Visual Tips & Tricks from Pinterest to Help You Organize Your Move
By Budget Trucks|December 02, 2014
When you are moving to a new home, it’s a big, stressful job. It can also be very emotional too, which can add to the trepidation and the procrastination. Putting off tasks that can help you better prepare for a move is one of the number one mistakes people make when moving. That’s why we turned to Pinterest to find some visual aids that will help you get organized for your move and even make moving easier. If you look at it like small, individual projects, it makes each one easier to tackle. Come up with a plan to do a little at a time and develop a calendar with a check off list that can start months in advance of your move. The more you do ahead of time, the less there is left for the last minute.
Make a Packing Basket
The house can get turned upside down when you are preparing to move. Organize your packing supplies in a basket. You will always know where you tape, markers, labels, etc. are and they will not add clutter.
Organize Seasonal Clothing, Items, and Decorations
One of the first things you can prepare doing months in advance of your move is to pack up, organize, and label your seasonal clothing, items, and decorations. If you know you are moving, when a season is over, put those items in labelled boxes or containers and you can even put them in storage closer to where you are moving. That way, you won’t have to worry about them until after you move.
Number Each Box and List the Contents
Keeping an organized list of where you put everything will serve you well when it is time to unpack everything in your new home. It also helps ensure you don’t forget anything.
Color Code Your Packing List
In addition to numbering each box and listing what is in each one, color coding is an excellent technique that will help you, your family and the movers keep everything organized. It is one extra step, but having a color assigned to each room helps with instant recognition and less mistakes or misplaced items.
Preprint Labels for Each Room
Whether you decide to color code or just number, you can preprint labels for each room and each box. Print extra and even put labels on more than one side of each box so that anyone can see where a box belongs instantly. Having them ready to go is just one more thing that you can do ahead of time and not have to worry about it at the last minute.
Cut Holes in Your Boxes for Easier Carrying
Make moving easier. No need to keep things difficult, cutting carrying holes in your boxes makes it easier and faster to load and unload.
Specialty Boxes
If you have extra room in your budget, use specialty boxes to make moving even easier. You can find specialty boxes online or in stores. Of course, there are a lot of options for free boxes, but if you are going to buy boxes anyhow, these specialty boxes make your move much easier.
Pack a ‘First Night Box’
Depending on the circumstances of your move and the distance travelling between houses, you might need more than just a first night box. Each person might need their own first night box, and depending on how much you need, you might need more than one first night box. The first night box could have your toiletries, pajamas, clothes for the next day, etc. In addition to a first night box, you might also need an overnight bag that you keep with you. Each person should bring their own overnight bag. Inside your overnight bag that you keep with you and don’t put in the moving truck or checked airline baggage, should include important documents, medications, and jewelry.
Pack a First Day Box
In addition to your first night box and the overnight bag, you should have another box that has the things you will need for the first day in your new home. This can include the coffee maker, breakfast, or breakfast appliances, like your toaster, a change of clothes, toiletries, and things that you will need when you wake up. Both your first night box and first day essentials box should be put in the moving truck last. If the moving truck arrives after you do, then put the first night box and first day essentials box in your car.
Leave Lighter Things in Drawers
This technique can save time and space. It works with lighter items. You can leave them in your dresser drawers. You might want to organize them so they are not sliding all over. You might even keep the organization tubes in the drawers permanently to keep your smaller items like underwear and socks organized and in place.
Photograph Your Electronics Plugs
One of the biggest problems people have moving into their new place is reconnecting all of the electronics back together. Hooking up your television, computers, and surround sound systems can always be a problem. One way to ensure you can easily hook them back up the way they were quickly and easily.
Double Up the Bed Sheets
When you are getting ready to move your bed, put all of your extra fitted sheets on your mattress. This tip serves two purposes, it saves space and saves you from having to try to fold those fitted sheets, it also protects your mattress from getting dirty and dusty during the move.
