Most organizing experts agree the main reason homeowners don’t get organized is because people dread sorting through all that household clutter. Since the simple fact of moving requires homeowners to sort through their stuff anyway, there’s no better starting point for organizing the new house—otherwise people can find themselves right back where they started, with tons of out-of-control clutter filling up their new place.
Being organized in you new home means having a plan that includes taking only what you need from the old place. Here are a few considerations for minimizing the stuff you take.
Scrutinize Household Items
The packing stage offers a last chance opportunity to scrutinize each and every home item to be moved. Before packing, carefully evaluate all household items, like that never-been-used garden tool, and ask if the item is really needed. Before packing anything, ask why you have it. Why it’s valuable to you or your family. Is it for sentimental reasons? Does it have some monetary value? Other reasons? Is it truly of use to you , or are you holding on because some day it “might be” useful. If you can’t see yourself using, wanting, or needing it in the future, don’t move it to your new home. In addition to helping bring a sense of order to the new home, getting rid of unneeded items also saves time and money in the move.
Disrepair? Leave It
All of us have broken stuff around the old house, and chances are if it’s broken now, it’s been that way for awhile. So, as you’re packing items for the move, be asking yourself if you really plan on fixing that broken lawn mower, or other questionable items. If you’re not going to fix it, it’s best to toss it.
Test of Time
Home storage havens such as basements, closets, and garages are “junk magnets” for the stuff people keep dragging to new home after new home. Replacing old home clutter with new house clutter is costly. Put each household item to the test of time—meaning, if it hasn’t been used or handled for 2-3 years, it’s probably best to pitch it, sell it, or give it away before the move.
May Be A Treasure To Others
Any items, especially clothing and furniture, in good condition can be given to charity shelters or other collection facilities. Organizations such as Goodwill, Salvation Army and Red Cross will often pick it up for you. And remember, books can be donated to local libraries and schools—all tax deductible. If you’re looking to make some money on those unwanted items, selling on eBay may be your best choice.
Throw It Away, Give It Away or Have A Garage Sale
If you’re like most people, you have in your possession many items you really have no use for. So sponsor a garage sale before your move. You just might raise enough money to pay for your moving expenses.
The Garage Sale
When having a garage sale, price items to sell because you’ll sane money in the long run anyway—getting rid of junk is the primary reason for the sale. Here are some important pointers to remember as you plan your garage sale:
- Know whether or not you need a permit
- Put up signs around the neighborhood in advance
- Have the sale on a Saturday morning
- Have for sale items neatly and nicely displayed
- Include cost signage on all items
- Don’t be afraid to barter on price
- Tell neighbours, relatives, and friends about the sale
With a little planning and the right storage and organization products, homeowners can begin enjoying a sense of order in their new home (rather than hiding clutter as they probably did at the old house). Most organizing experts agree, there’s no better time to get organized than moving time.
Formulating Your Moving Plan For Each Room
Whether it’s across town or across country, each year millions of people make the big decision to pack up their stuff and move—which, according to many professional organizers, provides the best opportunity to finally get organized.
If you’re moving to a pre-existing home, right after the move is often the best time to install that new master bedroom closet, kitchen pantry, garage storage area or laundry room. That’s the beauty of moving—the new place is completely empty, a blank slate waiting to be created…and organized.
But you need a solid plan for all that packing, moving, and cleaning. To best prepare for organizing your new home, develop a detailed Home Organization Plan for each room before you move, and before the new place becomes even more cluttered than the previous house.
An effective tool for storage and organization planning is the ClosetMaid Visual Storage Planner, an interactive program created to help movers design their perfect closet or storage area before a single box is packed. Regardless if you’re moving to a new or existing house, it will require some pre-moving planning. However, with an existing house, it does require some very specific planning; for example, if you’ve bought a home with closets you hate, you’re probably thinking that single rod and ugly plank board shelf have to go. Question is, do you wait until you’re moved in, or tackle the job now? If you plan to wait, it’s always wise to not pile in tins of clothing, boxes, and general house clutter—it could deter you later from wanting to unpack the closet for organizing.
Here are some good tips for pre-planning each room to help ensure your new home is at optimum organization:
Start Your List Early
Whether it’s on your computer or a scratch pad, before acquiring even one packing box, develop a tracking and record-keeping system. It’s a good idea to number each box to identify its contents on a list—that way you can track each household item after the packing, making it easier to find things in the new house.
Have Ample Supplies
You’ll probably need more supplies than you’re thinking. The last thing you’ll want is scrambling for more boxes at the last minute. So be sure you have plenty of packing taoe, packing paper or bubble wrap to protect each household item—again, you can’t have too many supplies!
Advanced Packing
Do all the advanced packing you can—it’ll save you valuable time on moving day. It you’re moving in the winter time, pre-pack all those beach towels and swimwear. The last 3-4 weeks before moving you can probably do without 75 percent of your cooking utensils, so pack them. And keep food supplies to only the bare essentials. Garbage cans also can be packed with smaller household items inside.
Designate a Central Control Center
Designate a specific spot in the old house as the Official Packing Control Center; this is the place for keeping all the packing boxes, pens, tape, labels and other moving supplies. If these items are taken from your Control Center, be sure to return them.
Color-Coded Rooms
Yellow: kitchen. Blue: dining room. Red: great room. Designate a color for each room in the new home by applying colored stickers on each room-related box—then place matching colored stickers on the door to each corresponding room. This way, the movers will know exactly where to put everything in case you’re not there. Also it’s smart to post signage in each room regarding where you want boxes stacked.
Utilize Luggage
People often forget to fill all luggage with items such as bedding, sheets, clothes, and small household items.
Be Mindful of Highly Valued Items
It’s always a good idea to keep highly valuable possessions such as money, silverware, or antiques with you. If you must have the movers take them, mark the box “miscellaneous bathroom” items and check your homeowner’s insurance to see how you are covered. Also, it may be worth the extra cost for additional insurance from the mover.
Vital Documents
Your list of vital documents might include birth certificates, school records, mover estimates, new job contracts, utility company numbers, recent bank records, current bills, phone lists, closing papers, realtor info, maps, and more. Don’t entrust these with the mover; keep them in your possession!
With a little planning and the right storage and organization products, moves can look forward to enjoying an improved sense of order in their new home, right from the start. Most organizing experts agree, there’s no better time to get organized than moving time.