How to Prep Your Closets for a Move
When you are getting ready to move, your to-do list is full of tasks to tackle before the big day, including figuring out the best way to move clothes. It might be tempting to let the movers toss everything in a box and deal with the mess once you unpack. Or you can save time, money, and space by finding the best way to pack and fold your clothes and working with your movers to create an organized transition into your new home. Here are our favorite tips for moving clothes!
Get Organized Before Moving Clothes
The first step to preparing your closet for a move is to get organized. Yes, we understand you’ll be moving soon but when you take the time to organize the items in your current closet, packing clothes for moving becomes much easier, less time-consuming, and more affordable when you make sure you only take the things you know you’ll wear.
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Keep, Donate, and Discard
Edit the items in your closet with these three words in mind. Keep what you love and have worn in the past year and for everything else, donate items in good condition and discard anything with holes or stains.
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Do Your Laundry
Take time to wash or dry clean any soiled clothing in your hamper or your dry-cleaning bag. That way when you unpack, your clothes will be clean and ready to wear, giving you one less chore to tackle as you settle into your new home.
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Choose Personal Belongings
Your moving company will give you a clear direction on how they will pack your closet. Oftentimes they provide wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes and traditional boxes for everything else. When you are moving locally or just a short distance, you can save money by filling up your SUV with as many boxes of personal items as you can manage. So, think about what you might want to send on the truck and what to transport on your own.
How to Pack Hanging Clothes for Moving
Now that you have an idea of what you have, it’s time to decide how to pack your hanging clothes. Remember that your moving company will provide packaging and possibly some manpower, but you might prefer to pack your clothing to be sure you can manage what packing method you use and what you might take on your own.
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Garment Bags
Often used to transport suits or formal wear, garment bags offer additional protection to some of the more expensive clothing items that you might choose to transport yourself. And they can be used in conjunction with either of the storage methods noted in this section.
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Bundles covered with plastic bags
An inexpensive and efficient solution to transport less delicate, personal items such as coats in local or short-distance moves, simply break your hanging clothes into bundles and tie them together. Then cover each bundle with a large, heavy-duty lawn and garden plastic bag and tie a knot at the bottom. This will protect what’s inside while in transit and make sure anything that slips off the hanger doesn’t get lost.
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Wardrobe Boxes
The preferred method for most any moving company, wardrobe boxes are a great way to keep your clothes hanging and protected all in one. Made of heavy-duty cardboard with a hanging rod inside, they provide a natural staging area as you pack and unpack while keeping your space clutter-free.
How to Fold Clothes to Save Space
The key to moving your folded clothes is keeping them as neatly organized in transit as they are on your closet shelf. The challenge is finding a moving container that can keep them that way. Just like hanging clothes, your moving company will provide packaging. But when you are moving locally or a short distance, it’s up to you to decide what items you’d prefer to transport on your own. No matter what you choose, save space and roll each folded item as if you are packing it in a suitcase to travel. Not only will you remove the stress of keeping all those stacks straight, but you’ll also make the most of every inch of storage space in the storage method you choose.
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Plastic bins
A great solution that keeps items well protected, plastic bins with lids can help you keep your new home organized while you unpack by stacking neatly out of the way in the rooms where they need to go. Not only are they a great post move solution for seasonal items that you only need during certain times of the year, but they are also easy for your movers to transport them as they are.
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Suitcases
A must-have for the clothing you’ll need during your move, consider using any extra suitcases to hold any folded items you don’t want to be placed in a box, bin, or a drawer.
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Drawers
Take the folded items from your closet and make room for them in your dresser drawers. Your movers will either leave drawers full and secure them for the move or empty them into traditional moving boxes. Either way, you’ll be in control of what gets packed and how it’s moved.
Don’t Forget Shoes and Accessories
Finally, let’s talk about your shoes and accessories. Easily the best part of any outfit, they deserve as much attention as the rest of your belongings and in some cases, even more. And because they come in awkward shapes and sizes, it’s even more important to pack them well.
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Shoes
With a little extra care, your movers can safely move shoes in a basic moving box. Be sure to ask them to stuff each shoe with moving paper and then warp each pair together so you can easily unpack them. Heaviest shoes will go in first and every pair will be organized heel to toe. Consider asking for heels and boots to be placed in separate boxes so they don’t get scuffed.
Handbags
Just like when they pack your shoes, your movers will take special care to stuff paper inside and individually wrap each handbag so they can be stored in moving boxes without getting scuffed. Take note of how they layer them inside the box, making sure the lightest, smallest bags go on top so that they can retain their shape.
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Jewelry
Best transported in your moving week luggage, invest in a few inexpensive jewelry rolls. Not only will they keep your necklaces organized and pairs of earrings together, but they’ll also offer you an out-of-the-way, easy storage solution while you get your new closet organized with all the other items you’ll need to unpack.
