For most people, the worst part of moving isn't packing the truck
or travelling to your new town -- it's getting settled in! This should
be the most ENJOYABLE part of relocating -- setting everything up
just the way you want it, making your new place feel like home, and
taking a break after all of your hard work. But the idea of creating
an entirely new living environment can seem incredibly overwhelming
-- unless you have a plan in mind.
KNOW WHERE YOU WANT EVERYTHING TO GO
One of the worst mistakes that people make during a move is trying
to decide where to put everything as they unpack. Chances are, you
will have some sense of the layout of your new home before you ever
load the first piece of furniture on the truck. Ask for a scale model
floor plan or walk around and take measurements of each room. Then,
decide what purpose each room will serve -- master bedroom, kid's
room, den, play area -- and where each piece of furniture will fit
best. Cut out paper rectangles, squares, and circles to represent
each piece of furniture -- then lay your cutouts on your floor plan
to get some sense of how each room will work. This doesn't mean that
you won't suddenly get a hankering to move that desk to the other
side of the room when you reach your destination, it just gives you
a place to start.
Once you have a basic plan in mind, assign each room a color -- blue
for the bedroom, green for the bath, red for the kitchen, whatever.
This color scheme will follow you throughout your move. As you fill
a box with dishes, mark it with a piece of red construction paper
(not a sticker that might fall off) that says "Kitchen -- Dishes."
When you pack up your towels, put a green piece of paper on the box
labeled "Bathroom -- Towels." As you wrap up your sofa, tape a yellow
piece of paper to the back that says "Living Room -- Sofa."
Then, draw out the floor plan for each room on a similar piece of
construction paper. Once you arrive at your new home, take a minute
to tape the correct floor plan on the door of each room. And put a
color-coded master floor plan of the entire house on the front door
-- showing which color you have assigned each room. Now all you have
to do is instruct your movers (or friends or helpers) to match the
color on the box or the piece of furniture to the floor plan. They
will even know where to put each item once they get to the appropriate
room. No more having to field the question, "Where does this go?"
UNPACK THE MOST CRUCIAL AREAS FIRST
When you think about what you really need to get by in your home,
what comes to mind? For me, it's the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen.
I can deal with the fact that the den isn't completely in order, or
that I haven't unpacked the good china and crystal in the dining room.
But I need my bed set up, I want to be able to take a shower and brush
my teeth, and I need to be able to make a meal. So try to keep the
supplies for these rooms near the back of the truck. Unload your bed,
linens, personal hygiene items, and the dishes and COOKWARE you use
most. When you are able to sleep in your own bed and have a hot cup
of coffee in the morning, you will be in a much better frame of mind
for unpacking!
CLEAN AS YOU GO
I know cleaning is about the last thing you want to do when you arrive
at your new home -- you just want to get the boxes unpacked, have
a soda, and collapse on the couch! But you will save a lot of time
and hassle if you take a few minutes to tidy up as you unload. Keep
your cleaning supplies handy -- don't pack them away as you leave
your old place. Then, give each room a quick once over as you unload.
Scrub down the tub, sweep the floors, wipe out the refrigerator. Run
your plates and glasses through the dishwasher as you unpack them,
dust your knick-knacks as you sit them out, and run a couple of loads
of laundry. You will feel better about your new home if you know that
everything is clean and ready to be used.
SETTLE AFFAIRS WITH THE MOVER
If you are using a professional moving company, you need to take a
few extra steps as you get unloaded. Be sure to pay attention as your
belongings are taken off of the truck. Examine each piece of furniture
for damage and open each box to make sure everything is in good order.
Go over the BILL OF LADING with the moving company very carefully
before signing it -- this is a binding contract once it is signed.
Make a note of any missing or damaged items -- don't be afraid to
make the movers wait around a while until you are completely done.
And if you experienced any problems with the delivery, be sure to
contact the moving company ASAP.
MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME
Once you have unpacked the essentials, take a break! Call
your family and friends to let them know that you have arrived safely.
Make sure that your utilities are working properly. You can even check
in with your employer and real estate agent if you feel you need to.
Then RELAX, order dinner out, and take a long hot bath -- you deserve
it!
Ramona
Creel is the founder of OnlineOrganizing.com
--
offering "a world of organizing solutions!"
Visit OnlineOrganizing.com
for organizing products, free tips, a speakers bureau -- and even
get a referral for a Professional Organizer near you. And if you
are interested in becoming a Professional Organizer, we have all
the tools you need to succeed. (Copyright 2000, Ramona Creel)
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