Moving is brutal. It just is. But it’s a fact of life, so you do your best to power through it. As a professional organizer, I offer unpacking services for new move-ins. I have seen many situations where the lack of packing correctly has resulted in more work and more chaos for the new homeowners. So hopefully I can offer a few simple words of advice for those about to embark in the moving process.
1. Start packing early. And I mean early. It’s just too much to do all at once, and if you attack it, room-by-room, box-by-box, gradually you will get there… It is difficult to wait until days before the packers come, which brings me to my next point…
2. If you can afford to, let the movers do the packing!Seriously! In a family home, there is so much going on, errands, meals, and trips to the park, stomach bugs, traveling husbands. You just can’t do it all, and if you’re the mommy, many times most of the job of coordinating your move is on your shoulders. And if that’s the case, it’s OK to ask for help, even if you have to pay for it…
3. Ziploc bags are your friend. Your really, really good friend. And they come in all shapes and sizes now, including those giant ones that are great for packing up comforters and towels and just about anything else you can think of. You want to avoid situations where several boxes that arrive in your new home could end up with wet and sticky spots on them. You can count on bottles of shampoos or lotions or perfumes to leak all over everything. Toiletries, cooking ingredients (spices, oils, etc.), small screws for the wall mount of your TV should all go in Ziploc bags. The last thing you want when you are unpacking is to be frustrated looking for those little screws that put the TV on the wall…
4. Pack an essentials box. When you are packing your kitchen, whether you are doing the packing or the movers are, make certain that there is one box that has all of your essentials in it. You know, the things you need to get your kids fed in the morning, open up the can of dog food, drink a glass of water with? And label it clearly as such. It can also help you to avoid many, many meals of take-out over the course of that weekend. Not so smart when you’ve just paid the movers thousands and thousands of dollars to deliver to you, your own stuff…
5. Take it slow! You don’t have to unpack everything in one day. Although it might be possible, it’s not recommended. It leads to a lot of stress and makes organizing your new home an overwhelming chore on your To Do list. If you have been in your new home for a while after the move and there are still a handful of boxes that are yet to be unpacked and you haven’t needed the contents, perhaps you don’t need them at all!
6. Purge before packing! Which brings me to my final recommendation; moving is a great time to purge. Get rid of the junk that’s been accumulating for years. Donate old clothes, old dishes, throw away broken lamps and call the mobile shredder to dispose of all your old papers that you’ve been holding onto for longer than you need to. It’s also better to purge before the move to reduce the amount of boxes packed and cost for moving them. It’s such a liberating feeling… starting fresh… a new beginning… embrace it.
Oh, and when that very last box is finally unpacked…. Break out a bottle of champagne to celebrate!