This time you are going to get everything organized from the beginning, right? This is probably what you are saying anyway. One of the greatest things about knowing that you are booking NYC movers is knowing that you have the opportunity to start over fresh with a clean slate. There is nothing quite like being organized from the start. That being said, these tips can always be tweaked to organize your home even if you are not moving.
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Get Rid of Clutter
Before you even move, you need to go through everything and get rid of what you don’t use or need. Pick one room and finish it before moving onto the next. You will go through everything and decide what needs to be donated or thrown away and put these items in their appropriate boxes. A little purging action will make it much easier to organize.
Now is a good time to have a yard sale or make a nice donation. The more clutter you have, the harder it is to be organized. Items that are still in boxes in your basement from the last move are at the top of the list. It is time to let them go.
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Plan Your Kitchen
This is a room that often becomes the most chaotic. It does not take much for a kitchen to become unorganized. This space should make your life easier and more enjoyable, not make you want to pull your hair out every time you are forced to cook a meal. Before you start unpacking, plan out what is going to go in every cupboard and in the pantry. Otherwise, you will end up throwing a lot of odds and ends everywhere.
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Make Use of Storage Solutions
One can never have enough storage solutions in a home. From drawer organizers to Rubbermaid to decorative boxes to ottomans that open up, investing in these items will ensure that everything has a home. This will eliminate items being left out, causing the home to look cluttered. Use drawer dividers, just like the kind you use in the kitchen for silverware, to organize small things in all your drawers.
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Labels Are Your Friend
If you want to buy a label maker, you will find it is a worthwhile investment, especially if you have children. Otherwise, you can use a pen and blank stickers to make your own. Label everything and there will never be any question as to where anything goes.
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Don’t Start a Junk Room
Many people get it in their mind that a spare room can just be used for odds and ends. While this is fine, but there should still be some organization to it. You still want to use storage containers and make a point to put things away. If you don’t have a spare room, a basement or garage can be used the same way to eliminate some of the unnecessary belongings in the house.
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Filing System and Organizers
Whether you have a home office or not, everyone needs a filing system. The system must be easy to use. The easier it is the more likely you are to put bills, vet papers, insurance information, etc., where it goes. This will eliminate the paper monster from growing on the kitchen table or top of the fridge, and will ensure valuable documents don’t get lost, ruined or thrown away.
Go pick up some thoughtful organizers from the store. If you are low on funds, you can always get contact paper or cheap fabric, cut the flap off boxes, and create your own decorative bin. Even over-the-door hooks and inexpensive fabric or mesh bags can be used to hold all those things that tend to make the most mess.
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Organize your bathroom
Especially if you’re sharing a bathroom with someone else, storage can be a big headache. Toilet paper, cleaning products, lotions, soaps, medicine, toothbrushes — there’s a whole lot to store in what’s typically a pretty small space.
- Baskets are your friend – Find the right size basket for what you want to store and mount some baskets to the wall. Baskets can also go under the vanity or on a shelf. You can store washcloths, towels, makeup, and even hair dryers in these functional but eye-catching contraptions.
- Utilize the space above the toilet – Even if you already have a cabinet installed above the commode, there’s likely still a bit of space in there where you could install a shelf or two. Use these shelves to store a few rolls of toilet paper as well as simple containers to hold everyday essentials like cotton balls or swabs.
- Stylish and functional towel storage – Towel ladders provide lots of room to hang towels, can be any finish or color you desire, and they just look way cooler and add so much more character than hooks or bars.
- Magnets – Magnets just plain work well when it comes to small-space storage. Add a sheet of galvanized steel to the back of your medicine cabinet or mount it on the wall inside a frame. Find a few magnetic hooks or affix small containers with magnetic bottoms and you have instant storage.
From the time the NYC movers leave, make sure that everyone in the home knows that the new rule is to pick up as you go. Leaving something out that you will put away later often become a permanent fixture until no one really notices it anymore. Organizing your apartment does not mean moving things from one pile to the next. If you have a pile of paperwork or bills above the fridge, do not move it to the counter to deal with later. Coats do not get dropped at the door and water glasses will not be left to accumulate on nightstands. Your clutter monster will just continue to grow. Now is the time to go through everything.
Whether you are moving around furniture or alphabetizing your DVD, think it through first. You may need to move everything from the edges of the room to the center, so you have space to work. Put on your favorite playlist, cut up some veggies to munch on, or order a pizza, and have fun!
