5 Tips for an Organized & Stress-free Move
*disclaimer — this is a sponsored post via Moving Solutions*
Here we are again! As I embark on my fourth move in the past five years, allow me to share some of my tips, tricks, and fails with you all. Although with this move, we will only be moving one unit over in our townhome community (literally our address is changing by ONE number), a move is a move, and no matter how big or small, it can be stressful and taxing. Let me hopefully help you by sharing what I’ve learned.
1. Invest in nice boxes and packing supplies.
And don’t worry, “nice” doesn’t have to mean expensive. Head to your local liquor store, and chances are they’ll have plenty of old Tito’s or Oyster Bay Sauv Blanc boxes perfect for packing up your socks, undies, jeans, books, whatever. Dresses are the thing I hate packing the most, but on my last move from Atlanta back to Knoxville, a friend of mine who works for Penske recommend that I purchase a “wardrobe moving box,” and let me tell you it was a game changer. These types of boxes allow you to keep all of your hanging clothes on their hangers. All you do is move them right off the rod in your closet or clothing rack, hang them in the box, tape the box up, and you’re good to go. This also makes unpacking a breeze because every item is already organized exactly where it was in your previous closet or rack.
2. Use this as a time to purge & simplify your home.
I always say you should move AT LEAST every five years to avoid becoming a hoarder or holding onto items or clothing that no longer serve you well. As Marie Kondo famously preaches, “Discard everything that does not spark joy.” What better time to declutter and organize than when you’re already packing your entire life into brown boxes? A few questions I ask myself while doing this are “When was the last time I wore this?”, “How does this make me feel when I do wear it?”, “Are there tags still on it?”, and yes, I am guilty of answering ‘yes’ one too many times to that last question… Moving is the best time to rid your space of everything and anything you may be unsure about. If an item is designer, new with tags (“NWT”), or has a good re-sell value, I will usually post it on Poshmark or The Real Real. If it is something like a Zara sweater or Forever 21 cami I’ve worn until the threads are coming undone, it goes in a pile to be donated to Goodwill. ThredUp is another good consignment option. They will send you an empty bag, you fill the bag with clothes, and they post all of it on their app. Once an item is sold, you make a percentage of the profit.
3. Hire movers !!!
This third, and probably my most important piece of advice, is something I made the mistake of ignoring during one of my moves. I ended up frustrated and with a hurt back — no good. I haven’t moved in Knoxville yet, but when I do, I will 100% be using Moving Solutions. This Nashville-based company offers local moves, regional moves, cross-country, and even international moves. Not only do they offer moving services, they also offer a wide variety of other services such as shrink wrapping, art & antique moving, college student moving, residential relocation assistance, and more! Your back and joints will thank you. :) Also, if you are needing any commercial moving in the Nashville area, they can assist as well! It gives me a peace of mind knowing that my valuables are in good hands of this trusted company.
4. Pack by room, then season.
Packing is such a daunting task until you actually start it. I start by the room. For example, master bedroom. I then sort that by category so work blouses, blazers, work pants, etc. I then go one step further to sort all of that by season. Knowing you are organized makes the equally daunting task of unpacking not so scary at all. In fact, I may be weird, but I love unpacking once I am in my final destination. Oftentimes it feels like I’m opening a new box filled with new clothes because I have forgotten about what was in the original box. Maybe this is just what I tell myself so it isn’t quite as miserable, ha!
5. Sit back & relax!
Pour yourself a fat glass of wine (or your drink of choice) and congratulate yourself on a completed move! If you need some extra organizing bins or crates, HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, The Container Store, and Home Depot are some of my favorites to check out.