6 Tips For Organizing Your Moving Out Process

By Madison White on May 13, 2017

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Moving is complicated; where do you even begin to start organizing a big move? Organizing your things for move-out day doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking. With just a few simple tips and tricks to keep things running smoothly, you’ll be surprised at how easy moving can be (except for the next day soreness).

Moving doesn’t have to be confusing if you take a few small steps beforehand to get everything organized and ready. Here are six tips to help you organize your things to move out.

1. Downsize

This first tip isn’t really about moving, but it’s something that will surely help your moving process. Many people dread moving because they end up having to move so much stuff. Wouldn’t it be easier if you just had less? If you start well enough in advance, you can get a head start on organizing by getting rid of all the things you don’t really need or want anymore.

Throw out those half-used bottles of shampoo. Recycle your old mail. If you’re up for it, try and sell some of the clothes you no longer wear online or at least donate them to charity. When it comes to moving, less stuff is far easier to keep track of.

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2. Pack by priority

Nobody likes it when they have to dig through 15 boxes to find their contact solution, only to find that they’re buried deep in your throw pillows. You want your most important things to be easily accessible and grouped together. This way, when you’ve moved all your boxes, you won’t have to open and search all of them to find what you need.

Keep all your “save until later” things like decorations and accessories together. Keep all your “must have immediately” items like chargers and toiletries together. Better yet, pack a bag with all the essentials you would need for an overnight trip. You’ll thank yourself later.

3. Pack similar items together

Once you’ve sorted some of your stuff by priority, try then sorting them into similar categories. You want your bedroom things boxed together, your bathroom things boxed together, and your kitchen things together. Make sure you label which boxes go where! Doing this not only saves you the hassle of moving boxes from room to room, it also helps whoever is helping you move know where to put things if it clearly says.

Plus, if you’re moving all your bathroom things together, you don’t have to worry about shampoo spilling onto your nice shirt. Bonus tip: pack all your toiletries in a large plastic bag, just in case they decide to leak.

4. Organize clothes by seasons

For someone like me, moving all my clothes is the most difficult part. Do I pack them? Hang them? Shove them in a bag? If you aren’t moving a long distance, just put a trash bag over the bottoms of your clothes and then loop the ties around the tops of the hangers. This way, you don’t have to un-hang and re-hang all of them while keeping them clean and safe. When you’re doing this, try and place clothes of a similar season together so they aren’t getting all mixed up and you can store the clothes that don’t match the current weather.

5. Use a color code system (or at least a label system)

The most important thing to remember is to label. You may trust in yourself a lot to remember exactly what is in each box, but when the stress of moving day gets to you, you may not. You want your boxes to be as clear and direct about their contents as possible.

If it helps, try using different colors of tape for the different rooms for your boxes. On those pieces of tape, write more specifically what is in those boxes (silverware, hair tools, etc.). The colors will help you immediately know in what general area things need to go in, and the labels will help you find exactly what you need when it comes time to unpack.

6. Start small

When it comes to actual moving day, stay organized by starting small. Looking at your entire home will feel overwhelming so take it one box at a time. Remember that it will be easier to move the small things before you try and tackle the larger ones. Nobody wants to try and maneuver around a maze of boxes while carrying a heavy couch. It’s just downright unsafe and it doesn’t make any organizational sense. Start small, take it slow, and stay positive!

Organizing isn’t as terribly boring as it sounds. In fact, it can really help you feel like you’re in control of your moving day. It may ease the stress you have surrounding the chaos that often comes with it. Remember, start with the small stuff and you’re already well on your way to a happy new home.

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