Moving can be one of the most difficult events of a lifetime. When your thoughts are taken up with buying or renting a home, getting children into schools, finding doctors, and settling into new work, the last thing you want to think about is the nuts and bolts details of moving: packing, labeling, supervising, unpacking, and getting it all organized afterwards.

Organization goes a long way toward making the move go smoothly. I’ll keep track of everything and take care of the ten thousand details that are hard for busy people to manage: organizing your possessions to ensure that you can find them in your new home; supervising and organizing the packing and unpacking of your possessions; and organizing the kitchen, closets, and living areas in your new home. Other details I’ll take care of include:

• organizing sales, donation, or disposal of items you don’t want to keep
• organizing estimates for movers
• coordinating transfer of your telephone, internet, cable TV, and other services
• supervising the movers and troubleshooting problems on moving day
• planning installation of shelving, cabinets, built-ins and closets

As your planner and consultant, I take a broad view of the problem that extends beyond the move itself, from living in your former home to living (contentedly) in your (well-organized) new home. My approach is practical, offering you a menu of services to suit your budget and your sense of what you need the most help with. I’m there so you won’t have to be: whole, stressful days that you get back for yourself.

Contact me here to discuss your move and how I can help.

Hire a Good Moving Company

Your mover is your indispensable partner. A good mover will bring the benefit of their experience to you: they will understand what is needed to pack your possessions and get them on and off the property carefully and efficiently. Their estimates will reflect detailed consideration of what the job entails.

I have a lot of experience working with movers, and can help you find a good one who will suit your needs. This always means a bidding process with at least three movers. (Sometimes, separate movers are required for things like art, or large, fragile possessions). I can recommend movers who have done well with my other clients, arrange for competitive bids, and help you communicate with them to get the most accurate and cost-effective bid possible. I often save considerable money for my clients this way.

Declutter Before Moving

There is no use paying to move things that won’t really be of use to you when you arrive in your new home. This is a perfect time to declutter! Before the movers come, I’ll work with you to identify what items you do and don’t want to move and to arrange for the sale or donation of the things you’re not going to keep. In the process we can identify and clear out a lot of household clutter (such as those miscellaneous things stuck away in your closets), producing a faster, more efficient, and possibly less expensive move.

Packing and Labeling for the Move

Labeling up front is a critical factor in a smooth move: it must be gotten right at the beginning if you are going to be able to unpack and organize efficiently at the end. Labeling for you is different from labeling for the movers: they want to know where to put the boxes, but you want to remember where the box came from, because that’s how you can remember what’s in it.

I have a simple, clear system for labeling boxes and household items that will help you understand how to organize them in your new home. If the movers are doing the packing, I’ll supervise them in the packing, labeling the boxes according to the same system, answering questions, and ensuring that they do not pack items that you might want to move yourself.

Moving Details

While we work with your possessions, I’ll also be working to finish up the other parts of your move: making sure your telephone, cable, and internet connections get turned on in your new place, and organizing other service providers (such as cleaning services) to arrive at the right times.

Moving Day

Moving goes more smoothly if it is supervised: movers work most efficiently when there is someone in the home to troubleshoot, coordinate with building management, and keep an eye on your possessions, letting them concentrate on getting your things on and off the truck as quickly and carefully as possible.

Unpacking Moving Boxes

The real work begins once all your stuff is in your new home. Here is where the upfront organizing and labeling work proves its value: unpacking and putting away your things can be completed quickly and efficiently in a short time, instead of enduring a long period of inconvenience. By supervising the unpacking (whether by yourself or the movers), I’ll ensure that your possessions find their way to their proper places in an organized and efficient way and that your closets, kitchen, and living spaces get set up properly to begin with.

Contact me about your upcoming move.