To streamline the packing process before a move, U-Haul advised Denver Post writer Marni Jameson, make a little-used area of your old place into a packing station and stock it with flattened boxes, tape, bubble wrap, markers and other supplies. Use small boxes for heavier items; not only will it save your back and your movers’, it will also be more secure for the contents. Use trash bags for soft items. If you are moving locally, take hanging clothing directly to your new closets. Finally, don’t move empty dressers and suitcases. Fill them with stuff to maximize truck space.
Tag: moving
Make a Timetable for Your Move
The sooner you start packing, the easier a move will be, says Georgetown Moving & Storage. Six to eight weeks ahead, start cleaning out the so-called storage areas — closets, attic, garage, and basement — using the keep/donate/trash sorting method. Once anything you want to donate is culled out (four to six weeks ahead), contact ClothingDonations.org for a pickup and procure packing supplies for the stuff you want to keep. Two to four weeks ahead, pack up all of your inessentials, labeling everything so you can integrate it into the new home quickly. A week out, pack up anything you’ll want to have at your fingertips the minute you land in your new home.
Moving? Don’t Forget to Declutter
The average American will move 11.4 times in his or her lifetime, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And the Organizing Blog thinks that summer 2019 may be more mobile than most — those orange box trucks seem to be everywhere this season, taking people and their stuff across town and across the country.
One thing is certain: Moving is not easy, and it gets harder as you accumulate more stuff. Everything you keep has to go into boxes and onto that truck, and the more you have, the longer it takes and the more it costs. There is a solution, however; and that’s to keep less stuff. #Declutter before you move, and the process will be (somewhat) less of a burden.
A pre-relocation #decluttering differs from an everyday decluttering (although if you’ve followed the Organizing Blog’s advice consistently, you’ll already have limited your possessions to only the essentials). For one thing, says The Art of Happy Moving, you’ll want to declutter by category rather than room so that you pack like items together.
Begin with the heavy stuff — books, records, etc. Even if you’re an avid collector, the less of these weighty items you keep, the better your friends/movers will manage. Have extra boxes and bags available as you pack; seal up the things you want to “Keep,” sort out what you want to “Donate,” and “Trash” anything that too broken, outdated or dilapidated to use immediately.
Set the donation bags and boxes aside and contact ClothingDonations.org for a pickup. Once some of the trashed and donated items are out of the way, you’ll have more room to carefully pack up the things you want — and likely be ready to #declutter more of the things you don’t want more aggressively.
Pack three or four boxes of keepers per day, Nourishing Minimalism suggests, and start well ahead of the move so that you have plenty of time to get the place cleaned when the zero hour finally arrives. It’s toward the end of the packing phase when things can get frantic; random objects will wind up in boxes together — some essential, most not.
While it’s an incredible chore that brings lots of stress, moving is the perfect opportunity to edit nonessential stuff out of your life for good. When you unpack only the things you need and cherish in your new home, you’ll be glad you decluttered before the move.
Fight the Chaos of Home Renovations!
While we’ve talked about summer being a great time to clean out closets, host garage sales, move, and even take some relaxing (and a bit stressful) vacations, there is one other very common activity or project that takes place in the summer: home renovations and remodeling. For many people, summer is a great time to take advantage of the good weather and make that much needed addition to your home, redo the flooring in your kitchen, or turn the garage into a dual purpose space for both vehicles and entertaining.
With remodeling, though, comes chaos and a mess. After you just spent hours—maybe even days—on spring cleaning, you’re inviting sawdust and messes to accumulate once again in your home. You may think that there’s no way to possibly avoid all of the mess that you’ll have once the remodel is over. While we can’t promise a pristine home, we do have a few tips to make your renovation experiences a little less stressful.
One suggestion we have is to take your renovation one room at a time. Some people like the idea of getting everything fixed up at once. However, doing that will not only lead to more stress and chaos, but it will also lead to a bigger mess and more displaced items.
Another idea is to keep similar items grouped and packed away together. For example, if you’re renovating the kitchen, have boxes or storage containers ready, and group all plates and bowls together in the box. This will make it easier to find things during the renovation, and it will also make it easier to move your items back into a room after the remodel is over.
And, of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t remind you that if you find anything in preparation for the remodel that you no longer want or need, donate these items to us. If your possessions are small, simply put them in a box that’s clearly marked for donation. We’ll make sure they don’t take up space during your renovation, and they’ll find a place in a welcoming new home!