{"id":3467,"date":"2018-02-13T16:11:20","date_gmt":"2018-02-14T00:11:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=3467"},"modified":"2020-05-13T15:54:30","modified_gmt":"2020-05-13T22:54:30","slug":"organizing-before-a-move","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/organizing-before-a-move\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s How to Take Organizing Before a Move to the Next Level"},"content":{"rendered":"

Remember when you moved into your first apartment? You had your station wagon packed to the brim, towels stuffed into every extra space and your most important belongings contained to just a few boxes.<\/p>\n

Over time, those few boxes have multiplied \u2014 maybe you married and your stuff doubled overnight, or maybe you\u2019re known for your Amazon Prime impulse purchases. The point is, stuff piles up. It clutters your countertops, overfills your closets and pretty soon you can\u2019t even move with a normal-sized U-Haul, let alone your old station wagon.<\/p>\n

To avoid a mess in the new place, pare it down and be intentional before and as you pack. Take organizing your move to the next level with these tips (and a few people to help inspire).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Source: (Shopify Partners\/\u00a0<\/a>Burst<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Number Your Boxes and Have a Master List<\/h2>\n

True story: Burglars broke into a couple\u2019s home and all their moving boxes were labeled with exactly what was inside \u2014 \u201cElectronics,\u201d \u201cRecord Collection,\u201d \u201cAntique Jewelry.\u201d They might as well have had someone directing traffic at their front door yelling: \u201cTHIS WAY TO VALUABLE STUFF.\u201d It made for ripe and easy pickings.<\/p>\n

Instead of laying out a treasure map for possible intruders, mark your boxes so their contents are a little more mysterious (at least to them). Label with a number that corresponds back to a master list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Box #<\/b><\/td>\nRoom<\/b><\/td>\nContents<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1<\/span><\/td>\nLiving Room<\/span><\/td>\nRecord Collection<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/span><\/td>\nOffice<\/span><\/td>\niPads, iPods and Laptops<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

With more room to write, you can be extra detailed on your sheet. As an additional benefit, you\u2019ll also be able to easily identify if you\u2019re missing any boxes.<\/p>\n

Channel Your Inner Marie Kondo<\/h2>\n

In the best-selling book \u201cThe Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,\u201d<\/a> Marie Kondo distills a few basic organization and decluttering principles. If it doesn\u2019t spark joy, get rid of it. While you might take a lot of joy in tossing the tofu in your fridge and your water bill, she\u2019s talking more about clothing that doesn\u2019t fit right, books you\u2019ll never read again and paperwork that you can easily scan and toss.<\/p>\n

Use the \u201cKonMari\u201d method as you organize your home pre-move. Touch each item and put it into a trash or donate pile if it doesn\u2019t spark joy. (Sorry to break it to you, but you still have to pay your water bill even if you toss it.)<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re following all the rules of Kondo\u2019s technique, you won\u2019t have distractions like music or the TV on while you organize, but if you\u2019re up for creating your own rules, turn the house-cleansing project into a meditative experience with an app like Headspace<\/a> or Calm.<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Beo2xgxg1tM\/?taken-by=crateandbarrel<\/a><\/p>\n

Pack a Survival Box<\/h2>\n

You will have at least two nights (if you\u2019re lucky) that you feel a little bit homeless. You won\u2019t know where anything is and if you do, you won\u2019t have the energy to split open and dig through boxes. Enter: The Survival Box, the last-to-pack, first-to-open, one-stop shop for everything you might need those nights when your life is all boxed up.<\/p>\n

Some crucial items include in this box are:<\/h3>\n