4 Pro Tips to Unpacking Your New Home

We've been giving you all the tips for moving out of your place but what about once you're in your new house? Unpacking can take days, weeks, or even years but with these tips you'll be done in no time!

Go Room-by-Room
We recommend unpacking a whole room at one time rather than just unboxing essentials and leaving the rest. Yes, this may be a bigger task upfront but you're also less likely to leave items laying around in boxes for months.

Start with the Most Important Room
Begin with the bedrooms so you have a non-chaotic place to sleep and relax as soon as possible. Then move on to the kitchen, followed by the main living space. After that move on to the supplemental spaces and storage areas, the garage, laundry room, etc.

Everything Has a Place
For each item you unbox you should have an idea of where it's going to go in your new space. It can be helpful to do some space planning before storing. We recommend using post-it notes to plan out in advance where you think things will go. You may have to adjust as you put things away but this gives you a good basis to go off.

Break Down Boxes as You Go
Your inclination might be to just set aside boxes as you finish them and break them down later for recycling. However, it helps with visual clutter and sense of accomplishment to break them down immediately after you finish a box and stash the flat boxes out of the way. Once you have a good pile, move that pile to the garage or somewhere even more out of the way.

Now you have what you need to unpack efficiently. However, if you want it doneeven faster, you can alwayshire usto come unpack and organize your new house and turn it into a home within days. We'll even help with getting rid of all the boxes and packing paper, as well as any further donates that may have come out of unpacking.

Create Less Stress Before Selling Your House

Have you thought about what needs to be done before you put your house on the market? And no, the answer is not call or hire a realtor. That comes after what we're about to tell you.

Think and act on these things before staging and listing your home:

Pre-Move Prep
Purge. Purge. Purge. And then purge some more. Go through every room in the house, pull everything out of closets/cabinets/drawers/whatever storage, and decide what stays with you, what gets donated, and what gets trashed. Ask yourself: do I love it? do I appreciate it? do I use it? These questions will help you with deciding what to do with something moving forward. Believe it or not, this step will save you time, effort, and money during the move. The less you have to move, the better.

Furniture
Are you taking it all with you? If so, will it actually fit in the new place? If you don't want to take it, what's your plan? Sometimes a house buyer will take the furniture, sometimes not. If they don't, have a backup plan. (Psst! We can help with recommendations on movers or consignment shops for a brilliant backup plan!)

Expensive Items and Family Heirlooms
Likely you won't want to move these things yourself so be sure you have a plan in place for how this stuff is getting where you're going. More importantly, know the costs so you can budget accordingly. Or maybe that extra large art deco vanity mirror doesn't go with the new house and you want to try and sell it. Know where you're going to do this.

Remember that when you move you're packing your whole life and taking it with you and maybe it's best to trim it all down before you take it somewhere new.

These things take a lot of time if you're doing them yourself; with Org & Relo you can have the help you need and it'll be done in less time. Plus, we can connect you with some great realtors once you're ready. Contact us today to see how we can help you.

3 Tips for Moving Day

You've packed, you've booked movers, you have someone to help oversee them (hi!), and now the big day is right around the corner. Here are a few things to help make the day go as smoothly as possible:

1. Your Go Bag Set Aside
You've likely already prepared a bag with essentials you'll need for a few days leading up to and after the move - if not, now's the time! Before the movers arrive set your go bags somewhere out of the way so it's not accidentally swept up by quick movers. FYI, your car is a great place!

2. A Plan for Your Pets
Moving is as stressful to your pets as it is to you and moving day chaos will be terrifying for them. Plus, you don't want them underfoot or bolting out the door. Put their favorite blankets, food, toys, and treats in a separate box, then bring that box (along with their bed/crate and litter box) into a separate room as far from the commotion as possible. On the day bring them in there and check on them periodically, this will help them feel safe and keep them out of the way.

3. Order Food & Stockpile Water
Do you want snacks around? Do you want to feed not just yourself & family but anyone helping you with the move? Remember your kitchen is packed and moving day isn't a great time to cook. If you figure out your plan for food before the day you won't be scrambling in the moment and no one will get hangry. Keep plenty of water on hand, especially if you're moving on a hot day.

Now you're set and ready for Move Day and can sleep easy the night before knowing everything is set.

4 Tips to Prepare You for Your Move

1. Start in Storage - Begin the process of packing in the storage areas of your home. These are the areas that usually require the most purging and organization.

2. One Room at a Time - Move throughout the rooms in your house deciding what you'd like to keep and what to get rid of. Take note of any items that may require extra insurance coverage.

3. Notify Important Parties - Make sure to contact your bank, employer's HR department, credit card, insurance & utility companies 2-3 weeks prior to your move.

4. Relax! Enjoy your neighborhood one last time and spend an evening at a local restaurant. With careful planning and organization, moving can be both exciting and refreshing.

Bonus Tip: Take a photo of how your electronics are hooked up. You will thank yourself when you are setting them back up.

Discipline & Consistency - Thoughts by Sam

Nobody wants to tell you that discipline and consistency are the most important parts of success in anything.

Nobody wants to tell you this because being disciplined and consistent is boring. It's not sexy to master the mundane. To keep doing the same small things day in and day out.

But those people...the ones that make it look like they achieved their success effortlessly...yeah it's because they were disciplined enough and consistent at doing the same things every day until they were successful.

Quit thinking it's easier for someone else. It's not. They're just too busy grinding to show you their struggles.

It's Our Sweet 16!

We did it and made it through 2020! COVID-19 lockdowns brought us unforeseen struggles that we never could have imagined in our wildest dreams. There is always something special about turning a new house into a home in a matter of days. 2020 made that process extra special since we all spent more time in our homes than ever before.  We've loved every minute of it whether it's setting up home offices, school areas, reorganizing a basement, playroom, kitchen, or a full relocation. 

Who knew in 2005 that by 2021 we would have over 20 organizers and travel the country organizing & relocating? It is truly a sweet 16 thanks to the endless support from our clients, friends, and families.

Happy Organizing,
Sheryl and the Org & Relo Team