Start With Packing Like a Pro
The easiest way to ensure that the job of unpacking and organizing your new home is to ensure your current house is packed correctly. Start by gathering the necessary supplies, including:
- Boxes
- Storage containers
- Packing tape
- Packing paper
- Bubble wrap
- Furniture straps and blankets
Start by packing everything not essential for everyday life, including holiday decorations, seasonal clothing, knick-knacks, artwork, books, towels, and extra linens. Mark all the boxes clearly and keep a detailed inventory of everything you pack. This will ensure you are not scrambling to figure out what box goes where when you get to the new home.
Decluttering: Follow the Rule of 5
Another essential step of proper packing is decluttering. Let’s face it: Chances are you won’t need to bring everything to your new house. Remember that broken cordless phone sitting in a back closet? Will you need it in your new place?
Start With a Plan
Create a plan to help you tackle the chore and eliminate everything that will not serve a purpose in your new house or apartment. For example, write down a simple chart and keep track of all the days and rooms you are decluttering.
Start small and clean out a single dresser drawer and move on to a cabinet or shelf. Do not move on to the next room until one room is decluttered. Using an efficient plan will help you stay calm and at peace rather than being chaotic and overwhelmed.
Have You Touched, Worn, or Used the Item in the Last Year?
As you skim through your linen closet, dresser drawers, and bathroom vanity, ask yourself a straightforward question: Have I used this item in the last six months to a year? When it comes to makeup, cleaning products, and over-the-counter medications, check the expiration dates.
Toss out, donate, or sell any items that don’t fit your current aesthetic, are damaged, worn out, or will simply not serve you in your new environment.
Create Distinct Piles
If you read any blog post concerning the art of decluttering, interior design gurus will tell you to divide all your stuff into three distinct piles: Keep, sell or donate, and toss out. Never toss items in the corner. Instead, a great way to keep your items organized during decluttering is to keep everything in plastic totes or woven baskets.
Never Second Guess Your Decisions
Now that you have decluttered your living spaces by implementing the three-pile system, it is crucial to remain decisive. Throw away any items that are damaged or broken immediately. If you donate items to your local charity shop, Goodwill, or Salvation Army – take the totes or bags to the donation center immediately.
Putting everything in boxes and taking it out of your sight and out of your home will prevent you from feeling guilty for donating your unwanted picture frames or the set of unattractive dishes your parents gave you as a wedding gift!
Ask Yourself, “Would I Buy This Again in the Future?”
Creating a clutter-free home means asking yourself some tough questions. One of the most crucial and often overlooked of these queries is: Would I repurchase this item? If the quick answer is a resounding “No,” you don’t need to clutter the organized spaces of your new property with unnecessary junk.
In addition to saving you time at your new house, a few days to declutter can save money on your moving expenses!
Purchase Everything You Will Need to Organize Your New House
The best way to create an organized home is to focus on storage solutions. The fun part of home organization is purchasing baskets, totes, shelving, hampers, and other decorative ways to keep your stuff off the floor.
Search Pinterest boards, ask friends and family for tips, and walk through home improvement stores to determine how you can implement some of these storage solutions in your own home.
For example, one simple solution to keep your kitchen pantry organized is to divide all your food into different categories. Store these groups of foods in plastic totes or bins. If you aren’t moving into a home with a mud room, add a few hooks and a shelving unit to a corner of the house. Use this as a space to store your kids’ backpacks, coats, and shoes.
Create an Essentials Box and Unpack It First
Finally, before the moving trucks arrive, create a box of must-haves that you and your family will need to survive those first few chaotic hours after you arrive at the new apartment or house.
Take extra care when creating this box to ensure you don’t overlook everything your kids will need to develop a sense of calm during the first night in a new house – including a favorite stuffed animal, blanket, and a book to share as a family.
Include these items to ensure the entire family is well taken care of during those first few nights, such as:
- Prescription medications
- Toiletries
- Toilet paper
- Basic cleaning supplies
- Snacks
- A change of clothing for each member of the family
You must not forget the one item you and your partner will need to survive this stressful and harrowing experience: a coffee pot!
Start With Function and End With Decoration
Ask all the professional organizers in your area, and chances are they will inform you to always start with items that serve a purpose. For example, if you bring your appliances, install your refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, and washing machine first.
Next, move on to your furniture. Start with the furniture for your bedrooms, and then assemble or put out the furniture for your shared living spaces. Next, find the ideal spot for pieces of furniture that you don’t necessarily need right away, including the kitchen table and chairs and the furniture for your home office.
