Moving Tips and Tricks From 12 Professional Organizers

Moving, Organization, and Stress

When you're getting ready to move, the pressure comes from all directions. According to a HireAHelper report on the hidden health toll of moving, 55% of Americans said they found moving highly stressful. They cited reasons such as:

• Financial strain (52%)
• Packing (47%)
• Logistics (39%)
• Change in surroundings and routine (38%)

These stressors, along with the physical strain of moving, can take a real toll on both your body and mind. Respondents reported symptoms such as fatigue, burnout, anxiety, back injury, and joint pain during or after their moves.

Why Organization Is the Secret to a Smoother Move

It's difficult to make a move completely hassle-free, but the reality is that disorganization makes things worse. The more chaotic things feel, the more likely you are to forget important details, make rushed decisions, and haphazardly throw things into boxes and hope for the best.

Check out our moving tips and tricks from professional organizers, designed to make moving feel less overwhelming. By using a moving checklist, clear systems, and a packing schedule, you can tackle your relocation purposefully and confidently every step of the way.

How Do You Get Organized Before Moving?

Getting organized for a move requires a project management approach. You'll need to have lists and a solid plan to help you keep your sanity. Here are some tried and true steps given by Ellen R. Delap at Professional Organizer:

• Start with developing a timeline for your move: Work backward to include key dates, such as when movers will load the truck, when packers will arrive, and when you’ll need to be out of the house during packing. Don’t forget to plan for decluttering, change of address, optional items you'll sell or donate before the move, and other items coming out of storage for your move. Record this timeline in your planner.
• Add team members to your project: It's much harder to do this project entirely alone! Bring movers, packers, professional organizers, childcare help, and other resources on board. Be sure to add the cost of all these additional tasks to your budget.
• Start decluttering at least 3 months in advance: One of the universal rules of moving is that the less stuff you have, the cheaper, quicker, and easier it is to move. You should allow yourself plenty of time to work through and eliminate what you don't use or need at your new residence.
• Keep your move organized with labels: Have plenty of markers available to write the contents on your boxes. Be sure to list what’s inside, where it goes, and whether or not it's fragile. You can use numbers or color-coding to indicate which room it belongs in. Your movers will appreciate knowing that they can unload in the correct room without your direction because you've labeled the rooms and boxes.
• Remember the "last-in, first-out" box, and your personal needs during this move: The last-in, first-out box should contain all the hardware for beds and the remote controls. These are vital to your happiness and routine during the first 24 hours in your new home. Your personal needs items include medications and comforting stuffed animals for your children that must be a part of your first night in your home.

How Do You Make a Schedule For Moving?

Although moving has been ranked as one of the three most stressful life experiences, a plan in place helps make things a lot easier. Lisa Zaslow at Gotham Organizers has been helping people with all aspects of moving for over 15 years, and here are some of her most helpful tips about creating a moving schedule:

• Start with an old-school blank calendar: Even if your whole life is digital, there's something about seeing your key dates on paper — starting with your move date and current commitments — that gives you a realistic overview of what to do when.
• Search online for "move checklist"for a general sense of the steps involved: Most will have a 6-8 week plan. The checklist Zaslow uses with clients is 18 pages long to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
• Customize the checklist to reflect your needs and time frame: If you're hiring movers and are relocating moving locally, there's less to do. But if you’re if you're planning to pack and move yourself and not use movers, there’s a lot more you have to take care of yourself.
• Make appointments with folks who can help — from professional organizers to help manage your move and declutter, to movers, and even handymen for tasks like installing your TV and window treatments.
• Block out time in your main calendar to work on your move.
• Stick to your schedule and adjust as necessary. Plan for the unexpected!

By creating a realistic, comprehensive moving schedule, you'll save yourself time, money, and aggravation and will feel in control of the process.

How Do You Pack Kitchen Items?

