There’s lots of information out there about packing up for moving day – but what about when you arrive at your new home? What’s the best way to deal with the stress, mess and chaos that comes with unpacking? Here are some of the best tips to help you make this day special and not stressful, from our real estate company in Dallas and Fort Worth.
Plan Your Move Properly
Making unpacking easy all starts with how you plan the packing up of your home. The more time you spend making this process simple and organized, the faster it will be to unpack on the other side. Here’s what to do:
- Color-code and number your boxes: Take a trip to your local craft store and buy several different color or patterned stickers or washi tape, along with a pack of markers. Assign each type to a different room in your new home. For example, red tape for the kitchen, blue tape for the bathroom, yellow tape for the office, and so on. When you pack a box, only put stuff into it that’s for a particular room rather than mixing it all up. Then, mark it clearly with the correct tape and number it, keeping a tally in a notebook. That way, you know there are supposed to be 10 boxes for the kitchen and 6 for the bathroom. Remember to mark them on all 4 sides and the top, so you can see it clearly even if they are stacked. With this system, you can direct movers quickly and efficiently so that all the boxes end up in the correct room, ready for unpacking.
- Keep essentials separate: No matter how efficient you are at unpacking or how well-organized you are, this process is going to take some time. Having one or two boxes or suitcases of essentials that you keep with you (rather than in the van), will make life a lot easier! This should include a change of clothing, your toiletries and a towel, any prescription medications, and your phone charger. If you have pets, this should also include leashes, bowls and food, and if you have kids then you need their basic overnight essentials too.
Prep Your New House
This isn’t always possible but if you’re not moving too far away and you have a little extra time or a friend who can help out, it’s a fantastic idea. First of all, you can measure to make sure all your furniture fits and decide exactly where it should go. You can mark these with the same washi tape as the boxes.
Use the washi tape to mark the door of each room so that the movers know exactly where to go. They’ll move very quickly to unpack the van and you won’t have time to check that every box is going to the right room, so telling them to move the boxes according to the tape on the doors is so much easier for everyone and you won’t be run off your feet all day.
Another good idea is to go through your new home and give it a thorough clean before you move in. If you are renting, this should’ve been done by your landlord or the previous tenants, but it won’t hurt to go through with a vacuum and some cloths to make sure it’s all clean and tidy. If you don’t have the time, there are many fantastic housekeeping services that can do a pre-move deep clean for you when you buy a home.
The Best Order to Unpack Your Home
After the movers leave, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the boxes and furniture – but this is where a system really helps. Here, it’s not really about unpacking a whole room in its entirety before you move into the next – it’s about unpacking essentials first and moving on to fewer essential items.
If you have kids who are old enough to unpack, let them start in their own rooms, which should have their belongings and boxes in them already. Make sure the furniture is in the right spot and then they can start settling in.
The next best place to start is your room. Moving is tiring even if it’s well-planned, so start by making sure you can fall asleep comfortably. Get the bed and other furniture into place and put on fresh, clean sheets. Even if you don’t unpack anything else, you know your bed is ready and waiting – and you don’t have to try set it up at the end of the day when you’re really tired.
Next, tackle the kitchen Again, start with the big items and don’t sweat the smaller stuff. Get your appliances in place and make sure they’re properly hooked up, so the fridge gets cool and there are no surprise leaks when you turn your washing machine or dishwasher on. Using your system and the labeled boxes, start by unpacking the most important items. You’re probably not going to use any big roasters or anything like that in the next few days, but you will need your coffee machine, mugs, plates, bowls and cutlery.
The bathrooms are next and they’re pretty easy as they’re functional before you even move in. Just put out your toiletries and a towel and you can usually worry about the rest later. If you’re worried about moisture and your bathroom boxes, this is a great task to delegate to an older child, or you can simply put the boxes outside the bathroom until you have time to deal with them.
Worry about the lounge and outdoor living spaces last. The main thing to do here is to get the larger items of furniture in their correct place and make sure that you have enough space to move through the room to get to the kitchen, bedrooms and bathroom. Don’t assemble large items like entertainment centers or large bookcases until you have decided where they should be – having to disassemble them again to move them to a new position is a waste of your time, and trying to move them when assembled can lead to injury.
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