Once everything is moved into your new house, it’s time for the most important step: unpacking. It can be easy to relax after all the hard work and just unpack slowly over the next several weeks. However, this can end up being dispiriting, and make you feel like you’re just in a new place instead of a new home. The solution? Unpack as efficiently and quickly as you can, so that you can see where you live rather than stacks of boxes.

Organize as you pack

Think about where everything is in your old house and why it’s arranged that way. You’ll probably want to follow the same logic in your new home, so don’t just throw everything into a box labeled “kitchen” or “bedroom.” Instead, go drawer by drawer, cabinet by cabinet. If all your cups were together in one cabinet, pack them together in one box. Books, clothes, and everything else should follow this logic, so that you’re not going through a box of “shirts” in order to separate out t-shirts from button-downs or sweaters in your new house.

Move clothes still on their hangers or folded

Taking clothes off hangers before the move and hanging them afterward can be more time-consuming than you realize. Try to get wardrobe boxes or lay the clothes on top of boxes still on their hangers. If the clothes are folded in dresser drawer, keep them that way if you can. This makes unpacking as easy as putting things back in the closets or dressers.

Know what’s essential and unpack it first

Have a box for cleaning supplies, another for important toiletries, a cooler for food, and luggage for a few days of clothes. Put those in the truck last, so you can get them first in the new place. That way you can make sure your home is clean and you can stay there even if everything isn’t done yet. This also helps if you have to move cross-country and need to stop in a hotel on the way. There’s nothing worse than digging through the back of a moving truck in a hotel parking lot while looking for the box where you put your toothbrush.

Unpack the rooms in order

You should decide which rooms you will unpack first, in order of what’s most important to your family’s needs. One suggested order starts with the kitchen first, because you generally use this room the most. The next should be the bathrooms because they can be unpacked quickly and easily. Next should be bedrooms, which might come at the end of your first day of moving in. Even if you’re running out of steam, you can get the sheets on the bed before it’s time to sleep.
Once you’ve made the bedrooms comfortable, you can look at the other rooms. The living room and dining room should come next, because your family will be in these spaces a lot of the time. The last priorities should be a home office, guest bedrooms, the basement, or the garage.

Electronics aren’t top priority

Except for alarm clocks, lamps, and cords to recharge phones, you don’t need to worry about setting up televisions, game consoles, or computers in your first few days. These will only be distractions. Instead, make the electronics a reward for getting the rest of the unpacking done. Tell your kids that they can have their games once their rooms are finished. Tell yourself that you can catch up on your shows once you’ve got the decorations up.

Remove clutter as you go

When you finish unpacking a box, break it down and get it out of the way right away. If you’re holding on to the boxes, get them into your garage, basement, or storage unit as soon as you can. This frees up space and gives you a sense of accomplishment while you work. If you come across an item you don’t remember buying or haven’t needed it for at least a year. There’s no reason to hold on to these things if you’re making a fresh start.

Happy unpacking, and remember, Gerber Moving & Storage can help you with any of your moving needs.