Getting Organized to Move

When we moved into our apartment, we knew it’d be a temporary home, although we weren’t sure how temporary. When we unpacked, we collapsed our boxes and put them in our storage unit (along with the abandoned baby seat and beer that were left for us by the previous tenants). Those boxes had already seen a couple of college moves before going to our apartment then getting a brief vacation from the storage unit for a friend’s move, now they’re out again.

With my black belt in moving tied in a square knot, I stopped at the store and purchased packing tape, cheap scissors and two black markers. Now we attack and pack.

We’re moving from a two bedroom apartment with an open living/dining space to a three bedroom house with a downstairs, an upstairs, a basement, a walk-up attic and a garage. Box labeling is a challenge.

We decided to hire a moving company and facilitate a midweek move. They require that boxes are labeled on the top and sides as to which room they’ll go. Hmm… I’m not even sure which room they’ll end up in! The kitchen is easy but beyond that, I have to ask, what stuff will be kept in our bedroom and what will be put in the other bedrooms? How much will remain in the living room and how much will be sent down to the basement rec room? We also have two basement side rooms that until further notice will remain empty.

One thing that I like about moving is that it makes you evaluate the stuff you’ve accumulated. My husband and I are not pack rats, nor do we have much stuff, but we have accumulated some things that we don’t need. So as the packing and final destination decisions are made the keep v. donate v. sell v. throw away decisions are being made as well.

The Nest has some good packing tips here. Do you have any tips for moving, packing or general organizing?