Stress-free Moving: Tips on Unpacking Efficiently
You will hear a lot of advice and opinions from people about how to move the most efficient way. It’s fine to listen and take note of any tips that genuinely sound helpful, but your local moving company has the experience to ensure this part goes smoothly. What no one tells you is that the most stressful part begins when you and all your boxes are at the new house. The empty rooms and shelves are yawning at you while the boxes loom over you. It finally sets in that you have to unpack, organize, and arrange a whole house just days after you took apart, boxed, and packed up a home.
It sounds more daunting than it is, luckily because, as with all things, you can make a plan to reduce the pressure. Every activity in the world is easier to do if you have a systematic plan to deal with it. In fact, having a plan in place can help you and your family to truly enjoy unpacking and making the new house feel like home. There is a sense of opportunity and anticipation in seeing your new house take shape. Start planning now so that you can be sure to avoid stress and start having fun in your new home as a family.
Table of Contents
Arrange the Boxes
First, do a walk-through of the house to ensure that the boxes have all been placed in the correct rooms. The disorganization will begin the second you start unpacking a kitchen box in a bedroom, so avoid this at all costs. Look at your box labels and the inventory list, and make sure that every package is in the space it has been packed to suit.
Essential Rooms
Unpack to a system that has a list of priorities. Your family should agree on these priorities to help each other ensure this work gets done quickly and efficiently.
Bathrooms and the kitchen are two of the essential rooms. The bathrooms cannot be delayed as everyone will need to use them for sure. Some people prioritize bedrooms over the kitchen as they do not want to cook on moving day. They want to ensure that everybody can sleep in comfort that night and simply order food. You and your family can decide how to identify essential rooms and then stick to the priority list as you unpack.
Kitchen
When it comes to a kitchen, there are a lot of boxes and tiny details. This is why you can find yourself working on the kitchen the whole day and not get around to doing anything else. Avoid this time trap by prioritizing certain items. You do not really need to unpack every single plate and arrange the cutlery. But you do need to plug in the coffeemaker, the microwave, and the toaster.
Unpacking the appliances and placing them in the best areas that feel most suited will also make it easier for you to know how to arrange the other items. This will reduce any re-arranging you might have to do to make the kitchen more efficient. Mugs can go in the cabinet above the coffeemaker, which is best placed on the counter nearest the fridge. The small plates can go in the cabinet below the microwave and so on.
Bedrooms
Have everyone pack one box that has their most needed bedroom items and have them include a set of bedding in the box as well. This box will make it easier to unpack and set up a comfortable sleeping area in the bedrooms before big decisions have to be made about shelving, closets, bed placement, etc.
This is also the best way to ensure that your children have their favorite bedtime toy and storybook to avoid any upset feelings. Without this special bedtime box, you could find yourself surrounded by boxes and no clue how to locate these all-important items.
Give Yourself Crunch Time
It might sound stressful, but it can be very effective if you’re the type of person who works well under pressure. This time crunch can take multiple forms.
You can invite your friends and family for a housewarming party in a week. This gives you exactly a week to unpack and make the house look attractive and homey before your party.
If you are an anxious person, this will be a paralyzing kind of pressure, so do not invite people until your house is fully ready. Instead, give yourself deadlines for each room. This is much more achievable and realistic. You can even engage in some friendly competition with your partner and bet each other fun rewards for the winner.
Conclusion
Give yourself something to look forward to at the end of the day or the week to motivate you to unpack efficiently. A day at the spa with your partner or a trip to the nearest camping grounds with your family can be a welcome break from the hectic weeks of packing, moving, and unpacking. It will also allow you to take some time away from the new house and come back to it with fresh eyes. Seeing it again after organizing it can remind you why you have chosen this home and excite you all over again about this new chapter in your life.
