I love moving, but unpacking can be really exhausting! There’s just so much to do! The movers are gone, and all of your boxes are sitting just waiting to be unpacked. Looking at the huge pile in each room makes unpacking seem like such a difficult task. Many people put it off and end up unpacking two months after the move happened! Don’t put it off, learn how to unpack now and get unpacking!
Before You Start Unpacking
The easiest way to make unpacking much easier is to label all of your boxes carefully. A little preparation and planning with packing can make a huge difference once you begin to unpack. Label all of your boxes’ contents and the room that the box belongs to very carefully and clearly. For each room, have an “Unpack First” box that contains the necessities you will want to unpack first. If you need more help on organizing your move, check out this post.
Rooms to Unpack First
Be sure to unpack the rooms that you use on a daily basis. Necessity is always first when it comes to unpacking.
Unpacking the Bedroom
- The bedroom should be unpacked early in the unpacking process.
- Set up your bedroom as a place of relaxation where you can relax during breaks from unpacking.
- Make your bed comfortable and ready to sleep in. Short naps and sleeping are expected after a hard day of working.
- Unpack your bedroom with the bare necessities. Then proceed to work on other more important rooms.
Unpacking the Bathroom
Home is not truly home until your bathroom is clean and set up with all your toiletries, towels, and more. As a room you’ll be using from day one, it’s important to be unpacking the bathroom as soon as possible.
Unpacking the Kitchen
The kitchen is a daunting room to unpack but must be unpacked relatively early in the unpacking process. Take out and easy to fix meals only last for so long until you’re really craving a yummy homemade vegetarian meal.
- The kitchen takes a lot of time to unpack, because the kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the house. The kitchen has to efficient and organized.
- Remember to put pots and pans in the cupboards or cabinets nearest to the oven and stove.
- Often used items like cups, plates, and bowls should be put on the lower shelves of the cupboards for easy access.
- Forego the mess in the utensil drawer by investing in a utensil bucket for all spatulas, whisks, and more.
- Place appliances used every day out in the open and store (or donate) your less used appliances.
Unpacking the Living and Dining Room
Once unpacked, the living room can be a haven for rests and breaks. Set up the sofa and coffee table. If you plan on having people over to help you unpack, consider unpacking the living room a bit earlier so everyone will have a place to take a break. Once you have the basic set up, set up your media center or organize your bookshelves and pictures.
Finally the dining room should be tackled last as far as unpacking goes. A meal can just as easily be eaten on a coffee table in the living room while you’re still unpacking which makes the dining room less priority. Set up the dining table once you’ve set up most of the home and are mostly finished unpacking.
General Unpacking Tips
Enlist help. Get your friends and family to help with unpacking rooms that don’t require a personal touch. Having two sets of hands to unpack makes unpacking much faster.
Start unpacking early. As soon as the movers have delivered all the boxes, start unpacking.
Take breaks. Unpacking is exhausted, so remember to take breaks. Remember it’s just one box at a time.