Summer isn’t just a season for laying on a beach, hanging around a backyard fire with friends or heading up to relax at the cottage. It’s also a prime time for moving. Moving is the antithesis of the lazy days of summer mentality.
There’s the stress leading up to moving day and then a whole new kind of stress on the day of dealing with logistical challenges. But when you’ve finally made it through the day and moved all of your boxes and belongings from your old home to your new home, you’re left with unpacking your entire life.
When not prepared, unpacking can bring a lot of chaos, so follow these tips to bring some order and structure and make moving into your new house much more manageable.
Get Help from Professionals
We’ve all been through moves where we’ve asked family or friends to help out to save on the cost of hiring professional movers. Or we’ve been asked by friends or family to help them with their move. While it seems like an easy way to save a few bucks, inevitably, something goes wrong. Whether people show up late or you can’t figure out how to get a piece of furniture down the stairs, professional movers make things easier.
There are also professional organizing companies like NEATSPACES that offer end-to-end move management services. Move management includes overseeing all the details in preparing for and on the day of the move, including arranging for packing supplies, decluttering, coordinating with movers, packing last-minute items, and unpacking at your new home.
Pack Strategically
One of the best tips for unpacking at your new home starts before you’ve packed a single thing in your old home. When packing, many people focus on packing similar items together or getting the most items possible into a box, no matter where they belong in the house. This creates a nightmare when it comes time to unpack as you end up racing around the house trying to figure out where everything goes.
Pack items from each room together and clearly label what room they belong to and what is in them. This helps you to identify what box needs to be opened first and which can wait, so you don’t have to rummage around trying to find the one thing you’re looking for.
Another smart idea is to have a box labelled ‘set up.’ Put screws and bolts from furniture, cords, converters and other essential items required for unpacking and setting up furniture. Have another box labelled ‘open immediately’ for things you’ll need right away, such as the coffee maker, a toiletries box, special toys for kids, medical devices, bedside table items, and anything else you’ll want quick and easy access to.
Start with Necessities
If you’ve labelled your boxes, start unpacking the essential items first. These items are necessary to the running and function of your household, including basic toiletries, changes of clothes, pyjamas, medications, chargers, sheets, towels and basic food preparations items and cutlery. Once these essential items are unpacked, you can take your time getting to the rest of the house.
Prioritize the Kitchen
All rooms are essential, but the kitchen is the hub of a home. Additionally, most rooms work fine with the bare essentials – bathrooms function well enough as long as the water is turned on, and bedrooms really just need a bed – but kitchens need a little more.
If you’re not in a rush, take the time to line cabinets and cupboards. Unpack pots, pans and other kitchen equipment and get appliances hooked up. Once your coffee maker is plugged in and you’re equipped to make the basics, you can get to work on the rest of the house.
Follow these tips to efficiently unpack your belongings at your new house so you can begin to turn it into a home.
