Moving Tips from a Pro Organizer and Prior Military Spouse

Follow these Moving Tips for an Organized Move – whether it’s local or across the country, a government or military move, or you’re downsizing or moving a senior – we’ve got tips and tricks for you!

Moving can easily become one of the most stressful life events—but with the right planning and organization, it doesn’t have to be. As professional organizers with years of experience (and plenty of personal moves under our belts), we’ve seen it all. I’ll never forget the time I had to move solo with a 6-month-old baby while my husband was deployed for Hurricane Katrina. The movers didn’t show up until 5pm—and when they did, it was a disorganized crew that damaged several pieces of furniture before finishing at nearly midnight. Thankfully, I had documented everything on video for our insurance company.

That experience—and many others—taught me the value of staying organized from the very beginning. In this post, we’re sharing our top organizer moving tips and tricks to help you simplify the process, avoid costly mistakes, and get a smoother start in your new home. Whether you’re prepping for a DIY move or working with a professional moving company, these strategies will set you up for success.

How to Prepare for Your Move

• Declutter with purpose. Get rid of anything you don’t want, need, or love. The less you bring, the less you have to unpack later.
• Haven’t used it in a year? Let it go. Use the one-year rule to make quick decisions on what stays or goes.
• Group like-items by where they’ll go next. Think ahead: pack items in the room where they’ll be used in your new home (e.g., gather all office supplies in one spot if they’ll go in a future office).
• Create a “donate” and “trash” zone. Make it easy to discard or donate items as you go—especially bulky or outdated items.
• Tackle storage spaces early. Start with basements, garages, and closets—those areas tend to hold the most unused items.
• Use up what you already have. Plan meals around pantry and freezer items to reduce food waste.
• Take inventory of valuables. Create a quick video or photo log of electronics, furniture, and valuables for insurance and peace of mind.
• Label categories now. If you’re putting items into bins or boxes already, use sticky notes or colored tape to visually mark categories or destinations before packing begins.
• Plan for what NOT to pack. Set aside essentials for a moving day kit: cleaning supplies, documents, chargers, snacks, and a change of clothes.

 

Packing & Moving-Out Tips

Stay Organized While You Pack

• Use Ziploc bags to group small items (paper clips, cords, pens) and label clearly.
• Wear a “moving apron” with key tools like a box cutter, Sharpie, packing tape, and painter’s tape. You’ll save time hunting for them.
• Create an “Open First” bin with essentials like:
  • Bedding
  • Cleaning supplies
  • Trash bags
  • Chargers, remotes, and snacks
• Pack a personal overnight bag for each family member with 2–3 days of clothes, pajamas, toothbrushes, and any comfort items like stuffed animals or blankets.
• Pet Tips:
  • Put aside an airtight container of pet food and medications prior to move out day.
  • Board, Kennel / Crate, or put your pets in a locked room during move out day so they are safe and accounted for.
• Consider Childcare or having a friend / relative keep your children entertained outside of the home during move-out day(s).

Smart Packing Techniques

• Buy a box of plain packing paper (Amazon or U-Haul). 
  • Avoid bubble wrap when possible—packing paper is cheaper and easier to recycle.
  • Don’t skimp on packing paper – if you order extra boxes, don’t open until you need it, then you can return the extra.
• Line boxes with 2–3 sheets of crumpled packing paper before adding items.
• Plates: Use paper plates between ceramic plates; wrap 3–4 at a time and stand vertically in the box.
• Glasses: Wrap individually in packing paper.
• Silverware and Drawer Organizers: Wrap in cellophane with the contents in them (if not fragile) – one less thing to unpack!
• Consider a parts box for furniture and large items that are disassembled during pack-out
  • Ziplock small screws and pieces
  • Label, label, label! You may not remember what it goes to on the other side – so ensure you have painter’s tape on loose items or sharpie on those ziplock bags!
  • Remotes, if they don’t fit in your TV or tech boxes, can go in here, too

Key Tips for Moving Box Sizes & Types

• Use small boxes for heavy items like books or tools.
• Use medium boxes for kitchen goods, pantry items, and folded clothing.
• Use large boxes for bulky bedding, pillows, or lampshades.
• Use wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes (great for suits and business apparel).
• Keep weight reasonable—overfilled boxes can burst and damage items, or injure someone.

