Unpacking Tips: How to Settle into Your New Home Quickly After a Move

The heavy lifting is done, the movers have departed, and you have officially changed your address. Now you can breathe easy and relax, right? Not so fast! Once you have unloaded all the boxes into your new home, you face a daunting new challenge: Unpacking.

Maybe the thought of opening all those boxes fills you with excitement and anticipation. This marks the beginning of a new chapter in your life, after all. You face endless possibilities for changing up your decorating scheme. It’s also very possible that after the tiring work of moving, you’re not at all looking forward to digging through your boxes.

Not to worry, All My Sons Moving & Storage has been in the business of helping companies and families make a smooth relocation for almost 30 years. We understand the stress that moving can bring all too well, and we want to empower our customers with tips and tricks that will make their next move an organized and anxiety-free experience. Unpacking, the final frontier of any move, is a breeze if you follow these simple tips.

The key to an organized system for unpacking is to have a plan before you load your first box. When you pack up your belongings, keep careful track of which boxes contain essentials and label your boxes according to the room or area that they belong to. This is where creating a tool like a moving inventory will come in very handy. In lieu of a full inventory, always label your boxes with as much detail as possible. 

While you are packing, keep an essentials box or bag. These are the items you use daily that you will want available immediately upon arrival in your new space. You should also include the items you need to get through your first few days in your new home. Put your essentials box on the moving truck last and unload it in your new place first. Or you can keep your essentials with you during your move and transport them yourself.

When your movers are bringing your boxes in, make sure they take each box to its respective room. If you labeled well or used colored tape to differentiate your boxes, then this should be a breeze. Once each box is located in its respective room, it will be easier to navigate around the house and find the things you’re looking for.

Get your furniture reassembled and positioned where you want it as soon as you are able. You should start with essential items like the bed or the couch, so you have somewhere to crash when the moving fatigue hits. Once the essentials are done, you can move into unpacking room by room.

First things first, you can follow this system for unpacking room by room to ensure you have everything you need to last a few days. As you move further down the list, you might be tempted to put off unpacking items because they can wait. Don’t fall prey to moving procrastination though, your new place will feel so much more like home if you get settled as soon as possible. If you must take more than a few days to unpack, give yourself a deadline for getting everything out of boxes.

• Bathroom: Stock your bathroom with all your needed toiletries like hand soap, toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, and toothbrush. The last thing you want to do in the middle of packing is make a run to the bathroom and realize your toilet paper is still packed.

• Bedroom: You want to be sure you, your housemates, and your children have a space to sleep tonight or crash when the moving fatigue gets to be too much. Unpack bedsheets and pillows, make the beds, and unpack enough clothes to last a few days. 

• Kitchen: You need to eat, and tomorrow morning might be difficult if the coffee machine is still in a box somewhere. Unpack your kitchen items next, starting with any food you’ve moved with you and any kitchen appliances you will need within the next 48 hours. 

• Home Office: This one is important if you work from home and will need to report in soon. Make sure your desk is set up where you want it, your computer is ready to go, and your home internet connection is up and running. 

• Living Room: If you would like entertainment going for the rest of your unpacking, then setting up your television might be the next step you take. It may also be in your best interest to have the couch and coffee table positioned where you would like them if you get tired while unpacking. 

• Décor Items: Last in the needs hierarchy, your décor may have to wait until many other boxes have been unpacked, but don’t neglect them forever. Once the décor is up, then your new place will feel personalized again. 

As you empty boxes, break them down and put them in a designated spot so that they are out from underfoot. Get a bag for your packing paper and bubble wrap, and make sure that it’s not littering the floor. With packing material out of sight, your new home will start to shape up in no time.

Part of the reason you might put off unpacking is simply that unpacking is so darn boring. Unloading the mountain of boxes waiting for you feels about as appealing as watching beige paint dry. If this is the problem you’re running up against, not to worry! There are loads of ways to make unpacking less boring. 

• Make it a Game: Race to see how many boxes you can unload in a short period of time or compete with your housemates to see who can unload boxes the fastest. Turn searching for essentials into a scavenger hunt or create a bingo card to see which housemate can get blackout first.

• Play Pretend: Imagine that you’re stocking a castle before a siege, or that each box you unpack helps diffuse a bomb that threatens to destroy the universe. Playing pretend can go over great with the kids but it doesn’t matter if you’re an adult. If it helps, then it helps. We won’t judge.

• Listen to Music, Podcasts, or Audiobooks: Break up the monotony of unpacking by jamming out to your favorite playlists, get caught up in a fun podcast, or choose a thrilling audiobook. 

• Watch a Favorite Show or Movie: If your television is set up and ready to go, then turn on a favorite show or film. When TV isn’t available, or just isn’t your jam, watch videos online or choose a gaming livestream. Try to choose something that won’t distract you too much. 

• Do it Together: Unpacking goes by faster and feels a whole lot more enjoyable when it’s done with friends or family. 

With one or any combination of these tips, you can leave unpacking boredom in the dust and get settled in style.

To avoid burning out, it’s important to take regular breaks. Tell yourself you’ll work for an hour or two, and then take some time to recharge. If you’ve got a lot of boxes to get unloaded, you may have to spread the unpacking process out over a period of several days or weeks. Designate some time each day to work on it and then when you’ve completed that time do something nice for yourself. The bigger the unpacking obstacle, the bigger your personal reward should be.

Here are some examples of rewards you could give yourself:

• Have a cup of coffee or tea: An ideal small reward, brew your favorite beverage and take a few moments to relax and breathe.

• Take a walk around your new neighborhood: Get finished with your essentials and then take a leisurely stroll around your new block. Make note of any fun spots you see or say hi to any neighbors you might stumble on.

• Watch an episode of a show: Put your feet up and enjoy some television. 

• Take yourself out to dinner: After a long day of unpacking, go out on your new town and find a fun local eatery. 

• Visit a local hangout: See a cute little bubble tea shop on your way in? Treat yourself after all the décor is unpacked to a fun drink outside under the sun umbrellas. 

• Explore your new neighborhood: Find out where the local parks are, what activities are happening at the library, and what events are coming to a venue near you.

The reward that works best is the one that gets you most excited to plow through those boxes and make yourself at home. Mix, match, and make up the rewards that will matter to you.

Now that you are armed with these five special tips for unpacking quickly, you can settle into your new home with ease. Once all the boxes have been emptied and put out of the way, your space will feel a lot less like chaos blew through and a lot more like a cozy backdrop for your next big life adventure. Break down those boxes and pop open the champagne, you are all moved in! 

Your next move could be handled with care by the same moving professionals who are trusted by the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins. When you’re ready to move local, long-distance, or need commercial moving services, call the experts at All My Sons Moving & Storage. We have all your moving needs covered from professional packing services to our stellar collection of packing supplies. Let All My Sons Moving & Storage do all the heavy lifting while you focus on starting your next adventure. Right after you unpack, of course. 

Call your local All My Sons Moving & Storage Location or get your quote online to start your move.