Maybe you spent weeks before your big move packing each box on your own, maybe the moving company came through and efficiently dispatched your whole home into boxes in a day or two. Either way, the move is done, and now your new home is filled with mountains of boxes ready for you to unpack.
While most people find unpacking the most time consuming, stressful, and just generally loathsome chore, it doesn’t have to be this way. Today we are sharing 5 tips for a stress-free unpacking experience:
#1: Pack a Moving Day “GO” Box With The Essentials
Collect everything you’ll need for a comfortable first night and day in your new house and pack it into a box, plastic tote or two that are clearly marked and ideally travels with you (vs with the moving van.). This box or tote should have:
- Kitchen essentials: paper towels, plastic cutlery, paper plates, dish soap, disinfectant cleaning wipes, trash bags, non-perishable snacks, bottled water, and breakfast items.
- Bedroom essentials: Sheets, blankets, pillows, change of clothes
- Bathroom essentials: Toiletries, towel, toilet paper, prescription medicines, basic first aid items (band-aids, pain reliever, stomach ache remedy)
- Miscellaneous – Phone and laptop chargers, scissors or box knife, Bluetooth speaker, cleaning supplies
#2: Organize Boxes by Room
When packing, be sure to clearly label boxes with locations, and create a checklist of how many boxes belong in which rooms. (Hiring a professional moving company like On the Move to pack your items will give you an advantage here, good movers will label and list for you.) When it comes time to move in, instead of making one big dumping ground of all the boxes, deliver them to their intended rooms. With this method, you’ll be set to unpack efficiently, and will be able to tell at a glance if boxes are missing from your checklist.
#3: Work from Biggest to Smallest
Start by getting appliances, furniture, beds, and other larger items in place. It’s much easier to move an empty bookshelf to a different wall, after all. Beds and dressers should be a high priority to give everyone a good nights’ rest in their own familiar bed – giving a sense of comfort in a time of change.
#4: Unpack by Importance
Once you have the furniture and bedding in place, unpack spaces in order of importance. Bathrooms should be a quick and easy unload, then you’ll want to make a run on the kitchen. Some experts recommend waiting to set up the TV and media until the rest of the house is unpacked, we say make your living space comfortable. If that means you set up the TV and binge a show before unpacking the rest of the house – whatever it takes (which leads us solidly into our 5th point….)
#5: Take your time
After spending the past few weeks packing and hustling around getting to your new destination, it’s easy to get caught up in a stress-laced pace of getting all of the unpacking knocked out at a fever pitch. Remember that once you have the main essential areas (bedrooms and kitchen) done or at least mostly done, you don’t necessarily have a deadline.
On the Move can help with any of your packing, moving, and storage needs. Contact us today for a free quote!
