Boxes in Moving Truck

If you are planning to move, the first thing you should do is get a quote from a moving company. The moving quote is based on how much you have to move – boxes, furniture, etc. – and this is the important part: The price you pay will depend on how much your belongings weigh (and the distance you are moving).

So, if you want to save on the weight portion of your moving costs, get organized before you start packing . . . and only move the items you REALLY need. Before you pack anything into a box, ask yourself the following question:

“Is it worth the money to move this item to my new home?”

If the answer is no, then put that item in a big box or bag labeled YARD SALE or DONATIONS.

Let’s get started! To organize your belongings before packing, keep in mind that there are three basic categories to sort items into: Keep, Donate, and Throw Out.

  1. Begin with the items you won’t need for a few months while the packing process evolves, such as books. Keeping in mind the three categories above, pack the books you definitely want to keep, and the rest of the books go into either the YARD SALE or DONATE pile.
  2. Continue with this strategy in each room and closet. In a closet, evaluate whether you have worn a piece of clothing in the past year – if not, put it in the Donate pile. That’s a good rule to follow – if you haven’t worn it or used it in a year, you don’t need it!
  3. As you progress with this new outlook on your belongings, you will start to see the contents of your home with new eyes, and you can start to separate emotionally from some belongings you have had forever and just don’t really need.
You are on the road to getting organized. And when you move to your new home and unpack all your boxes, the process should go very smoothly.

Congratulations!