Sunday, August 2, 2009

How a Professional Organizer Plans Her Move

The Book Baron and I have decided to move, and the big day is September 1st. In the Boston area, 9/1 is a big moving day as students return for the fall and many leases change over. So we have our work cut out for us - and just a month to pull things together.

I thought I would share tips, ideas, and real-life experiences as we go along. As a professional organizer, I have helped many clients prepare, pack, coordinate, and settle in from their own moves. And I personally have moved 14 times - and this will make Move #15. So I've seen it all. But this might be the tightest turnaround time I have experienced, so we are going to have to be organized to keep our sanity. We have just 30 days (and a mini-vacation squished in there) to get it all done.

We signed our lease over the weekend and are hosting a Book Rack Employee BBQ today, so packing won't begin until later this week. But, I accomplished the following things last week:

1) Booked a mover. Since 9/1 is such a popular moving date, I needed to move fast to get a quality mover scheduled for that day. A tip for those moving: Always take the morning appointment. Many movers overbook themselves or underestimate the time required for a job, so if you are the 2nd or 3rd move of the day, you may be left waiting on the curb with your stuff. (Been there.) I also walked through each room of the house to put together a detailed inventory so that I could get an accurate estimate from the movers. It's easy to forget about the air conditioners in the basement or folding chairs that can make a difference in the time and space required for your move.

2) Bought some gently used moving boxes and bubble wrap on Craigslist. Often, you can check sites like Craigslist and Freecycle and get a supply for free. Purchasing moving boxes can get expensive, so why not re-use and recycle? I also picked up some packing tape and labels, so that I can inventory what goes into each box and mark the appropriate room destination to make things easier on moving day. Benezra Boxes in Arlington sells used supplies and offers free delivery and pick-up service for orders over $50 in their service area.

3) Scheduled installation of our satellite TV at the new house. Installation appointments can be hard to come by, so the earlier you can notify your cable, internet, and phone service providers the better. I'll be wrapping up the other calls tomorrow to try and minimize our "downtime."

More to come!

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