Because there are a lot of heavy, expensive items in the kitchen, experts suggest you use small boxes when packing, to prevent any one box from becoming too difficult to lift. You should also label each box with the room — kitchen, dining room, or pantry — and the contents.

As you pack, pare down your kitchen items. Get rid of any gadgets that only do one thing (avocado slicer, banana saver, lettuce knife, etc.) or a crystal glass set you never use. Movers charge by volume and by how long it takes to move your stuff, and getting rid of these items can save you a lot in the long run.

Use up the food and pantry items you already have, and don't buy anything in bulk for the last few months in your old house. If you come across expired foods and spices, throw those away as you pack, too.

Pack Your Kitchen in Phases

The kitchen and pantry are some of the places you use the most, so they tend to have a lot of important items you want to pack carefully. Give yourself time to do so, and follow this expert-approved timeline to make the process a breeze.

Up to 2 months ahead:

First, you should pack anything you know you don’t use regularly, like entertaining/party supplies.

If you're moving far away, think ahead of time about who can use your extra food, toiletries, and cleaning supplies when you leave. Women's shelters and other charities often take these kinds of things, even if they've been opened.

Up to 2 weeks ahead:

Pack up everything else in the kitchen by category, leaving out the bare essentials. You want to leave enough plates and glasses, napkins, and cups for your family to cook and eat for a day. Pack all but one pot and two pans, two dish towels, two sets of silverware, etc. Leave just the basics out, nothing extra.

The day before you move out:

Now’s the time to pack up these everyday supplies and food (if it's a local move). Nonnahs at Get Organized Already suggests you label those boxes "Kitchen — OPEN FIRST," so once you arrive in your new kitchen, you can open those and use the items inside to make do until you have time to unpack fully.

Tips for Packing Your Clothes

Like most aspects of moving, the best way to pack clothes is to begin with a plan. Amy Trager agrees and suggests the following:

From there, you can think about how many days and nights of clothes you need, as well as things like underwear and accessories. You should also check the weather to see if you’ll need a heavy jacket or rain boots on hand.

There’s also the question of whether it’s better to fold or roll your clothing. Treager says that while she’s a “folder”, if rolling works better and avoids wrinkles, you’re better off with that method. She also mentions:

What Order Should You Pack In?

Julie Bestry advises that you begin with the home areas that you use the least because you'll have to live without these items from now until you have unpacked in the new space. Start with rooms you rarely use or are mainly used for storage, like:

• Guest bedrooms
• Rooms of children away at college
• The basement, attic, and garage

Consider whether youreallyneed and want to keep the item. Keep a box marked "Donate" by the doorway, and any item that doesn't make the cut for your new home should go there. As you pack, move carefully stacked, inventoried, and labeled boxes to one side so you can see your progress as items "disappear" and the boxes are filled.

Instead of working on whatever area you’re nearest to at the time, it’s better to methodically move cabinet by cabinet, drawer by drawer, or room by room. However, because there may still be weeks (or more) until you move, you’ll need to consider where to keep an item until much closer to moving day, on top of deciding whether to move, donate, or discard it. Here are some more tips on what to pack and when to pack it:

• If it's winter: Pack the summer clothes and shoes from your closets.
• In living or family rooms: Keep the TV and sound system, but pack up the books, puzzles, photo albums, and games.
• In the linen closet: Pack everything except one change of sheets per bed and a few extra blankets.
• In the kitchen: For your remaining time at home, pack whatever you can live without (e.g., gadgets, small appliances you rarely use, specialty supplies, and items).
• In your home office: Pack all of your files in banker's boxes, and pack office supplies you won't need daily in a separate container. Box up financial files and essential documents related to the move separately to travel with you. Don't leave them with the movers!
• In areas you use most often: Envision what you'd pack if you were setting up a vacation cottage for just a few weeks. Only leave minimal cookware, enough supplies to prepare simple meals, and adequate silverware, plates, and glasses to serve your needs for your time away. Then, pack everything else, leaving only your imaginary vacation essentials unboxed until right before moving day!

