Moving your home can be one of the most daunting and stressful tasks you’ll have to face. The organizational experts here at Closet & Storage Concepts Charlotte have some tips to share with you that should make the process a whole lot easier. Don’t sweat it. We have your back!
Purge!
The very first thing you should do is rid yourself of everything you don’t absolutely need. If you haven’t used an item in the last year, you don’t need it. We all like to tell ourselves that there might be a time in the future when that random thing will come in handy, but the fact of the matter is that it is highly unlikely that it will. Sell it, donate it, give it away, or trash it. Just don’t make the mistake of hauling it to your new home just so it can continue to collect dust.
Start Packing Early
The early you start packing the better. Don’t be one of those people who lets their friends show up to help them move only to find that more boxing needs to be done. Many of your non-essential items can be packed long before moving day, including books, out of season clothing, most of your dishes, holiday decorations, games and toys, and a good portion of your nonperishable foods. Make a list of the items you will need to manage your daily lives up to and through moving day, and pack everything else that you can. If you stretch the packing process out it will be far less stressful.
Label Carefully
When you do start packing, be sure to label your boxes carefully. Put a brief description of the contents and which room the box should be moved to on a label on the box, and consider using color coding to add another level of detail. It’s also a good idea to number your boxes so that you can be sure everything you packed arrived at its destination. Lastly, consider using clear plastic boxes for items that you are likely to need soon after arriving at your new home. It will be easier to find what you’re looking for when you can actually see it through the box! 
Boxes
Speaking of boxes, you have a few options to consider. If you’d like to save some money, and some resources, try to acquire some free boxes. Check out Craigslist, or contact your local grocery store, liquor store, or bookstore to see if they have boxes that they planned to recycle anyway. These businesses will often be happy to let you come pick up their surplus. And if you want to take the most eco-friendly route, consider going with a reusable box option, where a stock of hard-sided boxes are delivered to your old home and then picked up from your new home. These boxes are easy to stack, easy to carry, and they create no extra waste.
Creative Packing
Another way to save on boxes, and packing materials, is to use drawers as boxes. Rather than boxing your pants, you can wrap that drawer in plastic wrap. It will then be easy to move, unwrap, and place back into your dresser. To save on packing material, consider protecting your breakables, such as plates, with clothing and towels. Glasses and stemware can be fit neatly into socks. This is a great space saving and resource saving option.
Be Organizationally Proactive
If you know what you’re packing and you know where it’s going in your new space, get a head start on your organization by having Closet & Storage Concepts in Charlotte, NC design and build you fantastic storage solutions before you move your things in. Our storage professionals will take the basic layout of your closets, pantry, office, garage, or any other space in your new home, and turn it into the perfect home for your particular items. During your free design consultation, we’ll discuss what options will work best for you, and we’ll make your unpacking process easy and enjoyable by customizing your storage areas to your exact specifications. Contact us at any time to make an appointment!
Photo credits: [1]© SolisImages. [2]© KatarzynaBialasiewicz.