Unpacking Your Home After Moving Day

Unpacking Your Home After Moving Day

For some people, unpacking is the fun part, because they have a chance to organize their new home in new and creative ways. For others, unpacking a house may seem like a daunting and lengthy process. The tips below may help make your unpacking experience a little less intimidating and more straightforward.

A lot of planning, energy, time and money goes into moving a home. Even after your local moving company has left and you are finally in your new residence, the work is not yet over.

1. Create a System for Unpacking

It’s wise to make a plan before starting to unpack. Rather than opening boxes at random, use a systematic approach by unpacking the house one room at a time. Be aware of what is in the boxes before unpacking, and map out where you want things to go. As you unpack, if you encounter items that you don’t know what to do with, or that do not belong to that specific room, put them into a miscellaneous box. These items can be relocated to the correct room once the unpacking of that room is complete.

2. Start With Essentials

Make sure to start with the most important boxes first. Important boxes contain essential contents that you would require within the first few days of your move. These can include toiletries, food, medications, electronic devices, chargers, a change of clothing, towels, etc. If you did not organize essential items into a box when you were packing, then make sure to find and collect all essential items that you will need for the next few days as you unpack.

3. Organize your Kitchen First

As you begin unpacking room by room, the kitchen would be a great place to start. The kitchen tends to take the longest to unpack and organize, so getting it out of the way first will make the rest of the unpacking seem easier. Before putting china and cutlery away, you may wish to line the cabinets, drawers and cupboards. You may also consider installing any additional pantry accessories, like spice racks, hanging pot racks, or additional shelving units.  Next, hook up all major appliances, especially those that you will use first (such as the coffee pot).

As you begin to go through your kitchen boxes you can organize all of your kitchen supplies into the appropriate areas of the kitchen. For example, surrounding the stove you can put all pots, pans, and cooking utensils. Have prep materials in a nearby location, including measuring tools, mixing bowls, and other essential cooking tools. Also near the cooking area of the kitchen you can organize an area for commonly used pantry items like spices and oils.  Near the dining area of the kitchen you can place holiday dishes, table decor, serving platters, and fine china. Household cleaning supplies are usually kept under the sink. If you have small children consider locking these cupboards. Closer to the sink you may place kitchen towels, sponges, and other supplies. Food wrapping materials, foil, tupperware, and other regularly used items can be stored near the refrigerator. Frequently used cutlery and china should be placed closer to the dishwasher and be in easy reach.

4. Continue onto the Bedrooms

Once your bedroom furniture has been assembled you can start unpacking a set of linens, pillows, and a blanket to make the bed . Additional linens can be put away in the linen closet. Next you can begin organizing your closet and drawers. If you would like to install shelving units, do so before filling up the closets.

5. Prepare all Bathrooms

After the bedrooms are ready you can now work through each washroom in the house. Install shower curtains, stock toilet paper and soap, and hang towels. Prepare these important items first so the washroom can be used comfortably when needed. Next allocate toiletries into the correct washrooms. Keep a close eye on medications, and try to safely lock the cupboard containing harmful items if there are little children in the house.

6. Finish with the Utilities

The last rooms to unpack include the basement, garage, storage rooms, the shed, or utility rooms. Decide what function you want each of these rooms to serve. For example, for some families the basement is a bar and lounge area, or maybe you wish for it to be a play area for kids. Some people like to use the garage to store tools, while others use it to hold seasonal furniture and decor. Utilizing appropriate containers and storage systems will help you stay organized. Since these areas of the home are usually the last to unpack, you do not have to rush through it. Try to stay well rested, hydrated, and enjoy the unpacking experience!