Moving into a new home is an exciting, yet sometimes stressful experience. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a magic button that you could press and everything would be unpacked and in its correct place? Unfortunately, that hasn’t been invented yet. There are several things you could do to make the unpacking process more efficient and get you relaxing and enjoying your new home.
Sort Your Belongings by Room
One thing to do is to pack up things together that are going to the same location in the house. If it belongs in the kitchen, place everything in the box that belongs in the kitchen. Write a quick inventory on a post-it note and tape it under the packing tape of each box. You might have several boxes that belong in one room and knowing what is in the boxes will make unpacking quicker. If you know the floor plan of your house, sketch a design of how you want things arranged. If you have children that are old enough, they might enjoy designing their room and it may ease any nervousness of moving. Also, only pack what you want or need. If you want to donate items, a yard sale after you move into your new home is a good way to meet your new neighbors. Pack an essentials box that will go with you in your vehicle that has things you might need right away such as toiletries.
You probably want to get everything unpacked your first day, but depending on the home size, that might not be an option. There is an organizational method to unpacking that will get you unpacked efficiently and not leave you looking for the necessities. Before you unpack anything, give the rooms of your house a quick cleaning. This will make things fresh and is much easier to do without boxes everywhere.
Begin with Appliances
If you have any major appliances, unpack those first. Those will be difficult to maneuver around boxes. Plug in your refrigerator if there wasn’t one already installed at your new home and if you brought any food in ice chests, put that away in your fridge. After all of the larger items are moved into the house, place the boxes in whatever room they belong in. This way you don’t have to go searching for where things belong from the beginning.
The first thing you need to unpack your box of smaller appliances in the kitchen such as your coffee pot or microwave. You might need to make a cup of coffee to fuel your unpacking marathon. You also might need to warm a quick meal if you don’t feel like cooking.
Unpack Bedroom Items Second
The next thing you should unpack is the bedrooms. If you have small children, unpack their rooms first. This will make them feel more comfortable with the move. If they take naps during the day, you don’t want to have a cranky baby or toddler without a place to sleep. It will also give them an area to play that isn’t in the path of moving traffic. Put together all of the beds in the bedrooms. After a long day of unpacking, the last thing you want to worry about is putting together a place to sleep. If you have older children or teenagers, have them start unpacking their rooms.
Don’t Forget Bathroom Essentials
Another area you are going to want to unpack before other areas is the bathroom. Install your shower curtains and unpack any essentials needed for showering. You’re probably going to get sweaty moving everything and will want a shower at the end of the day.
Once you have these areas unpacked, you could focus on the rest of the boxes without having to worry about the essentials. Taking these steps will start the flow of your unpacking in an organized way and help the process of moving into your new home be less stressful.