Only after you have unpacked all the bigger, necessary items can you begin emptying boxes filled with clothing, linens, toys, and other items. Save any decorative items you will hang on the wall or organize on shelves for the last step.
Unpack One Room At a Time
After a good night’s rest, you are ready to start the process of unpacking and organizing your new home. This is the most overwhelming aspect of the moving process for many homeowners. Take a deep breath, grab a cup of coffee, and follow and create an unpacking plan that makes sense.
For example, before you open a single box, move all the boxes to their intended space. Basically, you need to move the boxes marked “bathroom” to the bathroom and the boxed marked “kitchen” to the kitchen!
Kitchen
Start by unpacking the kitchen. Once again, taking the time to inventory all your belongings and label your boxes will make the process of unpacking your stuff much smoother. Chances are your kids will start to complain almost immediately, so unpacking pots, pans, bowls, utensils, and food will allow you to feed your kids while you continue unpacking.
Bedrooms
Once the kitchen is completely unpacked, move on to the bedrooms. Start with your children’s bedrooms. Make it fun by asking your kids to help decide where all of their stuff will go. In addition to helping speed up the process, you can start making unforgettable memories immediately in your child’s new bedroom.
Bathrooms
Next, start unpacking the bathroom and organizing the linen closets. This is the perfect opportunity to maximize the space in your bathrooms and add some storage solutions, if necessary. For example, a simple over-the-toilet shelving unit is an inexpensive place to store towels and toiletries.
Finish With Your Home Office, Utility Spaces, Basement, and Attic
Finally, save the areas where you will spend less time or will act as storage for last. When it comes to your home office, take this opportunity to create systems for all your paperwork, bills, and important documents.
For example, there are certain sensitive documents that you should always keep – including the deed to your home, your social security cards, bills of sale documents, and patent documents. Your bills, such as utility and credit card bills, can be thrown away after a year.
The Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, recommends keeping tax records for three to seven years.
Work With a Professional Organizer
Creating an organized home is an art form, and unfortunately, most people cannot create living spaces that are both functional and beautiful. This is where professional organizers and space planning professionals can become a huge blessing.
If you find yourself creating chaos rather than harmony in your new space, don’t hesitate to contact a professional organizer to guide you through the process of making a beautiful home.
A straightforward way to find a professional organizing specialist in your area is to contact the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals, or the (NAPO). The average cost to work with a professional organizer can range from $400 to over $1200, depending on the overall square footage of your home and the professional.
Get the Whole Family Involved!
Unpacking and organizing while you have rambunctious kids running around can be tricky. One simple way to control the chaos and organize your new home is to involve the whole family, including your children.
For example, turn unpacking their bedroom into a fun game – complete with prizes. Set a timer and give your kids each a box to unpack and organize. If your kids can complete the task in a certain amount of time, they win a trip to the local ice cream shop or a family movie night! You will be amazed at how a little friendly competition and some incentives can motivate your kids to unpack and organize their rooms.
Give your older children more responsibilities in your home. Place your teenagers in charge of unpacking and organizing a guest bathroom, or charge them with creating a beautifully organized pantry.
Ready to Plan Your Next Move? Contact the Professionals at Hercules Movers & Packers!
Are you ready to start packing and want to find the right moving experts who can help you have a positive experience? Look no further than Hercules Movers & Packers. With years of experience serving our amazing customers throughout Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas, Hercules Movers & Packers is a full-service moving team that will guide you through the each step of the whole process – from the initial free quote to moving day and beyond. Contact us today to get started!
Services We Offer
At Hercules Movers & Packers, we offer a variety of services that are sure to meet your needs, including:
Long Distance Moving
Need to move from the Houston, TX, area to any destination in the United States? Whether you are planning a long-distance move from Texas to Vermont or need to pack up your house and relocate to California or Colorado – we can help you manage your long-distance or interstate relocation.
Local Moving Services
Our team of amazing movers can also help you coordinate a local move. Typically, any relocations within 50 to 100 miles from your current location are classified as local moves. We can help you organize your local move and will ensure that the process is as stress-free as possible!
Junk Removal
As you know, decluttering your home and getting rid of all the junk you have been storing for years is a critical step in the moving process. The professionals at Hercules Movers & Packers also offer junk removal services. We can help you eliminate all your unwanted trash – from a broken box spring to an outdated kitchen set or a busted refrigerator.
Commercial Moving Services
Need to move your office space or commercial building? We can help you plan a simple and straightforward commercial moving plan that will not break the bank.
