I’m in the process of moving. Again.  Its easy to get stressed out when your home is in boxes, and having moved my fair share of times throughout the years (twice since I’ve been authoring this blog alone), I’m more than willing to admit it does not get any easier. 

It may be getting harder in fact, as I find I’m accumulating more and more stuff.  I was lucky enough to have friends to recruit to help me face the daunting task of getting my drawers and closets and bookshelves into boxes.  Sometimes you need an outsider’s opinion to help you through the purging process, so you don’t convince yourself everything you own has sentimental value and is worth keeping (my preferred approach). 

Practice Purging

Photo Credit: OneClick

Since I find myself too close to the situation, often without even realizing it, an impartial observer can be crucial to help you evaluate what is junk and what is not. After all, who wants to waste time and energy moving junk from place to place?  The Unclutterer suggests that moving is a great opportunity to prioritize your belongings and get organized. 

Organization is not my strong suit, but using some simple guidelines, I was able to feel a little bit like I could take control of the situation.  Unclutterers suggest asking yourself simple questions like:

• Have I used or worn this in the past year?
• Do I absolutely need this item in my new home?
• Do I really like this item?
• Does this item work as intended?

(If the answer is no, that’s your cue to junk it.) 

Take Things One Step at a Time

I’m proud to report I purged a lot over the eventful moving weekend.  And I’m not ashamed to admit it felt good. Really good.  Make it feel even better by taking advantage of craigslist: list items on there and you might even find you make some extra spending cash.  And if you’ve got the time and the ambition, a yard sale is an equally feel good approach. 

Moving your home can be stressful, but it dosen’t have be if you invest the time to get yourself organized, get some unbiased help, make a plan, and stick to the plan.  Deep breaths can do wonders too.

Helpful Resources If You’re Moving

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: Resources to help homeowners avoid problems, such as fraud, during the moving process.
MyMovingQuote.com: Website that offers free estimates from movers in your area.
American Moving and Storage Association: Helpful resources on planning your move.

I live with someone who is very organized.  If you can relate, it’s no secret that this can be a somewhat stressful endeavor.  The benefits of living around such individuals though is that it provides a constant drive to find more easy ways to get and keep your home orderly. 

And have we ever. 

The season provides great inspiration to get organized as well, with kids setting off for school and schedules filling up, making the aspects of your home more streamlined will add up to more leisure moments during a time of year where play is generally at a premium. 

I’m personally a big fan of hooks because they can be handy in any room in the house:

Use them next to your front door to house keys, pet leashes, hats, and coats.  Mount them in your closet to organize belts, necklaces, ties, scarves, hats, or ribbons.  In the kitchen, hang dishtowels, measuring cups, and large utensils. For the bathroom, mount them on the wall or behind the door for more places to tuck drying towels, robes, brushes and scrubbers. 

  Photo Credit: Better Homes and Gardens

Pegboard is another way to create more unique storage and order in your home.  Frame it for a more sophisticated look, and get started placing organizer boxes and bins, note pads and pens.  This element is particularly useful and appropriate for a laundry room or garage entry space. 

Get your home office buzzing with efficiency using magnetic strips to hold ‘to-do’ items, reminders, and calendars.  Also, never underestimate the power of new shelving.  If you’re running low on space, shelves can be mounted higher walls to add an interesting visual element, as well as an out of way place to store less frequently used items.