If staying organized doesn’t come naturally to you, the thought of doing it through a last-minute move might seem pretty intimidating. Besides, moving can be a pretty stressful process on its own. However, the key is to be intentional in the way you spend your time. If you’re strategic about the following four tips, you’ll be in great shape.
1. Declutter First
Take a look at all of the items you realistically use. When you’re really honest with yourself, you’ll realize that there are a lot of items you don’t need to take with you to the next home. Since you really don’t have time to do garage sales or sell items online, become benevolent. Ask your friends if they’d be interested in taking any of the extra items off of your hands. Whatever your friends don’t want can either be recycled or donated to one of the local thrift stores.
2. Create a List of Things to Do
To maintain a sense of organization, you’ll want to get everything out of your head and on to a piece of paper. Write down all of the tasks you need to complete to have a successful move. Break those tasks downs into daily tasks. Then, as you work on tasks throughout the day, you can remain focused until you cross those items off the list. When you’re able to write tasks down, you’ll decrease the chances of forgetting something. Plus, you won’t have to stress out about remembering everything in the midst of a hectic, last-minute move.
3. Systematically Label and Pack Based on the Room
Once you bring your boxes home, put a certain amount of boxes in each room. Then, as you pack the boxes, make sure you label them correctly. Don’t just label the boxes as fragile. Use a system. It helps to actually write down a few of the items in the actual box. If you have two boxes for your bathroom items, you can label the box by including words like ‘ liquid toiletries’ and ‘shower curtain hooks’ as this will help you when it’s time to unpack.
4. Pack According to What You Actually Still Use
When you’re packing up the house, the worst thing you can do is prematurely pack items you still need. Consider the room you’re packing up. When you’re packing up your kitchen, consider the items that you don’t use that often. Pack those items first. If you use your blender every day to make your morning smoothie, pack that on the day before you actually move. It’s also good to consider the rooms that you don’t use much at all. If you have a guest bedroom that’s not currently occupied, you can easily pack up the items without worrying about a specific system.
5. Take the Pressure Off
It’s okay if you don’t have amazing dinners for the family during this hectic move. Check online for some great deals for takeout meals. The family won’t be too heartbroken if they have to eat pizza or tacos for two nights in a row.
Now, it’s important to note that you might feel overwhelmed during the process. If this happens, it’s okay to find ways to cope. Turn on some music to help you remain entertained as you pack. Invite a friend over to help you get things done quickly. The key is to keep going. Before long, you’ll look up, and the move will be complete.
