You’ve lived in the same place for years. It started out as a blank canvas, with little (or no) furniture, and few possessions. You didn’t need to worry about getting organized because, in all honesty, you just didn’t have that much stuff.But now that you’re planning to move, you realize just how much clutter has accumulated. If you’ve been raising a family, you probably have far more than you ever possibly imagined. Moving is the perfect time to get organized, so long as you plan for it.
Start by Cutting Down Your Possessions
How many things do you own that you don’t use? How many toys are you holding onto that your children no longer play with? Unless these things have serious sentimental value, you should start the organization process by getting rid of as much of this stuff as you can. The less you have, the harder it is for your home to become cluttered and disorganized.
Label Everything. Absolutely Everything.
When you start packing up the things in your home, you’re likely to sort your boxes based on the room they came from. While this might be a good method for those who are already organized, it’s simply going to transfer your clutter from the old house to the new house.
Instead, take some time to inventory your possessions and categorize them in a way that makes sense from an organizational perspective. Label your boxes accordingly, as you’ll need them when it’s time to unpack.
Plan for Organization in Your New Home
Obviously, you’ve seen your new place before you decided to move into it. It’s a good idea to draw a small “map” for yourself, and really plan out how you’ll remain organized in your new home. Use a sketch of the layout to decide what types of storage gear you’ll need to purchase (shelving, totes, and cabinets) and determine where you’ll put all of your things.
Unpack Intelligently – and Keep Culling Your Collection
When you start unpacking, you’ll be glad you labeled all of your boxes the way we recommended above. While you’re putting all of your things into their new, permanent homes, be sure to get rid of anything that you realize you don’t really need. The process of packing it all up and then unpacking it is likely to cause you to second guess some of your emotional attachments, meaning you’re far more likely to be willing to trash something you don’t really need.
Now Keep It Organized
With your new, super-efficient organizational system in place, it should be easy for you to keep your home clutter-free. But, you’ll need to dedicate some time to keeping everything in order.
Spending just a few minutes a day “playing clutter cop” can help to keep larger, completely disorganized messes at bay. If you don’t find the time to do it on a daily basis you’ll eventually find yourself with a large, overwhelming project on your hands – meaning your recently organized dream home slips back into the cluttered chaos you thought you left behind.
How many things do you own that you don’t use? How many toys are you holding onto that your children no longer play with? Unless these things have serious sentimental value, you should start the organization process by getting rid of as much of this stuff as you can. The less you have, the harder it is for your home to become cluttered and disorganized.
Label Everything. Absolutely Everything.
When you start packing up the things in your home, you’re likely to sort your boxes based on the room they came from. While this might be a good method for those who are already organized, it’s simply going to transfer your clutter from the old house to the new house.
Instead, take some time to inventory your possessions and categorize them in a way that makes sense from an organizational perspective. Label your boxes accordingly, as you’ll need them when it’s time to unpack.
Plan for Organization in Your New Home
Obviously, you’ve seen your new place before you decided to move into it. It’s a good idea to draw a small “map” for yourself, and really plan out how you’ll remain organized in your new home. Use a sketch of the layout to decide what types of storage gear you’ll need to purchase (shelving, totes, and cabinets) and determine where you’ll put all of your things.
Unpack Intelligently – and Keep Culling Your Collection
When you start unpacking, you’ll be glad you labeled all of your boxes the way we recommended above. While you’re putting all of your things into their new, permanent homes, be sure to get rid of anything that you realize you don’t really need. The process of packing it all up and then unpacking it is likely to cause you to second guess some of your emotional attachments, meaning you’re far more likely to be willing to trash something you don’t really need.
Now Keep It Organized
With your new, super-efficient organizational system in place, it should be easy for you to keep your home clutter-free. But, you’ll need to dedicate some time to keeping everything in order.
Spending just a few minutes a day “playing clutter cop” can help to keep larger, completely disorganized messes at bay. If you don’t find the time to do it on a daily basis you’ll eventually find yourself with a large, overwhelming project on your hands – meaning your recently organized dream home slips back into the cluttered chaos you thought you left behind.
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