Moving In

Moving can be such a huge project, you’ll probably be overwhelmed before you even start. We have all been through it at some point in life. Here are 6 steps to organize, plan and pack up your life for your move to go seamlessly.

Hire movers 

First and foremost, hire your moving company right away. This is an easy step to get out of the way. Good moving companies book up quickly. If you save this step until the end you most likely won’t find anyone and if you do they probably wont have the best service.

Downsize

There is no point to moving items that you no longer use, need or love. This would just be a waste of all resources. It's time to go through all your items in your home and ruthlessly ask yourself – Do I still love it? Do I have space in my new home for it? Is it still in good shape? Do I still use it? You will be surprised at how many items no longer serve you. As suggested In Life Storages’ Blog here “take measurements of your new home and get rid of any furniture that won't fit or you know you won't use.”

Schedule shut off for all utilities

Call all your utility companies and give them the date your service needs to end and where it is going to be starting up. You really don’t want to get stuck paying for the new tenants’ power bill and finding you have no power in your new place. Doing this step right away will keep you from having this headache while you are close to your move date and have too many other things on your mind.

Go environmentally friendly

Rent environmentally friendly bins rather than buying boxes. This is an easy way to pack your things, not have to worry about “squishy boxes” and help save the environment. If you are local to BC, we highly recommend BungoBox Vancouver. They deliver the bins, labels and wardrobe boxes to your home, and pick them up from your new location with absolutely no worry to you. Always ensure you rent a few extras as we typically find our clients don’t order enough bins as well as packing paper.

Label, Label, label…

Once you have all your boxes and you start the packing process labels are your best friend. Colour code each room to a different coloured sticker.  Labelling not only the general items in each box but also specifically marking what room they are to go into. This will make the unpacking process so much easier as:

1. The movers can put each box into the correct room

2. You can easily unpack and put the item straight into the correct room without having to move items from each box into different rooms.

Generally speaking, people consider moving to be in the top ten most stressful situations of their lives. Following these steps can make your move so much less stressful which is worth its weight in gold. Happy moving!

Melanie McConnell is a Professional Organizer and the owner of Mello Spaces. She helps busy professionals and parents get the organized home of their dreams. Check out her website www.mellospaces.com and follow her on Instagram: @mellospaces

Florena Davies is a Professional Organizer and Owner of Organize by Flo. She uses her experience as a wife and mother of 2 to create real life organizational systems and changes for work and home that allow our 2 worlds to co-exist and 'Flo" together. Check out her website at https://www.organizebyflo.com/ and on instagram @organizebyflo.

Marybeth Welty helps women create calm and healthy homes and lives. With over 12 years of experience in organizing, interior design, sustainable building, and mindful living, Marybeth is passionate about improving your mental health, your work, your relationships, and supporting the life of your dreams by starting with where you live, your home.  You can book a free meeting with her at https://sustainablelifestylesolutions.com/20-min-free and connect with her on Instagram at @this_sustainable_lifestyle.