The move is done, the truck has left, and all your belongings have been moved into your new home. The hard part has ended, but now begins the long process of unpacking. This can be tedious and tiring, but if you follow some helpful tips, you’ll get through it faster and with less stress! Here are some suggestions from the best long distance moving companies that guide you on how to unpack efficiently after moving.
Use Clearly Labeled Boxes
One of the best ways to save time and energy after moving is by using clearly labeled boxes. The clearer you are with labeling, the more likely you are going to find what you need quickly. Labeling boxes can be as easy as writing the room that the box will go in on one side and then labeling each box with a list of items it contains on the other side.
Separate Large Items from Smaller Items
Large items are typically big furniture, appliances, or other large items that are expensive and difficult to transport. These should be placed in the room of your choice and left there for now. This will allow you to make the space around them workable for small items.
Smaller items such as clothes, linens, dishes, books, etc. can be unpacked easily from boxes and put away without much thought or effort since they're not as cumbersome.
Sort By Room
- Living Room: Place furniture where you want it. Fill bookshelves, and arrange electronics.
- Bedroom: Put sheets on the bed and add anything from your dresser that you need for the night and a comfortable ambiance in the bedroom. Hang clothing in your closet and put shoes in the closet or under the bed. Throw away anything that doesn't belong in this room (including trash). If something doesn't belong here but you are not sure where it goes, set it aside so you can find a place for everything later.
- Bathroom: Put toiletries on the bathroom counter. Add towels to the towel rack. Hang shirts and pants inside the wardrobe. Hang jackets on hangers inside of the wardrobe if there is enough space. Sort through makeup, hair products, bath products, etc., and put them into their respective places inside the cabinet or drawers.
Sort Items into Piles (Toss, Donate, Keep, Repair)
Some things need to be shifted to their specific places. You can choose among the below.
Toss - Anything that no longer has use or is broken.
Donate - Items you want to give away, but are not necessarily in good condition.
Keep - Items you plan on using and need for the home (e.g., clothes, pots and pans, dinnerware).
Repair - Items that can be fixed so they can be used again (e.g., a dresser with a broken leg).
Label Boxes and Piles with Date of Move-In
Label your boxes with the date of when you moved in. This will help you know which boxes are more recent and which ones may have been there for a while.
You can also use color coding so that you only open the most recent boxes first. Red is for items you want to deal with right away, orange is for items that need some attention, green is for items to store away later and blue is for things that need to be packed away.
Ask for Help When Necessary
To unpack efficiently, you should enlist the help of friends and family. Even if they can't help for a full day, ask them for an hour or two. If you're lucky enough to have someone helping for the entire day, you'll be able to take care of household tasks like cooking or cleaning while they get your things unpacked and put away.
Enjoy a Clean Home!
It may be tempting to leave your items in their boxes, but unpacking your belongings quickly will make the move more tolerable. It also saves you time and energy for the next phase of moving. First, set aside a few hours for unpacking. To make this process easier, start from one side of the room and work your way around it so that you are not constantly going back and forth between two areas.