While packing, if you find something in the "wrong" space, move it to the room that corresponds to where it will go in your new house.

Finally, the only things left to pack should be what you'll need for the first few days in your new home. Use a small suitcase or duffel bag for each person's clothes, accessories, school or work items, toiletries, and medications, plus a box of first-night essentials like chargers, toilet paper, and a new shower curtain. Keep these items and all financial records safely with you during transit.

The Top 3 Most Important Factors Before Moving

There are a lot of steps and tasks that go into moving, but here are 3 of the most important ones, and advice on how to tackle them, courtesy of Janine Adams at Peace of Mind Organizing.

1. Take Time to Declutter Before Moving

Moving is an excellent opportunity to declutter since everything has to be looked over and packed anyway. Ask yourself if you’ve used the item in the past year or if you have a place to store it in your new home.

If you don't use it or, or you can't easily store it, now's a great time to let it go. You won't have to pay or expend the effort to pack it, move it, and unpack it.

2. Organize Your Packing

If you're packing yourself, group items that go together in a room into categories and pack them in the same boxes. That way, you can label each box with a category. For example, a kitchen box might also have the label "food storage containers." That will make it easier to unpack in an organized fashion. Plus, if it takes you a while to unpack, you'll be able to find the appropriate box if you're looking for something.

If you hire movers to pack, take the time to group categories of items together before they arrive so that your boxes don't contain a hodgepodge of stuff. Try to also label your boxes for the destination room (not the origin room) so that movers can get them to the right place in your new home.

3. Start Early

The earlier you start organizing and decluttering, the less likely you are to pay to move stuff you end up donating on the other end. Starting early also cuts down on stress and makes the move calmer.

You're also more likely to get the dates you want with movers if you book them early. And if you're hiring a professional organizing company or move manager to help, the earlier they get on board, the easier everything will be.

How Do You Pack Valuables?

Firstly, it’s all going to depend on what the valuables are. A good rule of thumb is that if you still have the original packaging for jewelry (or anything else!), use that. If any of your valuables are fragile, it may be worth hiring professionals to pack them. Here are some more tips on packing valuables from Julie Coraccio at Reawaken Your Brilliance:

• Reduce paperwork: See if you can lighten your load of any physical paper you don't need anymore. For example, if you have care instructions for valuables, can you scan them? Or, if you have a valuation and a scanned copy is enough proof, shred the physical paper.
• Keep essentials close: You'll want to keep valuables like medicines and prescriptions close and in an "Unpack First Night" box, or in your suitcase or toiletries.
• Label by room, not content: If you can't keep valuables close, mark the box by room instead of by content. For example, "Living Room" instead of "Antique Vase."
• Track your valuables: Keep track of all your valuables using a system. Take pictures and write descriptions and values. Consider an app like Sortly to keep track of everything.
• Use a disc lock: If you're using a packing cube or driving yourself, invest in a disc lock, as they're a lot harder to break.
• Add a tracking device: Use an inexpensive tracking device like Tile or TrackR so you'll be able to know where your items are if you're using a truck.

What Do You Unpack First at Your New Home?

According to Betsy Fein at Clutterbusters, necessity is always first when it comes to unpacking, so you should prioritize the rooms that you use daily. Think logically about the items you’ll need most to sleep, eat, and take a shower — all the essential activities you'll need to do in your new home.Here’s how to set up the necessities:

• Set up the bedroom: After a long day of traveling and packing, you are going to want a good night's sleep in your own bed. Reassemble the bed frame, unpack your sheets, and make up your bed along with the pillows and bedspread. The rest of your bedroom items can wait.
• Set up the bathroom: You'll feel instantly at home if you get yourself settled into the bathroom. Hang a shower curtain, fill the medicine cabinet, and hang your towels.

How Many Days Before Moving Should I Start Packing?

