How to Stay Organized During Your Move

By Julie DeLong, A-1 Freeman Moving Group 

Many people have found that hiring a professional moving company has helped them to stay organized during a move and made their relocation a lot easier to handle. But that's not all you can do to stay organized during your move. Here are a few more tips that can help.

Set Your Dates

From the first day you start packing your things to the last time you wave good-bye to your old place, it's important to have the important dates in your relocation process set as early as possible. You may need between six weeks or more to plan out your move, pack your belongings, line up transportation, and coordinate storage (if necessary).

Many people have found it practical to make a "master schedule" of their move — and leave themselves a little cushion in case they encounter a setback. Your schedule should include a timeline of key milestones throughout the move, deadlines, and perhaps a list of tasks to assign out to family members.

Make To-Do Lists

A detailed to-do list is a powerful thing. Not only can daily and weekly to-do lists keep your move on track, but they can also be wonderful stress management tools. In fact, most people find a to-do list has a calming effect on them.

You may find it helpful to create smaller to-do lists instead of one big one for the entire relocation. For example, one of your weekly items could be to pack your bedroom, and then you could divide that task into smaller daily tasks (pack jewelry, pack office/printer supplies, pack clothes, etc.).

Assign Tasks to Different Family Members

Moving should be a family project. Make sure that each family member knows what they need to do to make your relocation a success. For instance, extenuating circumstances notwithstanding, each person in your household should be able to pack most of the items in his or her own bedroom. You may also decide to assign cleaning chores once the packing has been done.

When everyone's on the same page, your move will go much more smoothly.

Stick to Your Deadlines

The last thing you want when moving is trying to frantically pack and load every valuable you have with only a few hours left to spare. The way to avoid such a disorganized mess is to stick to each deadline you set for yourself to the extent possible.

For instance, set deadlines to complete the packing of each of your rooms. Set a deadline to book the professional moving company to come and load your belongings, or to rent a moving truck. You'll also need to set deadlines for important actions before and after your move, such as discontinuing your power and the internet service at the old residence and setting them up at your new home.

Sticking to your smaller deadlines as you go along will reduce a lot of the stress associated with moving and help keep everything organized.

Reward Yourself!

Finally, don't forget to give yourself a reward or two as you make progress toward your goal. Maybe you can treat your family to an evening out after checking off a major item on your to-do list, or simply take an occasional night off from moving prep. Whatever the case may be, rewarding yourself now and again can keep you motivated and focused.

If you ever feel overwhelmed during the moving process, and need some help staying organized, don't hesitate to reach out to the A-1 Freeman team of professional movers today! We can help pick up the slack and make your move less stressful across the board.