Guest Blogger, Meghan Belnap
Moving to a new location can be an exciting time. While it may be easy to plan out how you will handle the actual move, the execution of that plan can be a bit daunting once everything gets in motion.
Having a stress-free move largely depends on how organized you are. Having a thorough plan of approach when you arrive to your new location will allow for a smooth transition into your new living space. Here are some fool-proof ways to have an organized home after a move:
Choose Your Rooms
When you first arrive to your new home, take advantage of the empty rooms by deciding what purpose each room will serve. You can even make these decisions in advance of your arrival if you have the blueprints of your new home. Upon arrival, do a walk-through and place a sign (or post-it note) with the name of the room on the door or wall. Doing so will let everyone that is involved know where to put your belongings.
Organize Biggest Items First
Any heavy furniture items should be the first things that go into the home. Moving the cumbersome items is one of the hardest parts about moving. Getting it out of the way early on will make for easier work as you move the smaller, filler items into their designated rooms. Be sure that you have named your rooms beforehand to reduce the likelihood of having to relocate heavy furniture because it is in the wrong place.
Unpack Soon
The sooner that you begin to unpack your belongings, the better off you will be. Even if you’re tired, try to set a deadline to have your entire home unpacked in 7 days or less. Decorating will likely happen over a longer period of time. What is most important is clearing out any moving boxes that you have around.
Unpack Essentials First
Essential items are those that belong in the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. Out of those three, the bathroom items should be set-up as soon as possible after your arrival. Second is the kitchen. If you have a lot of kitchen utensils and accessories, remove the more functional items first so that they will be ready when you need them. The third most important is the bedroom. Be sure not to rush through the closet organization process. Take some time to plan the layout of your closet so that you will not have to redo it later on.
Get Everyone Involved
Whether you are moving with 1 person or 5 family members, everyone can help out in some kind of way. All family members (excluding babies and small toddlers) can help to unpack items and set up their bedrooms. Simple chores can be assigned to help everyone stay more organized.
Take Your Time
To efficiently organize your home, unpacking and setting up your belongings should take priority over almost everything else. Everything will go a lot faster when there are no pressing time commitments in your schedule. If you moved for a new job, give yourself at least a week before your first day of work to get your home in order. You’d be surprised how much you can get done by simply hiring a babysitter to watch your children for an afternoon.
Although it can be stressful to move your life into a new space, remember that it can also be an exciting time! Have fun as much as you can so that you will have fond memories to look back on. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you feel overwhelmed. The more people you can enlist to give you a hand, the quicker the process will be.
