Order and a degree of organisation when moving house

Monapart Alicante interview with Ana Samper, creator of the website Orden y Con Cierto, who gives us the keys to starting off on the right foot the journey that moving home entails for everyone.

Lately, tidiness and organisation have become very fashionable, so much so that they help us find a turning point in our lives and also the balance that allows us to work and live in tidy spaces. This is the purpose of Ana Samper, Personal Organizer and creator of the website Order and With Certainty.

Monapart: Ana, tell us a bit more about yourself

Ana: Orden y Con Cierto was established in 2013, following the birth of my second child. At that time, I realised that I had an innate talent for tidying, as I carried out several house and office moves that year. I have always liked tidying, organising and planning – not in a methodical way, but permanently, harmoniously and aesthetically. Then I thought that perhaps I could help other people tidy their homes... So I searched the internet and... I discovered a whole new world!

I have always liked tidying, organising and planning in a permanent, harmonious and aesthetic way.

I opened a blog and started writing about the things I did at home to organise. I gave tips, suggestions… and little by little people started to read it. At first it was just a way to share interests, the possibility of someone calling me to organise their wardrobe seemed very far away! But really, everyone I told thought it was very interesting, so no sooner said than done, in 2015 I moved the blog to the Elle magazine platform to get more views. At that moment two things happened: I discovered the capsule wardrobe system Project 333 and the book fell into my hands Marie Kondo, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying”  and I started putting his techniques into practice, using them as a working methodology for family and friends.

The satisfaction that doing it gave me and that people got after my Orden y Con Cierto sessions was what pushed me to take the step of turning my blog into a website through which to make known not only tips and techniques, but also offer the possibility of providing the service professionally. And so in 2016 was born ordenyconcierto.es. On the website, as well as my services in situ (removals, wardrobe clear-outs, home and office organisation, property search advice), I offer online remote services (schedule and routine organisation, virtual advice), workshops (clothing capsules) and I am starting to provide training for people interested in running their own organising business.

House moves are always an important milestone, as they can be quite complicated and disastrous if not done properly.

Basic tips for a good house move

Moving house is that dreaded moment when our entire life passes before our eyes and through our hands. We always think it is an opportunity to get rid of everything we have accumulated to no purpose and stashed away in some corner of the house or the storage room, and which, in all likelihood, if we do not do something beforehand, will meet the exact same fate in the new home. And in the end, what could become a new life, full of order and harmony, turns into absolute chaos… 

90% of the current mess in homes is down to a botched move and I don't mean by this that the removal company has done a bad job, but most of them do not offer a professional organisation service. They simply pack things up just as you've left them and put them in the new house according to your instructions… and by that point, you're already feeling so overwhelmed that you probably aren't even able to say whether the bed goes in the bedroom… or the kitchen!

There are three things I consider essential for dealing well with a house move:

1. Space planning. It is the prior step to any house move. A large part of its success depends on it, as well as our new life starting with an organised home.
2. Decluttering or getting rid of things. Before packing the boxes, we must get rid of everything that we haven't used for a long time and that we know for sure we won't need in our new home.
3. Planning. We must start boxing things up at least two weeks in advance, room by room, and labelling them with the destination room where they are going. This step will speed up the subsequent relocation process.
    

What are the steps prior to the move and how to organise it?

First search for the area where you want to live, then the type of house, and of course, the price. At this stage, it is always advisable to have a good estate agency as your ally, such as Monapart Alicante. Other factors that are frequently not given enough importance and can later cause a lot of headaches are also decisive. I am referring, for example, to whether the cupboards are easily accessible, whether there is storage space in the kitchen for the cleaning products area or the pantry, whether the hallway is large enough to put some furniture, or whether the bathroom will fit all the towels you have or if you will have to put them on the other side of the house, which is where there is space. In short, it is the day-to-day organisational aspect that will ultimately determine whether or not we feel comfortable in our new home.

What types of clients do you work with?

My clients are usually both families and middle-aged people living alone. The common link between them is a need to tackle an organisational process that, often for emotional reasons, they feel unable to do themselves and which is closely related to their stage in life. Accompanying them in this and helping them to see the way to begin is part of my job.

Have you collaborated with any estate agents? What is your relationship with them like?

Yes, collaboration with estate agents is increasingly important as we offer the removal service as an additional complement to their management of property sales or rentals. This ranges from clearing out the house to placing the furniture and belongings in the new home, as well as obtaining removal quotes or finding properties suited to my clients' needs. This is another of the services I offer, always from an organisational perspective, taking into account all those aspects I mentioned earlier which are nevertheless usually overlooked. I visit the houses, take photos and prepare a report so that my client can choose more easily. Afterwards, I accompany them to view the property if they require it. The aim of my work is to assist my client with all the needs involved in moving home, from start to finish.

The aim of my job is to assist my client with all the needs involved in moving home, from start to finish.

I think that choosing a good estate agent and having a professional organising service will make moving into a new home truly a joy, and allow you to start your new life with order and harmony.

We also think the same and advise you to follow Ana very closely on her channel too YouTube like in Pinterest e Instagram. Soon we'll be back with another post for Ana to tell us all about Wardrobe Organisation, you won't want to miss it!