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Quick Tips for Unpacking

After you have finished the exhausting process of packing your belongings and transporting them from your previous home to your new home, now comes the daunting task of unpacking. It may seem like an overwhelming project, especially as you are reasonably exhausted from the move. Unpacking immediately after the move will help you feel settled into your new residence more quickly. Here are a few tips that will have you unpacked and feeling “at home” in no time.

 

Unpacking the Essentials

You will want to unpack your “essentials bag” immediately, assuming that you packed one for your new home. The essentials bag should include enough clothes and toiletries to enable you to get by until the rest of your boxes are unloaded and unpacked. The clothes and toiletries that you have available from this bag should be put away in your bedroom and bathroom.

 

Set up Your Kitchen

The first room you will want to start unpacking is the kitchen. Begin with the boxes labeled for the kitchen. To protect your dishes, install the protective cabinet and drawer liner down to place your dishes on before you unpack them. Make sure to have a ruler handy to measure the sizes of your draws and cabinets.  You may want to wash your utensils or dishes before placing them back as they may have become dirty or full of dust in the packing and transporting process. Also, be sure to plug in and set up any small kitchen appliances that you plan to use right away, such as your coffee maker or toaster.

 

Make the Beds

Next, it is time to ensure that everyone in your new household has a comfy place to sleep on their first night. You may want to enlist help when setting up beds and their frames as they tend to be difficult to re-assemble. Unless you have packed your bedding and linens in an airtight bag, you will want to want to wash these too before you make the bed.

 

Delegating Tasks

If there are multiple people in your household, delegate tasks to each member, to speed up the process of unpacking the boxes. For instance, if your kids are old enough, allow them to unpack the boxes for their bedrooms. Ask others to help you unpack boxes in more challenging areas such as the garage and basement.

 

Have Patience

Finally, accept the reality that you are most likely not going to complete all of your unpacking on the first day of your move. In fact, it may take days or even weeks until you are completely settled in. Do not stress yourself about the pace of your move. Give yourself walking or TV breaks between unpacking rooms or between unpacking individual boxes. Consider leaving the home with the entire family to take a break and to have a mini celebration such as by going for ice cream. Pacing the process of unpacking guarantees a much more enjoyable move-in process and a happy new home.