Getting Organized for the Big Move
No matter what scale of move you're about to tackle, it's important to recognize that moving. is. hard. Like, really hard. It can often be so overwhelming that you don't know where to start, and it really sheds light on how much stuff you've accumulated over the years. A stress-free move is possible with the right process in order. We have done countless moves over the years for clients, having completely streamlined the process. Here are some tips that we’ve found to be incredibly helpful as we’ve perfected the LIJ moving process.
The purge. You love to hate it, but we want to teach you to learn to love it! We know it can be hard to let go, even if you haven’t worn or used something in years, but sorting through your old house before you pack for the move is a crucial step. To get started, we recommend working one room or category at a time. Start with your pantry, then onto kitchen drawers, and so on. When you take it section by section, it keeps you focused and doesn’t make for an overwhelming mess. You’ll also see your entire inventory for each type of household content when you take it by category, which makes it so much easier! Ask yourself questions like, ‘do I need multiple of these?’, ‘will this fit in my new space?’, ‘does this fit my current lifestyle?’ to determine what you’ll really need in your new home. Ultimately, discarding, donating, and selling before the move makes it easier to pack and unpack (not to mention, fewer items = less expensive move!)
The purging process is undoubtedly overwhelming to do on your own. If you feel like you need help, our How-To Moving Guide provides step by step guidance on how to most effectively go through your house as well as what to toss vs. sell vs. donate. It’s hard to let go of your belongings, and sometimes it takes an objective voice to help guide you along the way!
There are many things to take into consideration when deciding to move. The first major decision to make is whether you think you'd like to do the move yourself or hire a mover. While hiring a mover can be the logical option for many, for some, it's not worth the cost based on the inventory being moved. If you do think you want to hire a mover, it's essential to do your homework and make sure you choose the right company.
If you’re going to do it yourself:
For a smaller scale move, oftentimes you can save money by moving yourself. Consider all the items in your home you're planning on moving; if you can lift 90% of the items yourself but may need a hand with the remaining 10%, you can probably skip out on a moving company. If you're planning on leaving your furniture behind and starting fresh, you can definitely tackle this move on your own! If you go this route, make sure that you won't have to lift anything that could cause injury. If you have a few pieces that you need an extra hand with, don't hesitate to call a friend to help.
If you’re going to hire a mover:
So, you’ve decided to hire a mover. With this decision come quite a few moving packages for you to choose from! You can decide to hire a full-service team to help you pack up your house, haul items to the new house, and unpack items. Alternatively, you can hire movers simply for the moving day(s). If your move is large scale with multi-level floors, we suggest hiring a moving company to help you on the big day. The weeks leading up to the move, you’ll be busy packing boxes, purging, organizing, and prepping the new home. That part alone is a ton of work. So, when it comes to the heavy lifting, we recommend leaving it to the professionals to reduce the risk of injury or damage to your furniture.
Stock with essential supplies. Make sure to bring moving supplies over to the new house beforehand because you'll need them as soon as you begin unpacking. Remember to bring things like trash bags, water bottles, Sharpies, scissors, etc. It's also a good idea to bring soap and toilet paper for the bathrooms so you have it throughout the day.
Put systems in place. If you're able to access the new house prior to move-in day, you may want to consider implementing organizational systems in each space ahead of time. This means getting your pantry prepped with bins, containers and storage systems for an easier move-in. You can also get as granular as implementing systems in your fridge, freezer, and closets to further streamline the moving process.
Use sticky notes. Use sticky notes to map out where items will go in the new house. This is a great tactic to determine what will go in each kitchen drawer/cabinet, dressers, bookshelves, etc. before getting the items and fitting everything manually.
The big day is finally here! To make it go without a hitch, make an itinerary so your family knows what time the movers are coming and when they need to be ready to go. You can also include the anticipated amounts of time it will take to pack up your house and the arrival time at the new house. Getting your entire family involved is super helpful. Having a team with tasked duties makes for a streamlined system. Also, you'll want to have someone at the old house and the new house directing traffic for the movers. At the new house, have someone’s task be to label the rooms; this is a great one for your kiddos if you’re doing a family move! Labels in the new house make it so that the movers know where to place the items from the old house.
Hopefully, our tips based on the Life in Jeneral method have helped you to kick start your move. You got this! If you do feel like you need more of our guidance along the way, check out our How To Organize For Your Move guide. It’s a downloadable PDF complete with 20 pages of detailed, in-depth guidance based on the LIJ method. This guide expands on the tips above as well as:
Purging your items for a move
Essential moving materials
How to organize for the move
Prepping the new house
Staying organized on moving day
...and so many more exclusive tips and tricks!