From Princeton to Chicago: Packing a Historic Victorian Home on Library Place
Some moves are about boxes. This one was about trust. Over almost two years, Galina and the Organizing NJ team went from organizing a longtime client's Princeton home to packing her entire home for her move to Chicago, coordinating the movers and preparing her new unpacking team before a single box arrived.
A Home With a Story
Einstein's first Princeton home, a multifamily Victorian
Our client lived in a multifamily Victorian home at the corner of Library Place and Mercer Street, a house with its own place in Princeton history. When Albert Einstein arrived in Princeton in 1933, this is where he first lived, renting part of the house before buying his better-known home at 112 Mercer Street.
Packing a residence in a historic multifamily house takes extra planning: narrow Victorian staircases, original woodwork and floors to protect, shared entrances and neighbors to respect, and a moving-day route through the building that doesn't disrupt anyone else. We planned every room, and the path out of the building, before the first box was taped.
At a glance
• Location: Library Place, Princeton, NJ
• Destination: Chicago, IL
• Client since: Fall 2024
• Move date: August 2026
• Services: whole-home packing, packing supplies, donation handling, moving-day coordination, video walkthroughs and handoff to an unpacking team in Chicago
• Team: Galina and the Organizing NJ team
Built on Trust
A client relationship built over time
We began working with our client in the fall of 2024, organizing her home and helping keep it running smoothly. Over that year we came to know her home, her routines and what mattered most to her.
We also knew she was waiting for a heart transplant.
On December 6, she sent Galina a message: "It's go time. They have a heart."
We were among the first people she told, on her way to the hospital. Months later, when she was ready to move to Chicago to be closer to her family, she asked us to handle the move.
Packing her entire home, without putting her at risk
Less than a year after her transplant, our client was still immunocompromised. Our priority was to keep the move as low-risk and low-stress for her as possible.
• We packed her entire home, room by room, so she didn't have to.
• We purchased all the packing supplies, so nothing had to be ordered, picked up or managed by her.
• We handled the donations: everything she wasn't taking was sorted and given to local charities.
• She could stop by when she felt up to it, but she didn't need to be there for the packing or on moving day. That kept her exposure low while her home was full of people, boxes and dust.
• We worked directly with the movers on moving day, at her request, so she had one point of contact: us.
The Color-Coded System
Every room got its own color, and every box was labeled with that color, so the movers in Princeton and the unpacking team in Chicago could see at a glance where each box belonged.
• Kitchen: red
• Primary bedroom: orange
• Storage: purple
• Every other room had its own color too
This made counting easy. The Chicago team could see exactly how many kitchen boxes were coming (all the red ones) and plan their first day around them.
Handing off to the Chicago unpacking team
A long-distance move usually breaks down at the handoff: one team packs, a different team unpacks, and nobody tells them what's coming. We made sure that didn't happen. Before moving day, we sent the Chicago team:
• A color-coded floor plan of her new home, so every color matched a room in the new space
• The color key for every box, so they knew where everything went before the truck arrived
• Detailed video walkthroughs of her Princeton home, recorded before we packed, showing how every cabinet, closet and drawer was set up and what was in it: how many pots, how many pans, which dishes she used every day
The Chicago team knew what to expect before the first box came off the truck. They could plan cabinet space for the kitchen before opening a single red box, and set up her new home the way she was used to living.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you coordinate with an unpacking team in another state?
Yes. Before we pack, we record detailed video walkthroughs of your current home so the receiving team can see what you own and how it was set up. Before moving day, we send them a color-coded floor plan of your new home and a box key, so they know where everything goes and what to unpack first.
Do you provide packing supplies?
Yes. We purchase everything needed (boxes, tape, paper and labels) so you don't have to source or store them.
Do I need to be home while you pack?
No. Many clients stop by when convenient. For clients with health concerns, we plan the work so they can stay away during the busiest days.
What happens to things I'm not taking?
We sort them and handle donations to local charities, so nothing is left behind for you to deal with.
Do you work with my movers?
Yes. We can be your point of contact on moving day, working directly with the movers so you don't have to.
Planning a Move From Princeton?
Whether you're moving across town or across the country, Galina and her team can plan, pack and coordinate it from start to finish, and make sure whoever meets you on the other end knows exactly what's coming.
See all our Princeton organizing services