Whether you're moving in a couple of months or a couple of weeks, now is the time to get organized! If you're anything like me, you have accumulated a ton of things since moving out on your own. Packing and getting ready to move is stressful enough, but adding piles and piles of clutter to be cleaned out just makes it even more daunting. It's hard to know where to begin when it comes to decluttering, so I'll share tips below on how to organize your apartment when moving.

Pick A Room To Begin With

Start small. Pick one room in your new apartment and start there. You don't want to overwhelm yourself with trying to get the entire apartment organized all at once. Focus on one room at a time, and work on making it feel like home.

Once you've picked a room, focus on how you want it to look, feel and function for you as a person who lives there full-time. Write down what you want from each room: kitchen? Dining area? Bedroom? Bathroom? Living room? Office space? Storage space? Relaxation spot? Somewhere for guests to stay overnight? Somewhere for kids to play? Somewhere for pets to run around safely? Once you've made those lists, ask yourself what needs changing or fixing up in each area — paint, furniture placement, wall hangings — whatever it may be!

Declutter the Room First.

Start by decluttering the room you're moving from. You don't want to lug all those boxes around with you when you move, so get rid of anything that isn't necessary for a new living situation (such as old sports equipment or toys). You also don't want to have to sort through all of it later — it'll be much easier if everything has already been boxed up and labeled as "donate" or "keep."

Label The Boxes

Labeling your boxes can save you a lot of time and energy when unpacking. Each box should have a label on it so that once you get to your new place, you know exactly where everything goes. You can even use labels that say things like "Kitchen" or "Bedroom." Label them before you move them into storage so they're ready to go when it's time to unpack.

Plan Ahead With Packing Boxes, Supplies, And Help.

No matter how small your new home is, there are going to be things that don't fit in your car or truck. If you live in a big city like New York or San Francisco, this might mean hiring a moving company to transport those items for you. If you're moving somewhere less populated, however, it's likely that you'll be able to fit everything into one vehicle.

Either way, make sure that you have plenty of packing supplies on hand before you start packing up your stuff. This includes boxes (cheap ones), bubble wrap/foam peanuts/packing paper/tape/markers/duct tape/zip ties/labels (to mark which room each box belongs in). You'll also want to budget for moving supplies like dollies, blankets and furniture pads.

Clean The Apartment

If you haven’t cleaned your apartment since moving in, now is the time to do it! Start by dusting off all of the furniture and cleaning up any trash that may have accumulated. Next, mop the floors and vacuum any rugs or carpets that you have in the home. Once everything has been thoroughly cleaned and dusted, take some time to organize all of your belongings into their proper places.