Your move has reached its successful conclusion, and there's only one thing left to do -- unpack. If you have remained organized and completed your relocation without mishap so far, make sure you continue to stay organized while you unpack! It will make the process both easier and quicker.
While unpacking has the potential to become a chaotic affair of assorted items and heaps of discarded packing material strewn throughout your home, keep your cool and follow these tips to remain organized.
Be organized before you move, while you pack
Your unpacking will go a lot smoother if you're organized and prepared ahead of time. Avoid every unpacker's worst nightmare and remember to pack strategically and label accordingly.
Have a method to packing your boxes:
- Keep like items together
- Clearly label each box with its contents and room
- Do not over pack boxes
- Every box should be for one room only
This makes it easy for the movers to places your boxes in the appropriate rooms -- which will greatly facilitate your unpacking duties.
Tackle one room at a time
To keep yourself from becoming overwhelmed, focus on one room at a time. If you begin unpacking in the kitchen, then wander to the bathroom before starting on the bedrooms, you will lose motivation -- and your whole home will become a cluttered, half-unpacked mess.
Unpacking a single room at a time will keep your project streamlined and simple. Limit the amount of items cluttering your home even further by concentrating on a single box at a time. Once you have found a place for every article inside, proceed to the next box.
Unpack rooms in their order of importance:
- The kitchen should be first, you don't have to keep order out every night
- Tackle the bedrooms and bathrooms next, before you go to sleep
- Move on to the the living room/family room -- after move-in day
- Unpack the basement, garage and outdoor areas last
Stick to your unpacking schedule
By unpacking everything according to a plan, you might not be as overwhelmed as you would be if you were to face a house full of boxes with no method for unpacking.
- Plan out what rooms you will unpack first and when
- Set a deadline to finish each room by
- Assign a certain time per day to work on the project
- Do not veer off course by staying motivated
Check items off your inventory as you unpack
Refer to your itemized moving inventory list as you unpack. Check off each item as you remove it from the box to ensure that everything has arrived safe and sound.
While it's important to take inventory before you sign for your belongings, it may be difficult to account for every last item before the movers leave. If you discover that anything has been misplaced or damaged after you sign for your shipment, contact your moving company right away to file a claim.
Clean up as you are unpacking
Unpacking is a messy endeavor. An abundance of packing paper, cardboard boxes, bubble wrap and other materials can create a disaster in your home. To prevent the unpacking clutter from taking over your space, break down and dispose of each box after you unpack it. Dispose of all packing materials in the most environmentally-friendly manner possible. Consider recycling or reusing them.
Don't have the time, patience or organizational skills to transform your home from a disarray of cardboard boxes to a fully-functional living space? Hire professional unpacking labor to put every last item in its place. Fill out our fast and easy quote form at Movers.com to receive FREE quotes from movers near you!