This Professional Organizer Broke Down How To Plan a Stress-Free Move

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Moving to a new place can be exciting but stressful, especially if you have a lot of stuff. "Getting organized to move is emotional," Anita Devlin, founder of We Heave Ho, tells CircleAround. Her company helps people declutter, organize, decorate, and get ready to move to their dream homes. In some cases, Devlin and her team also help people unpack their belongings and set up their home space. 

This Girl Scout alum knows firsthand how difficult it can be to get motivated to pack, stay focused, and sift through items to choose what to bring, toss, sell, or donate. To help people ensure their move is seamless and stress-free, CircleAround asked Devlin for a few tips on best approaching the moving process. 

Organize Your Items by Room

Nothing is worse than digging through 15 boxes searching for your hairdryer before running out to meet up with friends. "Go through one room at a time and separate everything into categories," Devlin says. This will help organize the moving process and allow you to feel accomplished once one room is done.

Labeling boxes will help movers, but it will also help you access items you need immediately, even before you unpack. 

Focus on Downsizing

"Now is the best time to declutter and only take what you want and need, instead of just packing everything up and having to toss things at the new place," Devlin advises.

Whether you're sifting through sentimental items or finding things you bought "just in case" but have never used, do your best to make deliberate decisions on what will work best in your new home. 

Get Savvy With E-Commerce

Donating gently used items is a great way to declutter and remove unnecessary items prior to your move, but if you have the time and energy, selling your stuff online can help recoup some of your moving costs.

"List things you want to sell on Facebook Marketplace, or call in an online auction house to sell online," Devlin suggests. Websites such as Poshmark and ThreadUp are great for clothing and accessories. Kaiyo and AptDeco work for furniture. For everything else, there's eBay, the original "sell your possessions online" site. 

Keep Moving Resources on Hand

Lastly, research your moving needs ahead of time. Many moving companies need at least two weeks' notice to schedule your move and ensure they have the right trucks and staff. 

Similarly, Devlin recommends noting information for donation centers, pickup services, and dumpsters for the things you end up not taking.

The Bottom Line

Moving is never entirely stress-free, but it can be easier than you think. Applying a few simple organization tactics, focusing on downsizing, and having helpful resources on hand can make the process go easily and quickly. Before you know it, you'll be settled and happy in your new home.