After all the dust has settled on moving day, your work isn't
done quite yet. Now it's time to roll up your sleeves once again
and start unpacking all of your boxes and belongings to settle into
your new home.
Unpacking made easy: Be proactive
You've probably heard friends and family say time and time again
that they moved into their home X months ago and are still
unpacking their boxes.
Not only is this procrastination frustrating, but it makes it
difficult to acclimate to your new environment if half of your
belongings are still in boxes.
Clearly, the best approach to take to unpacking after a move is
to unpack as quickly as time permits. When you make unpacking a
priority, you won't have to worry about living around boxes for any
extensive period of time.
To break it down for you, here is the basic order that you can
use for simple unpacking and organisation of your new home:
- Kitchen: The kitchen is the most used
area of any home since you will probably need to eat shortly after
moving.
Begin unloading and organising your necessities first of all, like
silverware, plates, and your coffee maker. You can then unload
pans, pots, and other accessories and organise them in
cabinets.
- Bedrooms: After a long day of moving,
you'll thank your lucky stars that you organised your bedroom in
advance. Begin by setting up your bed frame and headboard, which
your movers should have placed in your bedroom for you.
Unpack pillows and linens in order to make your bed for your first
night sleeping in your new home. There's no need to organise all
clothing immediately, although it should be done within several
days of moving.
- Bathrooms: After all of the necessities
in the kitchen and bedroom have been organised, next up is the
bathroom.
Organise essentials like towels, toilet paper, and soap, and place
your toiletries in the proper cabinets. This will make it easier to
find what you need in the morning, like toothpaste and
mouthwash.
- Other rooms: Within the first few days
of moving, other rooms like your living area, office, and nursery
should be organised. This is also the time to unpack and arrange
all clothing and shoes in your closet and dresser.
Aesthetic items like paintings, light fixtures and lamps can be
set out after every room has been arranged, to put the finishing
touches on your new home.
After you have tackled the interior of your new home, you can
finish by organising items in the garage and storage.
Before arranging your garage, make sure that you have the
necessary shelving and storage space to keep all tools, garden
accessories and boxes in order so that your garage stays free from
clutter.
Top moving tip
If you anticipate that your moving day will be long and
stressful, pack a small bag of toiletries, clothing, and food to
take with you to your new home. This "emergency bag" will tide you
over until you have unpacked all your essentials.