Unpacking Tips: Get Settled Efficiently After You Move

For some, unpacking your things in a new house is like unwrapping presents on Christmas morning. For the rest of us, unpacking the mountain of boxes feels like a never-ending task. No matter how you feel about moving into a new home, we have a few unpacking tips to help you get settled easily and efficiently.

Start with the essentials.

There’s nothing worse than spending your first night in your new house digging through boxes looking for the necessities. You’re going to want to know exactly where the most important items are when you arrive.

Pack a box with essentials like basic toiletries, medications, paperwork, keys, basic food items, a change of clothes, and fresh towels. This will save you a headache if your “essentials box” is easy to find! 

---

Unpack room by room. 

You know what they say about eating an elephant? The same goes for unpacking a house – just do it one room at a time.

The kitchen is a great room to start with. Unpack your cabinets, plug in your appliances, and get your fridge stocked. This will quickly get rid of a large number of boxes and give you space to eat. Another smart move – get everyone’s bed set up in the beginning. Even if that’s the only thing you get unpacked right away, at least everyone will have a place to lay their head. 

You can’t tackle everything first, so which spaces can you save for later? The utility areas like the garage, basement, laundry room, and tool shed can get unpacked last. Don’t feel like you have to get those organized right off the bat. If you can’t get to the mower for a few days, it’s not the end of the world!

---

Pace yourself. 

Moving is exhausting, and there’s no reason to try to get it done all in one day. Take breaks to get acquainted with your new community! Go for a walk around the neighborhood. Visit a local ice cream shop. Explore the nearby parks. This unpacking tip will help the whole family feel like this new place is home. 

“Change is a great and horrible thing, and people love it or hate it at the same time. Without change, however, you just don’t move.”

Marc Jacobs

On the flip side, don’t get TOO comfortable before the unpacking is done. For some, unpacking becomes too daunting of a task, so they just avoid it. Then, months down the road, there is still a pile of unpacked boxes waiting for them in the garage… Again, find the middle ground between rushing and procrastination. The last of our unpacking tips – pace yourself!

---

Click here for tips on moving during the Coronavirus pandemic.