How I Stay Organized During A Big Move & How You Can Too

This month was a big one for us, and if you follow along with me on Instagram, you know it’s because we moved!

But not just down the street… to a different state! Moving can be tough in general, but add a husband working in the ER and a couple of hands-on kiddos, and my brain was spinning with all the tasks associated with moving.

From selling our own home, purchasing another, my husband in the middle of purchasing a pediatrics practice, changing our address, insurances, and so many other things, it’s so easy to get overwhelmed.

That’s why I always try to stay as in control and organized as humanly possible during these big life changes so I can focus on the bigger picture.

Two ways I do that are by creating a moving binder and a ‘day one’ box.

HOW I STAY ORGANIZED DURING A BIG MOVE & HOW YOU CAN TOO

MOVING BINDER

I got a 2″ ring binder to hold all the important documents we’d be dealing with throughout the entire process. That way, if any party needed anything at any given time, I knew right where to find it.

Plus, when packing up your house, it’s so easy to misplace things. This binder allowed me to keep everything essential out and in front of our eyes the whole time.

I recommend having dividers for all the big stuff like…

• Change of address
• Moving
• Buying
• Selling
• Utilities

And keep a Miscellaneous divider as a catch all for the rest. Of course, if your move comes with different layers, personalize this or add to it!

I also recommend grabbing some sticky tabs to label each document in each divider. Throughout the process you’ll have accumulated so many forms and contracts. This way, you can see at a glance where something is and grab it in a matter of seconds.

THE PERFECT TEMPLATES

When I created my first moving binder, I scoured Pinterest looking for the perfect templates. After all, I needed checklists! But I knew other people had to have gone before me and done this… and why recreate the wheel, am I right?

So I downloaded this change of address checklist.

And this comprehensive (and free) kit of moving printables.

Between these two things, it was easy to get started. I printed it all out, three-hole-punched it all, and added each sheet into it’s proper home in the binder.

One of my favorite and most used parts of the kit was the moving inventory list. With every box I labeled, I also recorded it on the inventory sheet so we would know exactly what was in each box and how many we had for each space.

Total game changer, especially if you use a moving company that has multiple homes on the same truck like we did.

Once it’s all said and done, the move is over, and you’re all settled in your new home, you can take the papers out of the binder and file them all away where they need to go.

NEW OWNERS FOLDER

I also kept a little folder tucked inside my binder for the new owners. It held everything from instruction manuals from around the house to paint colors.

It was my way of taking note of all the things I wanted them to know about the house! That way, on the last day, I could easily leave the folder with them so they could navigate the house with ease.

DAY ONE ESSENTIALS KIT

One other thing I like to do is create a ‘day one’ box of essentials we will need right away in the new house.

I basically grab a storage tub and keep it open somewhere in the house where I can easily access it.

As I’m packing, if I stumble upon something I knew we’ll need right away, the first day we’re in the house, I add it to the tub.

For us, this included things like…

• Command hooks and tape
• Basic tools like a hammer, nails, level, tape measure, and drill for hanging things
• Cleaner and reusable cleaning cloths
• Hand soap
• First aid kit
• Hand towels
• Dish brush and soap
• A few dishwasher packs
• Chargers
• Coffee
• Medications

You get the idea! This will look different for every family, but you’ll just want to compile the things you don’t want to be opening 20 boxes to find right away!

Between these two things, I was really able to stay organized and as in control as I could be over the whole situation, and I highly recommend giving them a try for your next move!

If you have any questions about how to make your own, feel free to ask in the comments below!