The Big Move

Moving and Organization 


Moving can be, is a stressful time.  In addition, trying to fit your furnishings and accessories into a different home is real trick.  Some people chose to sell a great deal of items prior to moving. While others of us, well, we love a challenge - 

Bringing it with can present a whole new set of challenges.  One thing that gets on my nerves faster than anything is the repeating parrot; "Where do you want this?" question from movers.  You're just moving in, you have no idea where you want anything, or if it will fit!  In an effort to prevent my glance from becoming one filled with daggers launched in the direction of our hard working movers - I color code.  Yes, color code.  It was born from being the Mom of a dyslexic kid, they can transpose all sorts of words, letters, numbers so color coding is the dyslexic Mom's best friend.  As it turns out, also an excellent method of moving organization.  





For moving supplies I use a combination of boxes, bubble wrap, paper, Styrofoam plates/bowls, furniture wrap, packing tape and colored construction paper.   We also store our large original boxes in our attic.  Boxes to specialty items; televisions, computers, small appliances etc... which allows us the opportunity to pack hard to pack /fragile items in their original packaging.  





When packing there is usually one or two items in the box that will help me to remember the entire contents of the box.  I list those few items upon the top of the box for my reference.  I mark two sides of the box with the destination room, along with writing the one or two things upon the side to help me remember the contents.  




Finally, the box receives a color code; on each side and upon the top.  I color code all of my rooms in the house prior to moving, assigning each space a color.  I cut construction paper into rectangles and tape three rectangles to each box.  On moving day I post a sheet of assigned color of construction paper to its room.  Have I lost you?  Below is the color chart for our next home: 


Living Room - Orange (The walls are UT burnt orange. It's a Texas thing) 
Kitchen - Blue (The marble counters are dark blue and white. Tiny kitchen, gorgeous countertop)
Sunroom - Green (The walls are painted in something close to Sherwin Williams Sea Glass) 
Bedroom - Red (There are red plaid drapery panels on each window) 
Dining Room - Brown (Because that is the color left in the construction paper packet) 
Guest Bedroom - Yellow (There are cream chintz floral drapes with yellow/pink roses)
Garage - White (Because there are tons of boxes that will initially land in the garage. I can color code those boxes with simple printer paper.)









Now that we've spoken about the color system, let's talk packing.  It is very important to make certain that your boxes are packed snugly. Not so tight that things may break. Sung enough to prevent them from shifting in the box.  When items move about when being carried, they break. 




All breakable items should be wrapped in bubble wrap or paper to pad them.  I typically bubble line the bottom and sides of all boxes I am packing breakable items inside.  The bottom lining wraps up two sides, with enough left over to tuck over the top of the box.  On fragile glass items for example, wine glasses, I add another layer of bubbles between layers, offering additional cushion. I'm no expert, this is simply my method.  I can't guarantee or promise that your beloved items won't be broken.  This is a method that has worked for me over, twelve moves. Yes, twelve. 



I've also found that Styrofoam plates and bowls help in packing, lining a Styrofoam plate between each dish helps to pad the dishes, preventing breaking.  The stack of plates will actually spring, when pressure is placed upon then stack. Wrapping the stack with bubble wrap, then adding paper around the stack to create bumpers in the corners insures the plates from moving around, coming unstacked and helps to cushion the plate stack from each side of the box.











The boxes are organized together in our home prior to moving day.  This allows movers to pick up and load all of the same color/rooms together.  I try to stack the boxes three or four high so that movers can easily load them upon a dolly and carry them out, aiding in a quick loading.  This organization in loaded also results in an organized off load.  At the destination I hang a full sheet of construction paper in each room.  The coordinating color for that room.  When movers begin to offload our items into the home, they simply take their stack of color coded boxes to the room with the coordinating color of paper.  It is a bit of work to prepare, to organize, but a method that works great.  Movers seem to appreciate it because they don't have to ask that repeated question "Where do you want this?"  - over and over and over again.  Can you imagine how monotonous that must be, day after day asking the same question?  Color coding on the new destination helps me as well, our boxes are in the appropriate space so I don't have to shift them room to room after the movers have left.   


Someone is a little nervous.....





The movers arrive next Tuesday. It has been challenging move this time; trying to find a home turned into a monumental tasks. It's been one of those moves where every step created new hurdles. We've kept steady.  Our belongings will go to storage for a week in between closing.  It's always so difficult to coordinate moving dates, so many rules, so many people to juggle.  We will be homeless for a week.  We tend to use that week as an opportunity to visit family, and get to know our new town, Corsicana, Texas.  I'll tell you all about it soon; a quaint small town about 65 miles south of Dallas.  Our Real Estate Agent found us the most amazing cottage, yes, a cottage.  I just hope there are grey dove in Corsicana - 






Wishing you all the best - 



Comments

Popular Posts