stress as possible.
Creating a master spreadsheet will help to list every box and the contents within each box. That way, when it comes to unpacking the van and allocating the boxes to the room, helps ease the hassle of a house move.
Color-coding strategies are helpful to implement when packing, too. Assign a specific color of tape or marker to each room. Label these boxes on the top and on multiple sides for easy reading when they’re stacked on top of one another.
It’s useful to pack by priority. Start with out-of-season clothes, rare kitchen items, and books. You should leave daily essentials for the final week.
Phase 3: The Final Countdown and Moving Day
As the final few days approach before the big day, a few last-minute tips are good to know.
The ‘First-Night’ Box
Packing an essential suitcase with toiletries, chargers, basic tools, and PJs is helpful to have as your ‘first-night’ box. Keep this box in your personal vehicle, rather than putting it in the moving truck.
Box Zero Routine
Be sure to clean the old house as rooms empty out to make the process more efficient. Take some final photos of utility meters for billing records and for a seamless transition for utilities, especially when transferring them to a new address.
New Home Preparation
Once you get access to your new home, clean floors and wipe down shelves before you start unpacking.
Direct movers to the rooms you want the boxes put in, and use a color-coded system to make it easier.
Implement These Tips For Organizing a House Move
To ensure a successful move, the tips above are essential to follow. From early decluttering to strict labeling and essential kits, these are the necessities required to help you stay organized and sane during the process.
