While preparing to pack up your household and move to a new home, you may feel as though you are caught up in a whirlwind while trying to remember everything you need to do. To help you stay on track while keeping your sanity, use the following tips for creating a master organizational plan while preparing for a move.

Make a Master Packing Key

To keep yourself organized while getting things together for packing, making a master packing key helps you know where everything is supposed to go. It can also help you locate items after the move is completed and you are ready to unpack.

A master packing key has separate sections for each room. Inside each section, there is a list of everything in that particular room. While you do not have to write the name of every item, you can write the category, such as toiletries for the bathroom or flatware for the kitchen.

The packing key is completed before you pack the first box. About a month before your move, devote several hours to each room so you can take a short inventory. Then, transfer your list to color-coded pages to designate the color for a particular room. If you are ambitious, you can also alphabetize the list to make locating items even easier.

While you are packing, mark the boxes with stickers or a marker that represents the room in which the contents belong. Then, number the boxes, and write the corresponding number down next to each item placed in a specific box.

After the move is completed, you can look at the list to find the location of any specific item. Just look at a room's master key, then find the box with the same number written next to it.

Figure Out and Schedule Your Time Frame

Another hectic part of moving involves all of the things you need to do beforehand. These tasks can include signing the final paperwork, switching over your utilities, and even deciding when you want to start packing up each room.

To make this part of the move easier, sit down and write out everything you know you need to get done. Have a calendar close by so you can visualize your time frame, then start scheduling appointments with yourself. You can either write this on a calendar, set reminders on your phone, or jot down the dates next to items on your list.

For example, you probably do not want to wait until the day before the movers arrive to start packing up boxes. To spread out the work, select dates you want to have each room completed by.

Also, consider the use of the room. While you may be able to get away with packing the guest bedroom two weeks before moving day, you will need to wait on most items in your bathroom so you and your family can still take care of personal care needs.

Another thing you should include on your list are any important business tasks that need to be completed. For example, you will need to contact your utility companies a couple of weeks before you move to let them know when to shut service off at your old house.

You will also want to fill out a change of address form with the post office at least a week before you move. This ensures the information is changed in their system so your mail is not lost or delayed. Along with changing your address with the post office, also notify your bill companies to reduce the risk of receiving a bill past the due date.

Having a plan of action while preparing for a move can help keep you from feeling stressed out and overwhelmed, as well as keep you from forgetting important things. For more information, contact a residential moving service like NextView Moving to seek out their advice, as well as to see if they have their own moving checklist that may be able to help you.