How To Organize Your New Home

1. Packing
2. Unpacking

Clutter. It's something we all have to deal with at one point or another. Unfortunately, as time goes by a home can become more and more cluttered. Trying to organize in such a situation can often seem like an overwhelming task. Maybe the best part about moving is that you have a chance to start fresh. This means organizing things in the new home exactly how you want.

Packing

Obviously, the best way to prevent clutter is to stop it from starting in the first place. In order to do this in your new home, start by getting rid of anything you don't need from your current home. Here are some ideas to help:

• Plan out what to take—You can even do this by mapping out where everything will go in your new home. This really helps at identifying what is essential and what isn't.
• De-clutter—Once the unneeded things are identified, have a yard or garage sale, donate items to charity, or even just throw things away. Don't be afraid to get rid of what you no longer need.
• Focus on the usefulness—Only bring those items that are the most important and/or useful to you.
• Consider storage—If there are things you want to keep but won't need in the new home, then seriously think about a low-cost storage facility.

Unpacking

Believe it or not, the process of unpacking in the new home may be even more important in terms of keeping yourself organized. There are a number of helpful ideas to make this stage go easier.

• Go slow—The first box(es) to open are the first night essentials. After this, go slow so you won't get overwhelmed. Also, try and focus on going room by room, finishing one room before moving on to the next. Organize each one while you are there, putting everything where you want them.
• Clean before unpacking—Provided it hasn't been cleaned to your satisfaction beforehand. Doing this before all the furniture is in and everything is put into their proper position is a great time to clean. There is no need to move anything and you can get into every nook and corner.
• Install your shelves and storage racks—Do this before unpacking since it makes it easier to put things in their final position.
• Arrange documents into files
• Buy tool boxes—Plus anything else needed for garage and attic organization.
• Designate specific areas—Or locations for certain items before starting. And let your family know about this so that everyone knows where to look.

You can also delegate any other unpacking tasks that you might not feel comfortable with to other members of the family. After all, you don't have to do this alone!