How to Organize Your House for a Move

An organized move makes unpacking easier.

Moving to a new house is a perfect excuse for cutting clutter and organizing your home. Don't wait until after you move -- make the tough decisions before you start to pack to make the moving and unpacking process more painless. Be ruthless when culling your belongings. Moving is expensive, and it's a waste of time and money to move unused items to a new home, where they'll continue to be unused. Ask yourself if you will really read those books or wear those clothes again -- or if it is time to let someone else enjoy them. The more you organize your belongings before you move them, the less you will have to do after the move.

Things You'll Need

• Garbage bags
• Cardboard boxes
• Packing paper
• Bubble wrap
• Packing tape
• Labels
• Marker

Instructions

1. Sort your belongings into three piles, working on one room at a time. One pile is for things you no longer want or need, that aren't in good enough condition for anyone else to use. The second pile is for items you want to sell or donate. The third pile is for items you want to keep.

2. Place the throw-away pile in your dumpster. If there are large items that can't go by the curb, arrange to take a load to the local landfill. Some facilities have a nominal charge and restrictions on items that you can dump; check with your city offices to learn the local regulations.

3. Dispose of the items in your second pile by either selling or donating them. You might give outgrown clothes to a friend or hold a garage sale to get rid of furniture that won't fit in your new home. Local charities often accept clothing, furniture and housewares in good condition and some of them will pick up large items at your house. Online classifieds and auction sites are another option.

4. Pack the items you plan to keep from the third pile into sturdy cardboard boxes. Use packing paper for general items and bubble wrap for fragile ones. Use packing tape to seal the boxes and label the side of each box clearly with both the general contents and the room it belongs in.

5. Check local moving companies to buy packing materials and to rent dollies, felt pads and other moving gear. If you are hiring movers, you probably won't need to pack the boxes but it is still helpful to have your belongings sorted and organized before they arrive.

Tips & Warnings

• Newsprint can stain clothing and other items, so if you use newspaper to pack your boxes, wrap your items in regular packing paper first and just use the newspaper to fill in the spaces.

• Use small boxes for heavy items, such as books, to keep them at a reasonable weight.

References

• Real Simple; Plan a (Relatively) Stressless House Move; Adam Bluestein
• Good Housekeeping: Moving Tips