Unpacking After Moving
Unpacking after moving can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. And just like you made a plan to pack up your home and its belongings, it’s now time to make a plan to unpack them. A good unpacking after moving plan will help keep you organized and get you settled in much faster than approaching the situation with no plan in place. Here are some handy tips to help you create a plan:- Start immediately: Diving in and starting immediately while you still remember where most of the things you packed are located will be much easier than putting it off and having to re-orient yourself.
- Big pieces first: Unload and unpack and place large pieces such as furniture first. Putting large pieces in their place will give structure to rooms, making it easier to unpack smaller items later. Also, make sure you don’t block entrances and keep furniture as far away from doorways as possible to avoid obstructions.
- Hook up the necessities: Hook up/install necessary appliances and make note of where your outlets are located. Most importantly, you should make sure the refrigerator and freezer are up and running and unpack perishable items as soon as possible. Don’t forget to set at least one clock, so you can keep track of time during the day.
- Unpack important items: You may have made a “survival box” of necessities when you packed, so make sure to unpack that and other essential items before moving on to the non-essentials.
- Unload boxes: Start by making sure all boxes are separated by room, and then work your way through the house, unpacking, flatting boxes and throwing away/recycling packing material as you go. If you plan on unpacking over the course of a few days, you may want to unpack only the essentials for each room first, then go back and unpack non-essential items after. If you choose to do this, make sure you do it in an organized, room-by-room manner.
Bonus Tips:
Unpacking is a team operation, so don’t do it all by yourself. Recruit family, friends and even put the kids to work. Just make sure you delegate responsibility fairly and wisely — you may not want young children unpacking china or other fragile materials.
Take breaks as you need them to recharge and re energize your batteries. You may find that this will actually increase your efficiency and reduce your frustration.
