How to pack for a well-organized move
Last pic before we moved out of our Florida house!
You could say I’ve moved a few times…
15 moves to be exact (if we don’t count the 3-month stint we had before moving into our new house). That’s a total of 5 different states since I moved out of my parent’s house in Vermont at the age of 18 and left for college in New York. I’ve moved in every high-stress way imaginable. From state to state, from garbage bag moves and car fulls across town to huge Mayflower moving trucks paid for by my ex-corporate company when I accepted a promotion to climb the corporate management ladder. But nothing like moving and building a new house in 2022 in the wake of Covid moving from Florida to South Carolina with a 1-year-old, 5-year-old, 100lb dog, 2 cats, and a husband.
But if there is one thing I know and have gotten down by the last 4 moves, it’s packing! Man, I actually love to pack.
And now I sound like a total nutjob😅 …
I love the clutter purge & refresh that comes with moving!
But honestly, the packing, purging, and selling of it all is sooo refreshing. Reminiscing about the baby clothes, old photos and silly things you find in odd places is always fun. But only if you time it right. If you rush your packing over 1 weekend before you have to move, or stage the house to take real estate pictures- you will want to stab yourself in the foot. So I’m going to share with you my tips for a stress-free, ok let’s be honest, “stress-reduced” move.
Important Note When Using Professional Movers
If you are paying a moving company- they may require their movers to pack, so you may follow these organizational tips but just not pack it in boxes and let them do that. We had that happen with one company and for insurance reasons they had to pack it themselves, which was TERRIBLE- throwing everything in boxes all willy-nilly- I had no idea what was where for months. Not good!
Top tips for a well-organized move:
Take all similar decor items and put them together while you are packing, this will make it more convenient for decorating and unpacking in your new house as you find different uses for your things.
-Curtains
-Pillow covers (wash them all)
-Pillow inserts
-Bedding
-Towels
-Faux floral
-Art & wall decor
-Decorative objects
-Books
-Candles
-Vases
-Kitchen utensils
-Pantry Items (last)
-Tupperware (throw away extra lids or bottoms!)
Purchase totes/ storage bins to store and organize your house. As you start gathering similar items from each room of your house and organizing them into your boxes- it’s easier to pack them into plastic storage totes than boxes. You can use these totes at the new house in the garage, attic, or other storage areas for storage later.
Labels! Always label things on the top and side of your boxes and totes. This will come in handy when you are moving in and searching for your stuff at the new house.
Zip-tie your closet hangers together and put a trash bag over the clothes, tie it at the bottom. Keep all similar items grouped together. T-shirts, pants, dresses, jackets, etc. This is a handy trick I started doing a couple of moves ago instead of getting the big bulky closet hanger storage boxes. Saves $ and storage.
Essential Moving Packing Shopping List:
Small Bins (to sort and organize better for later!)
Why do we pack like this?
From a designer's standpoint, a new home is a fresh start, a clean slate for you to start a whole new decorating vibe. I love finding new purposes for the pieces that I already have in my house. What was a sofa pillow in my old house may now be a guest bedroom pillow. Or a console table that sat in a hall may now be an office credenza with a printer on top in the new house. Changing how we view the purpose of our possessions and breathing new life into them is an exciting part of the moving process.
When you organize your decor into sections like all the curtains in one tote instead of a living room box with designated living room decor- then you will automatically unpack the “living room” box at your new house and put those items up in the new room. But what if the bedroom curtains work better in the new living room and you didn’t give yourself a chance to consider that because you just wanted to get the house unpacked?
As you are packing, consider these important new home design questions…
All of these things will help you to be able to let go of things as you are packing. Sell, donate and bring to the trash before you go so you don’t have to move it.
What is the layout of the new house? How will your new furniture fit?
Have you laid it out in a floor plan yet? Have you considered repurposing furniture in new ways at the new house for better functionality?
How do you plan to live in the new house?
What will be your daily routine and how will your furniture and decor cater to making that flow more efficient and comfortable for you?
What color palette are you thinking of for the new rooms?
Will you keep any, most, or none of your existing furniture and decor?
Does all of this overwhelm & stress you out a bit?
No worries, I get it! That’s what I’m here for. We will get through your move & decorating/designing your new home together!
I don’t work like typical virtual or local designers. When we collaborate you choose how long and what you want to achieve during our sessions. I bring my 15 years of interior design experience along with a fresh view of your project and we make things happen!
Learn More about how we can work together or feel free to contact me with any questions!