If you're packing yourself, you'll ideally start as soon as you know you're moving. But as far out as 3 months will make things easier (and cheaper) for you.

People often wait until the last minute and then get overwhelmed. Liz Jenkins at A Fresh Space recommends starting to pack non-essential items (e.g., holiday, guest room, sentimental items, decor) and storing them in the garage or a less frequently used space in the home.

Make sure to set aside and identify things you'll need during the move (e.g., clothing, pet care, personal items, linens, chargers), and as the move date gets closer, start packing more and more.

By the time you are a few days out, the only things left should be furniture and a few bare essentials. This gives you space to deal with any issues or emergencies and reduces your overall stress of the move.

How Do You Move Perishable Food (i.e., Refrigerated/Frozen Foods)?

Take an Inventory of What You Have

Natalie Gallagher at Refined Rooms suggests that one month prior to your scheduled move date, create an inventory of the perishable food you have on hand throughout the house. Don't forget the refrigerator in the garage and the deep freezer in the basement!

Create a Plan to Shrink Your Inventory

Your plan for dealing with perishable food will depend on a few factors:

• Whether your move is local vs. long-distance
• Whether you're using a moving company

It's important to understand that sometimes laws prevent movers from transporting perishable items. So, whatever you plan to move will need to be transported by you. Given these limitations, your goal should focus on reducing the volume of refrigerated and frozen food you have as much as possible before moving day.

With your inventory in hand, create a meal plan for the next few weeks that incorporates the food you want to consume. When you're a week away from your move date, reassess what you still have and determine if anything can be given away to neighbors, family, or friends.

When you’re getting ready to move whatever you have left over, locate your portable coolers and make sure you have plenty of ice packs on hand.

Prepare Food for Move Day

On the morning of your move, set aside whatever food you need for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that day. If you're moving locally, pack whatever food remains in your coolers with ice packs. If it's a long-distance move, you'll need to throw out whatever perishables remain.

With some planning, you can avoid wasting food (and money) during the move.

Is There a Packing System You Recommend For a Move?

There are a lot of systems and methods when it comes to packing, like color-coded labels and inventory lists. Here are some tried and true ways from Shanice Bannisat City of Creative Dreams to make sure everything ends up in the right boxes and the right rooms in your new home.

Make a Checklist of Your Items

A checklist is the one thing you need to prepare for a move, and it is the best way to remember everything you need and prevent items from slipping through the cracks. List all the things you need for your move, like purchasing boxes and tape or hiring movers. Include all the rooms that still need to be packed.

Don’t forget to add a list of what you need to do before and after moving, like any spaces in your home that need to be repaired or painted.

Color Code Boxes and Rooms

When it comes to packing systems, Bannis is all about setting up color-coding systems for each room, such as red for the kitchen, blue for the bathroom, yellow for the bedrooms, and so on. That way, when you start packing, you can tape the box with the corresponding room color. It doesn’t have to be the entire box, but enough to see where the boxes will belong.

By giving each room of your new home a designated color with tape or even a sign on the door, it makes it easy for your movers to put boxes in those areas.

Label Boxes by Room and Sub-Section

You can keep your labeling system simple with the name of where it will go, but it’s often more convenient to go with a little more detail. For example, for the bathroom, instead of writing just the location of where it is going to, you should write "Bathroom Shower Items" or "Bathroom Under The Sink." This will make it easier to unpack those items in the new home.

Should You Pack by Room or Item Category?

Although you might think it’s easier to pack by item, like all bedding in one box, it’s actually better to go room by room when you pack, as advised by Julianna Poplin at The Simplicity Habit. It’s a great opportunity to move items that are in the wrong room to the room that they’ll belong to in your new home.

If you don't have the same number of rooms in the new home, consider that as you label your boxes. Unpacking is much easier the more organized you are during the packing process.

Now you're ready for moving day! Simplify your relocation and cut down on stress by following these moving tips and tricks from professional organizers. Consider making things even easier by hiring professional movers.