Each year, over 35 million Americans move. If you’re about to be part of that group, you need to organize and declutter your stuff.
Luckily, you can use tools like storage crates to separate items by size or type, and you can get rid of unwanted things in the process.
Keep reading to learn how storage crates can help you organize everything next time you move somewhere new.
Determine How Much You Have
When you first decide to use storage crates during a move, you should figure out how much stuff you have. But consider what you can fit in storage crates.
You may have a lot of furniture, but those items can probably go by themselves. Good items for storage crates include books, kitchen supplies and electronics.
Anything that you can fit with other small items in a crate can work. To determine how much of these items you have so that you can figure out how many crates to get.
If you don’t have any storage crates, you can rent or buy them. But you should get as many of them as you can to fit all of your belongings.
Get The Right Storage Crate Sizes
Once you have an idea of what you plan to put in your storage crates, consider sizing. If you have some bulky items, like pots and pans, measure them.
You can get an idea of how long the handle is and how big the item is overall. Consider getting storage crates in a few different sizes.
That way, you won’t have to squish the larger items into a small container. But you also won’t have smaller items floating around.
Especially if you are moving far away, you need to make sure the storage crates will protect your items during transit. That way, you can unload everything safely when you get to your new home.
Categorize The Storage Crates
After you have a few storage crates in different sizes, you should categorize them. Different categories can help with decluttering during a move.
You can add labels to make everything look need and put together. Then, your family will know what to put where while they pack their stuff.
Categorizing crates can also help if you have stuff to get rid of. Perhaps you have a lot of books you never use or some old clothes that you don’t wear.
You can use some of your storage crates for items you won’t take with you. Then, you can find a place to sell or donate the unwanted stuff.
Separate Donations And Sales
If you have a lot of stuff to sell or donate, you should organize it into a couple of storage crates. You can use a different organization system from your other boxes.
As long as you keep these things away from what you want to keep, moving will be easier. You can take a box of books to a used book store.
Old clothes can go to a consignment shop, or you can try to sell them online. If you choose to sell your items, keeping organized is essential.
You don’t want to list an item, have someone buy it and not be able to find the item to ship it. So make sure you label your donation or sales storage crates and keep them out of the way while you pack.
Start Packing
After you nail down a move date and have booked your moving company, you can start packing the rest of your storage crates. You may be able to pack some things farther out, while other items will have to wait.
So if you have a crate for kitchen supplies, leave room for your daily kitchen items. That way, you won’t need to get another box or crate at the last minute.
Like with the donations, you can label your storage crates. But you should also be flexible with what you pack and where.
Sometimes, you won’t know how things fit until you start packing. If something doesn’t fit where you planned to put it, you can change it. However, it’s good to start with some idea of how to organize your moving crates.
Load Up The Storage Crates
Come moving day, you will need to load all of your belongings into a truck or van. If you have a professional moving company, they can do the loading for you.
And in this case, labeling your storage crates can help. You can make sure that the movers are careful with delicate items, and you can ensure everything makes it onto the truck.
As you finish loading, double-check that you have everything. It may help to have a storage crate just for last-minute items like your toiletries and medications.
Either way, you’re ready to lock up your old home and head to your new place. Assuming you’ve been keeping organized, you can enjoy the drive and get ready for the final stage of moving crates and boxes.
Unload And Unpack
The last step in moving is to unload the truck and get your belongings into your new house. You may want to leave your storage crates on the truck and unload your furniture and big items first.
Then, you can put those where you want them to go. You won’t have to worry about tripping over small crates.
After you have your big items ready to go, you can start unloading your storage crates. If you used labels, you can easily find various items, so you can unpack more quickly.
You can also use your moving crates to store items that you aren’t ready to unpack. For example, maybe you have some winter gear that you won’t need for a few months.
You can keep everything in that crate, and you can store it in an extra room for the colder months.
Making Storage Crates Work For You
Storage crates are excellent for organizing and decluttering during a move. You can organize items by category, so you can find them later.
Crates come in all sizes, and you can use them with boxes and other moving gear. Then, you can make your move as seamlessly as possible.
Are you ready for some help decluttering and moving? Check out our moving services and book your move today.
