Get Your Home Ready for a Move Before the Boxes Come Out

Most people start a move by buying boxes. That's understandable, and it's also backwards. Every item you pack is an item you'll lift, carry, unload and find a place for later. The smartest move prep happens before the first box comes out, when you decide what is actually making the trip. Here's the order that keeps the work manageable.

Declutter first, pack second

Start with the rooms you use least: the basement, the attic, the guest closet, the back of the garage. These hold the most things you've stopped seeing. Sort each one into keep, donate and let go, the same way you would for any decluttering project. Orderly Abode treats decluttering before a move as part of move prep for this reason. Fewer items means fewer boxes, a shorter moving day and less to unpack.

Be honest about the new space. If the new closet is smaller, or the kitchen has less cabinet room, the old stuff won't magically fit. Look at the floor plan or walk the new place before you decide. Furniture that won't work in the new rooms is easier to sell or donate now than to haul and then stash.

Set up a packing station and a simple plan

Pick one room as your packing hub and keep supplies there: boxes, tape, paper, markers, labels and a trash bag. A hub keeps supplies from spreading through the house and saves you hunting for a marker at the worst moment.

• Pack the things you use least first, like off-season clothes, extra linens and books.
• Work room by room, and finish each room before you start the next.
• Keep an 'open first' box for each person and a separate one for the kitchen.
• Hold back the daily essentials until the last two days: toiletries, chargers, a few dishes.
• Photograph the back of the TV and computer setups before you unplug anything.

Heavy items go in small boxes and light items go in big ones. A box of books is easy to carry. A large box of books is a back injury waiting to happen.

Pack by room and label so anyone can read it

Write two things on every box: the room it belongs in at the new home, and a short list of what's inside. 'Kitchen: pots, baking sheets, cutting boards' beats 'Kitchen stuff' every time. Label the sides, not the top, because boxes get stacked. Number the boxes too, so you can tell at a glance if one went missing.

Keep a room's contents together. Don't pack the bedroom closet into a box that also holds the bathroom towels. When a box lands in the right room at the other end, unpacking is a matter of opening it and putting things away. When it doesn't, you end up with a living room full of mixed boxes.

What good move prep looks like to the people helping

Clear communication matters when someone else packs or unpacks for you. One Orderly Abode client, Taya E., wrote on Thumbtack about a move with a two-floor townhome: "They did a very detailed job letting me know what was moved, what was left, and where they placed things." That kind of running record is worth asking for from anyone who helps you, and worth keeping yourself if you're doing it solo.

Plan the new home's systems before you arrive

The move isn't done when the last box comes inside. It's done when the house works. Before moving day, decide where the everyday zones will live: the landing spot for keys and mail, the mudroom or entry storage, the pantry zones, the linen closet. Sketch it on paper if that helps.

Unpack in the order you need things. Bedrooms and bathrooms first, so the first night is comfortable. Then the kitchen, since meals are the next big need. Leave decorative items and the lowest priority rooms for last. Set up the systems as you go, rather than filling shelves and sorting later. Orderly Abode's move prep includes setting up organizational systems in the new home, because a fresh start is the easiest time to get the layout right.

Ask for help early

A move has a fixed date, which means the weeks before it fill quickly. If you'd like help with the declutter, the packing, or the setup at the other end, reach out as soon as you know your timeline. Orderly Abode serves Lake in the Hills and the surrounding McHenry, Kane and DuPage County area.

Call (224) 609-7393 or email stacie@orderly-abode.com to set up a free consultation, and tell Stacie when your move date is.