Tape Your Mirrors with an X
Take masking tape and put an X on your mirrors. It helps prevent the glass from shattering if something happens during transit. The tape will hold a broken mirror or broken glass together so that it will also protect your belongings.
Protect Your Knives
When packing up the kitchen, put your sharpest and largest knives in your oven mitts.
Make a Packing Basket
The house can get turned upside down when you are preparing to move. Organize your packing supplies in a basket. You will always know where you tape, markers, labels, etc. are and they will not add clutter.
Organize Seasonal Clothing, Items, and Decorations
One of the first things you can prepare doing months in advance of your move is to pack up, organize, and label your seasonal clothing, items, and decorations. If you know you are moving, when a season is over, put those items in labelled boxes or containers and you can even put them in storage closer to where you are moving. That way, you won’t have to worry about them until after you move.
Number Each Box and List the Contents
Keeping an organized list of where you put everything will serve you well when it is time to unpack everything in your new home. It also helps ensure you don’t forget anything.
Color Code Your Packing List
In addition to numbering each box and listing what is in each one, color coding is an excellent technique that will help you, your family and the movers keep everything organized. It is one extra step, but having a color assigned to each room helps with instant recognition and less mistakes or misplaced items.
Preprint Labels for Each Room
Whether you decide to color code or just number, you can preprint labels for each room and each box. Print extra and even put labels on more than one side of each box so that anyone can see where a box belongs instantly. Having them ready to go is just one more thing that you can do ahead of time and not have to worry about it at the last minute.
Cut Holes in Your Boxes for Easier Carrying
Make moving easier. No need to keep things difficult, cutting carrying holes in your boxes makes it easier and faster to load and unload.
Specialty Boxes
If you have extra room in your budget, use specialty boxes to make moving even easier. You can find specialty boxes online or in stores. Of course, there are a lot of options for free boxes, but if you are going to buy boxes anyhow, these specialty boxes make your move much easier.
Pack a ‘First Night Box’
Depending on the circumstances of your move and the distance travelling between houses, you might need more than just a first night box. Each person might need their own first night box, and depending on how much you need, you might need more than one first night box. The first night box could have your toiletries, pajamas, clothes for the next day, etc. In addition to a first night box, you might also need an overnight bag that you keep with you. Each person should bring their own overnight bag. Inside your overnight bag that you keep with you and don’t put in the moving truck or checked airline baggage, should include important documents, medications, and jewelry.
Pack a First Day Box
In addition to your first night box and the overnight bag, you should have another box that has the things you will need for the first day in your new home. This can include the coffee maker, breakfast, or breakfast appliances, like your toaster, a change of clothes, toiletries, and things that you will need when you wake up. Both your first night box and first day essentials box should be put in the moving truck last. If the moving truck arrives after you do, then put the first night box and first day essentials box in your car.
Leave Lighter Things in Drawers
This technique can save time and space. It works with lighter items. You can leave them in your dresser drawers. You might want to organize them so they are not sliding all over. You might even keep the organization tubes in the drawers permanently to keep your smaller items like underwear and socks organized and in place.
Photograph Your Electronics Plugs
One of the biggest problems people have moving into their new place is reconnecting all of the electronics back together. Hooking up your television, computers, and surround sound systems can always be a problem. One way to ensure you can easily hook them back up the way they were quickly and easily.
Double Up the Bed Sheets
When you are getting ready to move your bed, put all of your extra fitted sheets on your mattress. This tip serves two purposes, it saves space and saves you from having to try to fold those fitted sheets, it also protects your mattress from getting dirty and dusty during the move.
Tape Your Mirrors with an X
Take masking tape and put an X on your mirrors. It helps prevent the glass from shattering if something happens during transit. The tape will hold a broken mirror or broken glass together so that it will also protect your belongings.
Protect Your Knives
When packing up the kitchen, put your sharpest and largest knives in your oven mitts.