Items To Transport Yourself

• If you can, there are certain items that may need extra attention or aren’t allowed on moving trucks, here are some to consider transporting yourself:
  • Your Parts Box: If you’re doing a local or direct move, consider being in charge of your box that has the key components to reassembling your larger items and furniture.
  • Extremely high-value or irreplaceable items, such as jewelry and family heirlooms.
  • Important personal documents: I typically keep mine in a safe, but also have an important documents folder for quick portability.
  • Pets (and their vaccination/veterinary records!)
  • Plants that you can’t part with
  • Moving companies will not transport open liquids, perishable food, or flammables—plan accordingly.

Labeling and Color Coding Tips for Moving

• Always label the sides and top corners of boxes with what’s inside and where it’s going.
• Label boxes for their destination room in the new house (e.g., “Garage,” not “Basement”).
• Use color-coded tape or Moving Label stickers to designate rooms (e.g., Pink = Girls’ Bedroom, Green = Office).
  • Make note of this color code by using your notes app in your phone, or create a “key” on a piece of paper that you keep with you for the move.
• Place matching colored signs or tape on doors in the new home so movers know exactly where to place each box.

Moving Day! Move-In Tips

• Hang up signs to match the colored tape or moving labels on your boxes to the room they coordinate with.
• Wear your moving apron with box cutter, painters tape, sharpies.
• Delegate someone to check off your box inventory list as they’re unpacked from the truck and make note of any damages or missing items.
• Lift with your knees! 🙂
• If possible, have a cleaning crew do a thorough cleaning before you move in.
  • We also recommend getting your air vents cleaned before moving in as well.
• Plan in advance where each piece of furniture will go in the new house. Movers usually only place something once and then it’s set.
• Always consider feeding the moving crew lunch and offer water / drinks. Plan this ahead of time so you aren’t scrambling on the day of the move.

Unpacking Tips

• Use blue painters tape on the outside of drawers and cabinets to map out where things will go (especially in the kitchen!). This also helps everyone know where things are in a new house. Leave them up for a week or so.
• Protect countertops and tables: Spread out packing paper or a large bedding sheet so they don’t get damaged as you unpack items.
• Flatten out the packing sheets.
• Break down boxes and put them inside larger boxes.
• Put packing paper inside larger boxes and black trash bags once complete.
• Advertise your moving boxes and packing paper on Facebook (in local groups or marketplace) or craigslist. You can either sell them or donate them.

 

Final Moving Advice

• Expect a surprising number of loose or miscellaneous items at the end—leave time (and empty boxes!) for that last-minute scramble during move-out.
• Schedule a grocery delivery (Instacart or similar) to arrive the day you move in, so you’re not running to the store when you’re exhausted.
• Don’t forget to breathe!

 

Moving Resources (Annapolis)

If you are local to Annapolis, we created a Resource Guide to help make your move as smooth as possible. In it you will find local resources for where to donate or consign items you’re not wanting to move with, dumpsters, storage, junk removal, estate sale help, movers, handyman services, and closet organizers, as well as a linked list of my favorite packing supplies. You can also find a list of my favorite moving supplies in my Amazon Storefront.

Moving is an overwhelming life transition and outsourcing (or just getting help) with the difficult tasks of decluttering, staging, packing and unpacking can make it so much easier to handle. Systems by Susie offers all of these services, as well as moving day coordination and organizing after the unpacking, of course! Please reach out to chat with me about how my team can make your upcoming move the smoothest of your life! 

Know a friend who’s moving to Annapolis? Share this list of moving tips with them and tell them to call me! 

Happy Organizing!

Susie