Organize Your Home Day
Today is Organize Your Home day and we have a special guest blogger, Tiffany Struck, from Awestruck Organizing who is going to share her best professional tips for organizing your home for an upcoming PCS.
Organized Prepping for PCS
Tiffany Struck
Awestruck Organizing, LLC
Fort Meade MD, 20755
As a veteran of the US Army, Navy wife, mother of 2 and business owner of Awestruck Organizing, LLC, I’ve had my fair share of PCS experiences. I joined the Army when I was 17 and have lived this “military life” now for almost 20 years. With countless moves under my belt and a ton of transitions in this military lifestyle, I have learned quite a bit! I’ve combined my experience with military life and my expertise as a professional organizer to create an organized way to prep your home for a PCS. If you are getting ready to move on to your next duty station, follow this step by step guide to help you get organized for your PCS move.
1. Declutter your home.
● Start no later than 6 months out from your pack out date
-If you wait till the last minute, this will be overwhelming and things will be overlooked and cause your unpacking in the new home to be messy and stressful, as well as prolonged due to being unorganized and a cluttered mess.
● Start with the most cluttered space in your home
-This will give you an immediate feeling of accomplishment and momentum to keep going
● Pick a decluttering strategy.
-There are so many strategies out there on how to tackle the clutter. Just pick the one that works best for you and go! With any strategy, just remember that progress is moving forward now matter how you are doing it.
● Dont keep the things that won't make it through another move
-The bookshelf you've had since college that is leaning to one side and barely held together during the last move can be replaced.
● Whatever is being donated, gifted, or trashed, GET IT OUT of your house! -Do not let it pile up. Get rid of these items ASAP.
-If you’re donating items, check your installation for organizations to donate to. For example: Spouses club, Social clubs, USO, etc…
2. Create your “no packing” zone
● Decide on an area
-This is the area that will hold all of the things that will not be packed in your household goods.
● Create categories
-Some people are not always going straight to their next duty station right away. If you are taking leave or have temporary living plans, you will need to pack accordingly. As you pack, keep these items separate within the “no packing” zone. Anything that you will need daily or very regularly during your transition time should be in the “no packing” zone.
● Set aside prohibited items
-There are certain items that some moving companies will not pack. If you want to keep any of these items, they will need to be put in the “no packing” zone and transported another way.
1. Packing day prep
● Read the contract
-Make sure you understand the contract of the moving company and your orders. Make sure you know what the moving company is responsible for and will and will not do. For example: some companies will not remove wall decor or empty drawers.
● Wall decor
-If the moving company will not remove wall decor, remove and set aside in the room it belongs in. The packers can pack and label it accordingly by room. When you unpack you will know exactly where it belongs in your new home.
● Empty the drawers
-If a drawer has a lot of little things in it and will need to be in a drawer together at the new home, bag the items together and label the bag. Leave it on top of the furniture piece or in the room it belongs to. For example: Side table drawer. Master bedroom. This will also give your movers a break physically when moving big furniture pieces.
● Clothes
-Any clothes that are being packed for the move that may be in storage for a while or shipped overseas, put into space saver bags with a laundry dryer sheet to keep them fresh and label the bag.
-Any clothes that need to be on hangers, keep them on hangers and put trash bags around them and tie them at the top to make for easier unpacking.
● Disassembling
-If you take any item apart that needs to be reassembled when unpacking the new home, place all nuts, bolts, screws and small pieces into a Ziplock bag. Label the bag and set aside to be packed in the parts box.
● High value Items
-label any items that are of high value so that it can be itemized on your packing list as high value and packed with extra care.
Don’t over think this process and try to enjoy all the things you will gain. More space to enjoy in your new home. More time to enjoy with your family because you will be settled in the new home faster. Last but definitely not the least, the feeling of being awestruck with the spaces and routines you will create in your new home.
If are interested in learning more about getting your home organized for a PCS or just in general, Tiffany is your girl.
Website: https://www.awestruckorganizing.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awestruck.organizing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awestruckorganizing