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Moving? Get Organized!

Posted by Arpin / in Blog / No comments yet

January is officially GO month: Get Organized!

What better time of year to get organized, and what better way to do so than by making your new year’s resolution to get organized? This is all the more important if you are planning a move in the coming months. Moving means get organized. The planning and organizing should take place months before you move. Not only do you have to get the house in tip-top shape to put on the market, but you also need to get organized so you can get the most accurate moving quote possible.

Let’s take holiday decorations, for example.  Packing them for a move takes more care than storing them for safe keeping in your attic or garage. It might be time to invest in some high quality storage boxes or Rubbermaid totes; wrap things a little better than you normally would, especially the handmade treasures from the kids or grand-kids, and be mindful of labeling things properly so you can easily find them next year.

Another hot spot for home goods pile-ups are closets. Any Realtor or Home Stager would advise tell you to get organized by thinning them out so they look bigger to prospective buyers. For example, if you haven’t worn an article of clothing in a year, chances are you won’t wear it again. Still have old, unused computer monitors and electronics equipment? Dispose of them now rather than paying to move and make room for them in your new home. If you’re not already familiar with out-reach programs in your community, now would be a good time to do some research and get educated about  what they have to offer. Shelters or “Re-Stores” are always looking for donations to fund their programs & some of them may even offer free pick-up.

Keep a lot of original boxes for electronics equipment and other household items? This is another common source of clutter. Go ahead and dispose of those boxes. As a rule of thumb, original boxes are only handy for moving if you’ve saved all the packing material inside the box. A mover can do just as good a job (and more efficient too!) packing these items in their own professional grade boxes. The only box I suggest keeping is for  your flat panel TV- those can be a little pricier for a mover to pack, especially for larger screen TV’s.

Thinking about storing things in the attic over the garage? Movers typically will not access attics with “pull-down” doors or unfinished floors for safety reasons; we don’t want anyone to get hurt or cause any damage to your home. If you need extra space, you might be better off renting a storage unit nearby. You can ask your mover to pick up anything stores somewhere other than your home on moving day!

Lastly, start thinking about the floor plan of your new home. Get organized by room so that things find their way into the right place in your new space. For example, think about a guest bedroom in your current home that doubles as an office. If your new home allows for a proper office, you might want to separate and get organized so like items are packed with like items (office stuff goes with office stuff and bedroom stuff with bedroom stuff). Post-it notes are a great tool to let your moving crew know how to label items from where they were to where they will go in your new home.

Ready. Set. GO!

For additional moving tips visit our website  www.arpinamerica.com