Whether it's across town or across country, each year millions of people make the big decision to pack up their stuff and move--which, according to many professional organizers, provides the best opportunity to finally get organized.

If you're moving to a pre-existing home, right after the move is often the best time to install that new master bedroom closet, kitchen pantry, garage storage area or laundry room. That's the beauty of moving--the new place is completely empty, a blank slate waiting to be created . . . and organized.

But you need a solid plan for all that packing, moving and cleaning. To best prepare for organizing your new home, develop a detailed Home Organization Plan for each room before you move, and before the new place becomes even more cluttered than the previous house.

An effective tool for storage and organization planning is the ClosetMaid Visual Storage Planner, an interactive program created to help movers design their perfect closet or storage area before a single box is packed. Regardless if you're moving to a new or existing house, it will require some pre-moving planning. However, with an existing home, it does require some very specific planning; for example, if you've bought a home with closets you hate, you're probably thinking that single rod and ugly plank board shelf have to go. Question is, do you wait until you're moved in, or tackle the job now? If you plan to wait, it's always wise to not pile in tons of clothing, boxes and general house clutter--it could deter you later from wanting to unpack the closet for organizing.

Here are some good tips for pre-planning each room to help ensure your new home is at optimum organization:

Start Your List Early
Whether it's on your computer or a scratch pad, before acquiring even one packing box, develop a tracking and record-keeping system. It's a good idea to number each box and identify its contents on a list--that way you can track each household item after the packing, making it easier to find things in the new house.

Have Ample Supplies
You'll probably need more supplies than you're thinking. The last thing you'll want is scrambling for more boxes at the last minute. So be sure you have plenty of packing tape, packing paper or bubble wrap to protect each household item--again, you can't have too many supplies!

Advanced Packing
Do all the advanced packing you can--it'll save you valuable time on moving day. If you're moving in the winter time, pre-pack all those beach towels and swimwear. The last 3-4 weeks before moving you can probably do without 75 percent of your cooking utensils, so pack them. And keep food supplies to only the bare essentials. Garbage cans also can be packed with smaller household items inside

Designate a Central Control Center
Designate a specific spot in the old house as the Official Packing Control Center; this is the place for keeping all the packing boxes, pens, tape, labels and other moving supplies. If these items are taken from your Control Center, be sure to return them.

Color-Coded Rooms
Yellow: kitchen. Blue: dining room. Red: great room. Designate a color for each room in the new home by applying colored stickers on each room-related box--then place matching colored stickers on the door to each corresponding room. This way, the movers will know exactly where to put everything in case you're not there. Also, it's smart to post signage in each room regarding where you want boxes stacked.

Utilize Luggage
People often forget to fill all luggage with items such as bedding, sheets, clothes and small household items.

Be Mindful of Highly Valued Items
It's always a good idea to keep highly valuable possessions such as money, silverware, or antiques with you. If you must have the movers take them, mark the box "miscellaneous bathroom" items and check your homeowner's insurance to see how you are covered. Also, it may be worth the extra cost for additional insurance from the mover.

Vital Documents
Your list of vital documents might include birth certificates, school records, mover estimates, new job contacts, utility company numbers, recent bank records, current bills, phone lists, closing papers, realtor info, maps and more. Don't entrust these with the mover; keep them in your possession!

With a little planning and the right storage and organization products, moves can look forward to enjoying an improved sense of order in their new home, right from the start. Most organizing experts agree, there's no better time to get organized than moving time.