So you've managed to get all your belongings from point A to point B? Congratulations! The hardest part of the move is over – but you still need to unpack.This can be incredibly stressful and turn your life into chaos for months. Here are some tips to make packing go faster so you can finally get settled in your new home.
Choose a moving company which will go the extra mile
Some movers will just dump your items in the first room of your home. Then you have to carry all the boxes to their appropriate rooms – which takes A LOT of time. Choose a good moving company and they will go the extra mile and put boxes and furniture in their places.
You labeled your boxes, right?
One of the best things you can do when packing is to get some professional box labels (ideally colored labels so you can assign one color per room) and write down what each box contains. If you are super serious, you can even download inventory apps for moving which will print QR codes you can put on the boxes. Then you can just scan the boxes to find out what is inside.
Don't forget to set aside tools for re-assembling furniture
If you had to take apart your furniture for the move, make sure you have all the tools needed to re-assemble the furniture. Otherwise, you will be tearing open a dozen boxes to find a screwdriver while your sofa and beds sit on the floor in a million pieces. A good moving company may disassemble and reassemble your furniture for you! Ask about this service because it may be worth it for the hassle it saves you.
Prioritize un-packing
Your priorities might vary, but generally you want to unpack your kitchen first (so you can stop eating takeout and cereal for dinner). Then you will want to set up your beds, bathrooms, and clothes. After that, you can start unpacking guest rooms, basements, and other less-essential items. While you might feel the urge to relax, it is generally NOT a good idea to set up your TV! You will probably end up lounging on the couch watching your favorite shows instead of unpacking.
Do it one room at a time
After you unpack the essentials (like your underwear), you should attack the boxes one room at a time. Otherwise, you will end up with a zillion half-unpacked boxes in each room and get overwhelmed.
Make a shopping list – But don't go shopping yet
Some things you will need to buy right away after moving in, like food staples. But there are some small items you may need to buy too, such as trash cans, bath plugs, clothes hangers, a new shower curtain. Don't rush out and buy these things right away. You can probably manage using a trash bag until you get a proper can. Instead, make a list of all the items you need. This way, you can get it done in one big shopping trip after you've unpacked. This saves you the hassle of returning to the same place multiple times and adding more clutter to your home.
Designate a place for boxes
You don't want a zillion boxes and packing supplies cluttering up every room of your home. Designate an area of your home for the boxes and reusable supplies. Then put an ad on Craigslist offering free packing supplies. Someone will probably respond that very day and come pick up all the items for you, saving you the trouble of recycling them.
