Tips on How to Organize Your Move and Make It Stress-Free

How do you organize your house to move is a question of a good organizational plan. And that’s what we do best. To help make the whole thing less hectic, we’ve put together a list of useful relocation advice.

Start Preparing Well in Advance

When organizing for a move, prepping yourself well in advance should be on the top of your priority list. Not having enough time for the upcoming tasks is the main reason why relocation is so stressful. Doing things at your own pace and not pushing yourself too hard will make the whole process less frustrating.

Timeline and Schedule

Coordinating a long-distance move is not a simple task, and although you might have an idea of your general responsibilities, leaving them scattered within your mind is not a smart strategy. If you’re wondering: What is the best way to organize a move, good planning with a proper timeline is what you need to navigate the process successfully. Otherwise, don’t be surprised if you get stuck on something not so significant or, even worse, forget something essential.

Create a Moving Binder

For a stress-free relocation, creating a moving binder is one of the smartest relocation hacks that will allow you to answer the difficult question – what should I organize first when moving? With a binder by your side, you’ll not only keep track of the upcoming tasks easily but of all the required paperwork, too.

There’s no chance you’ll get lost and disorganized, and with only one look at it, you’ll quickly decide what the priorities are, from vital things such as the budget, utilities, house-hunting plans, info on the cities and neighborhoods you’re interested in, and important contact information to the new apartment checklist.

If you want a bit of inspiration on how to make your own moving binder, check out the video below.

Plan Your Budget

How to organize a move without thinking about your budget? Well, you can’t. The cost of an interstate move is usually not low, which is why it’s crucial to plan it carefully, so the figure doesn’t go way higher than the one in your bank account. If you’re relocating on a budget, take this one into serious consideration because there are many ways to save up money during the move.

Declutter Your Home

Poor organization is not the only annoying thing you’ll have to deal with when relocating to another state. There’s also the mess accumulated over the years that you have to learn to leave behind. How do I start decluttering to move is a common question people ask, as well as what to take with them and what not to pack.

To make things easier on yourself, get rid of all those items you don’t need anymore and keep in mind that decluttering is an efficient way to save on relocation costs — the shorter your inventory list, the cheaper the move.

Sell, Donate, or Throw Away

The organizational process will be much simpler if you follow a simple rule you’ve probably already heard about: if you haven’t used it, touched it, or worn it in the past year, it has to go. Let’s be honest. You’ll have to toss some things because you didn’t even know they’re in the house. Piles of dusty newspapers and magazines are certainly not something you plan to bring to the new apartment.

On the other hand, you can always donate unwanted items that are still in good condition to organizations like the Salvation Army. Of course, set aside the ones you want to sell to earn some money on the side and make budgeting easier.

Categorize Belongings Before You Pack Them

Figuring out how to organize moving will not be such a colossal task when you start categorizing your belongings. Just be aware that categories can sometimes appear broad, so feel free to create sub-categories. For example, if you want to categorize your clothes, the sub-category would be “summer clothes.” The same goes when packing kitchen items. Keeping similar piles together is vital, like plates or pots and pans.

Purchase the Right Relocation Materials

Assuming that your biggest worry is whether your possessions will make it to their new location in one piece, we’ve gathered a list of the quality packing materials you should have before you start packing:

• Cardboard boxes,
• Packing paper,
• Bubble wrap,
• Packing tape,
• Color markers.

Find Time to Look for Free Moving Supplies

Choosing the best-sized boxes is important, but don’t stop there. Reach out to friends and neighbors. Maybe you know someone who has moved recently and would let you use their remaining supplies. Also, remember all the local stores around the neighborhood. Many of them would be grateful if someone took away all those piled boxes from their storage. Just don’t be lazy and do the homework on time.

Take Care of Fragile Items

How to organize for a move if you have treasured collections of antique figurines and china dishes? It’s not that you have to protect them just because of their monetary value, but because of the sentimental one. There’s one thing you’re not allowed to do if you want to keep your valuables safe all the way to the other side. When it comes to packing fragile items to prevent damage, remember to be generous with bubble wrap. Double-wrap your most delicate items, just in case, and use tons of cushioning materials you find at home. Blankets, pillows, towels, sheets, anything will do the trick.

How to Organize Your Move: Go One Room at a Time

To move efficiently, it’s vital to know how to avoid getting into personal chaos. Going room by room might be of great help because it will keep you from piling up unnecessary stuff. Also, not shifting your focus will save a lot of energy.

We recommend that you start with the most challenging room in the house. For most people, it’s the kitchen, but you decide for yourself and leave the less demanding things for the end. When you’re already drained and not so excited about the move is not the best time to figure out how to grapple with challenging tasks.

Labeling Everything Is a Must

Trust our word. This is one of the relocation tips you’ll need the most once you finally reach your new home. Learning how to pack like a pro will allow you to unpack more easily, too. So create a labeling system that will facilitate the first few days of settling in if you don’t want to have to rummage through all the cartons just to find a razor blade or your pajamas. Or anything, as a matter of fact.

It doesn’t matter whether you’ll be using a numbering system, color-coded labels, or if you will be writing the corresponding rooms down on the boxes. As long as you have something to identify your belongings with, you’re good.

Ask Family and Friends for Help

Whatever your reasons to move are, your loved ones are your support system, so don’t hesitate to ask them for help when packing your stuff. It’s too much of a hassle for one person, and sharing it with somebody will surely make the relocation process much more fun. Maybe you’re not exactly in the mood for a party, but pizza and beer might do the trick. You will have some good moments together and, more importantly, there will be fewer tasks waiting for you.

Have an Essential Box With You

Strange as it may sound, the most commonly forgotten things to pack are the essentials you need when the big day comes. Don’t be the one to make one of the biggest relocation mistakes and put it on your priority list right now. Heading off without it wouldn’t be so much fun since it would mean leaving your home without essential documents, credit cards, medications, some food and drinks for the road, etc. Believe us, you don’t want these to end up in the relocation truck with dozens of identical boxes.

Don’t Forget Move-Out Cleaning

While slowly getting closer to the moving day – and of course, you didn’t waste your time cleaning the house only to get it messy again while organizing and packing – now is the moment to give it a good look and a good scrub. Although it might be too much of an undertaking at this point, you don’t want your deposit on the line. Not to mention it’s simply not okay to leave a dirty place behind. The least you should do is leave it in the same condition it was once you moved in. Also, if you are too tired to handle this responsibility right now, there are always professional cleaning services to reach out to.

Leave the Most Challenging Stuff to Professional Long-Distance Movers

Hiring professional long-distance movers will save you a lot of headaches. With their professional packing, you’re buying a piece of mind, not to mention other helpful moving services that could spare you the trouble of going through the relocation process almost entirely on your own. Also, if you don’t want to put your belongings at risk, or you’re not sure how to handle them, it’s better to leave them to professionals. Still, don’t forget there are many tips on checking if a relocation company is legitimate, which is crucial when it comes to picking one. If you have some questions to ask movers about organizing the move more efficiently, this is your chance.

Follow These, and You’ll Have a Stress-Free Move

Whether you’re already experienced when it comes to changing your zip codes or this is your first time doing it, the bottom line is that only sticking to a proper plan will get you to your goal successfully. Even if you’re only relocating a few blocks away, it can be just as complicated as crossing thousands of miles. So don’t leave one of the biggest life adventures to pure chance, but take our advice and start planning!