I’m in the midst of a… pretty significant life transition right about now. I’ve just finished college and I have a job in a new city – which means I’m currently in the process of moving just about everything I own from Georgia to DC. I’m not going to lie, moving in and out of places in college was significantly lower stakes than this, but it’s done wonders to prepare me for this move, organization-wise.
Moving is already stressful enough, and even worse so if you don’t have things organized. So for today’s post, I’m sharing the organizational system that’s making moving ten thousand times easier.
Sort through your things before you pack them
Before you even think about loading up boxes, start going through your belongings. Purging your closet? Do that now. Have an odd collection of knick-knacks and useless papers you need to throw away? Stuffing them in a box will only make you miserable later. Get all this stuff out of the way first – sell your clothes, donate things you don’t need, the whole nine yards.
Box things up based on your new place, not your old
It’s super easy to just pack up based on the way your old apartment or dorm was set up. But, if you’re changing spaces, this may put you at a huge disadvantage when it comes time to unpack. For example, my new apartment is much smaller than my old one – if I’d packed all my bedroom stuff based on my old apartment, I’d have way too many pictures and pieces of furniture than I need for my new space. Taking the time to think through all of this in advance will make unpacking so much simpler.
Track what’s in what box
I’ve previously addressed my love of Microsoft Excel when it comes to budget tracking, but you know what else it’s useful for? Apartment inventory!! I’ve got a spreadsheet tracking everything I need for my new apartment, what’s in what box (this will save you hours of searching, I promise), and what you still need to buy. It’s an easy way to have the contents of every box at your fingertips, instead of having to open up three boxes just to find a dang fork.
Put the most essential things at the top
This is a mistake I’ve made far too many times. As much as we’d all love to be able to completely unpack in the span on one day, sometimes, that’s just a little too ambitious. And then, if all your clothes are at the bottom of a box, you’re going to be miserable trying to dig up that shirt you need for work. Prepare for this in advance by putting things you know you’ll need as soon as you move towards the top of the box.
If you’re like me and moving somewhere new soon, let me know what your biggest moving tips are in the comments below!
xo, Taylor
Leave a Reply