The Best Way to Clean and Organize Your New Home After a Move

After moving into a new home, you want to settle in as fast as possible while keeping the experience as stress free as possible. We’ve put together an eight-step action plan for you to clean, organize and stay chill on move-in day.

Sometimes organizing your new home starts while you’re packing up the old one. 

Experts say one in four Americans has a clutter problem, and they’re probably right. Purge all those unloved toys, old kitchenware, paper files and anything you deem unnecessary for your new life from your packing boxes. Donate books to the local library, and give old clothes that don’t fit to charity. 

Don’t let clutter rule your life, and getting organized after a move will be much easier. 

An empty house is the easiest to clean. 

If the carpet is dirty, shampoo it while your furniture is en route. Mop floors too. Keep cleaning supplies handy to wipe down shelves, cabinets, drawers and countertops while your stuff is still packed. If you can’t take care of move-in cleaning during your move, hire a cleaning service . It’s also a good idea to keep things tidy and clean as you unpack.  

Remember those boxes of must-have things you packed for each member of the family—the ones that contain items you’ll need for the first days in your new home? Some call them “ essentials boxes ,” and now is the time to find them. This way, you’ll be able to have that morning cup of coffee without searching for the pot. 

Make a list of every space in your new home: each room, coat closet, shed, basement, attic, mudroom and pantry. Decide what you’ll use each space for, such as designating bedrooms for family members, allocating rooms for an office or a guest bedroom, identifying storage space and deeming multipurpose areas as a game room, a craft room or something else. 

Once your boxes start coming off of the truck, place them in the correct room. The boxes themselves are likely marked on the outside by color code, number or description. Add the room name on each box if it’s not already marked to know quickly which box goes where.

Place area rugs in rooms, then set up beds, dressers, couches, chairs, tables, desks and other large furniture pieces where you want them. You’ll be able to move smaller things around much easier once the biggest job is done. 

Write down your list of rooms in an “unpacking order.” List frequently used rooms like the bathroom and kitchen first, followed by rooms in order of priority with lesser-used rooms last, like a library. 

Focus on organizing each single room, which will also allow you time for spot cleaning. After each room is complete, move on to the next room, satisfied you’ve done a thorough job. 

Whether you think it will take a week, a month or more, create a timeline with an estimated date when you want to be fully unpacked. Plan for about 10 minutes per box of large items and 30 minutes per box of smaller items. Then stick to it. 

After you’re all moved in and the house is clean and organized, make an effort to keep it that way. Wash the dishes after dinner. Rather than walking by the messy spots or clutter in your living room, clean them up as you go. Learn to put things away after you use them. 

A new habit of keeping your home clean, tidy and healthy also may keep your life more organized as well.

Call (434) 509-0515 or get a free, no-obligation quote online , and see how Quality Moving Services can help make your next Charlottesville, Va., move easy and stress free.

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