9 Tricks to Keep Your New Closet Organized
Your new closet is a clean slate, full of opportunities to help you get and stay organized right from the start. That’s why it’s so important to take time on the front end of your move to edit and organize your belongings and then pack them in a way that saves you time and space. Before you unpack, take a good look at your closet to see if it has the kind of storage solution you need. In any closet, the space-saving features you’ll love most are adjustable.
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1
Adjustable Hanging
Organize your hanging clothes from short to long and place them in their own sections of the closet. Use adjustable hanging rods so that you can move them up and down depending on the items in that section.
2
Slim Hangers
Use slim hangers to allow more items to be stored in each hanging section.
3
Floor Space
Use the space below the bottom of your hanging items to store your unused suitcase.
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4
Adjustable Shelves
Use adjustable shelves to manage the height of each stack of folded clothes so that they don’t fall over.
5
Shelf Dividers
Movable shelf dividers make it possible to have stacks side by side on a single shelf and to keep things organized when you remove the items you want.
6
Drawers
Bring the dresser inside the closet. You’ll have all of your folded items right you need them as you get dressed each day and they’ll be neatly organized tucked inside each custom drawer.
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7
Adjustable Shoe Storage
The Inspired Closets Shoe Shrine® will change how you view the importance of shoe storage. Adjustable shoe organization for every pair in any size, you’ll never have to look for a missing shoe again.
8
Jewelry Solutions
From traditional jewelry drawers with velvet trays to vertical jewelry organizers with hooks for hanging, keeping your favorite pieces organized and easy to see will make getting dressed just that much more fun.
9
Upper Shelves
An out-of-the-way spot for things you don’t need as often, upper shelves make it easy to rotate your clothes seasonally and to store items in bins that you want to keep close by.
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Moving to a new home can be exciting and fun. It can also be a lot of work. That’s why it’s so important to plan ahead when it comes to both getting ready and moving clothes to incorporate adjustable, space-saving features in your new closet. When you are ready to start thinking about how to customize your new closet, just complete this form and we’ll be happy to give you a call. Our team will work together with you to create a design that will make the most of the space you have to create a closet that we know you’ll love. And to learn more about what buyers are looking for in a new home and how we can help, visit our article here.
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Our promise to you is a custom closet experience from beginning to end that leaves you feeling inspired. Custom means uniquely you, and for us, it’s not about creating a new space, but rather creating a uniquely you custom closet space that you’ll absolutely love. A custom closet that you’ll love for years to come. A closet system you’ll want to tell your best friend about. A custom closet you’ll want to show your sister over FaceTime, if necessary.
How much does a custom closet cost?
How much does a custom closet cost? It’s easily the most frequently asked question and the answer is: It depends – mostly on the size of the space and what we’re putting into that space. When considering a custom closet, the easiest way to think about cost is a simple phrase, “more product = more cost”.
Can I see my design before I purchase?
Yes, you can! Designing a closet is a process and we want to make sure that the final design is one you’ll love for years to come, which is why we use proprietary software that allows you to compare different designs with the click of a button. Wondering if you have enough drawers in your design? Swapping out a few shelves and replacing them with drawers is an easy change. Want to see an entire section change from long hang to double hang? Again, our design s...
How long does it take to install a custom closet?
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Can I adjust my closet after it’s installed?
Together we will design a space that can change with you over time, and that built-in flexibility is the key. Your custom solution is created uniquely for you, so we make sure we understand your needs from the start and design a space that will take care of those needs now and in the future. We want your final installation to feel like the rest of your home so we make sure to consider your interior design style while making recommendations.
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How do I organize my shoes?
No matter how big or small your home is, shoes present an organizational challenge. Most shoe racks, shoe shelves, and closet shoe organizers take a one-size-fits-all approach which can lead to disorganization and frustration. So we work with clients to relieve that frustration by creating closet shoe organization solutions to keep each pair organized.
What is my closet made of and how do I care for it?
When you decide to install a custom closet in your home, you are choosing to add a new structure that will be there for years to come. So it’s important to know what your custom closet materials are made of and how to care for them so that they will always have that same fresh look they had on installation day.
How do I organize my small closet?
Getting and staying organized at home can be a challenge, and it’s even more of an issue when your closets are small. That’s why we asked professional organizer and Inspired Closets Vermont co-owner Elizabeth Warren to share her favorite small closet organization ideas. Here are her tips for how to make the most out of the space you have to create an organized closet you’ll love.
How do I get ready for closet installation day?
We lay this foundation during your initial design consultation, taking the time to get to know you and evaluate your space. Our proprietary software enables us to offer you a collaborative experience where you can see your design come to life and make changes in real-time so you’ll know exactly what it will look like once it’s installed.
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