So, you’ve finished moving into a new home – congratulations, half the battle is done! Once the last box has been unloaded by your movers, it’s time to get to unpacking, sorting through all your stuff, and getting organized. It’s important to remember to take your time with this. In fact, unpacking all your belongings could take you days, weeks, or even months to finish. As far as organizing it all, that’s its’ very own beast.
Undoubtedly, moving is incredibly stressful and the unpacking process may be just as overwhelming. However, if you combine proper planning and strategy, getting organized after your move can be much easier. To help you prioritize and keep things orderly amid the chaos following a recent relocation, we’ve put together some pointers. Continue reading for our tips to help you get organized after a move.
-
Give Yourself Plenty of Time
This is a golden rule that applies before, during, and after a move. Although it may be tempting, especially when you want to get settled and enjoy your new home as quickly as possible, it’s important that you don’t rush yourself. After all, you only have one opportunity to pack and unpack your home, so it’s best to allow for plenty of time to do it properly.
Consider setting up a schedule for unpacking. That way, you can ease the madness and feel much more organized throughout the process. Depending on the size of your home, make it a goal to unpack a certain number of boxes each day. That way, you don’t completely overwhelm yourself with trying to unpack your entire house over a weekend.
Taking your time also helps you ensure that everything is placed exactly where you want in your new house and who doesn’t love a meticulously organized home?
-
Label Your Boxes
Although this step generally occurs before moving day, it is crucial to ensure an orderly unpacking process. Knowing exactly where your possessions are is a massive time-saver when you’re unpacking. Take the extra time while packing to carefully label your boxes and your future self will thank you!
Note the name of the room where the items in each box should go, and give a brief description of what’s inside every box. Also, don’t forget to label fragile boxes accordingly. These require careful handling.
-
Clean Your New Home
Before you do any unpacking, you may want to clean your new home. Cleaning before you unpack, rather than after, will make it much easier for you to identify and access problem areas.
- Vacuum the carpets.
- Clean the showers, bathtubs, and sinks.
- Vacuum out the refrigerator vent, which can become a hazard over time because of dust buildup.
- Dust the lighting fixtures.
- Clean your furnace.
- Dust ceiling fan blades.
- Clear out the dryer’s lint trap and slot and the dishwasher filter.
- Sterilize your washing machine.
Additional cleaning may be required depending on the condition of your new home when you move in. After the initial cleaning, developing a cleaning schedule will help you keep your home clean and organized for the long haul.
Draft up a detailed schedule for when those deep clean chores should take place. Although these things should happen regularly, it’s not uncommon for them to be forgotten in the chaos of a move. A cleaning chart can help you and your home stay organized.
-
Unpack Children’s Rooms First
When you move into a new home, one of the first decisions you’ll make is which room to tackle right away. If you have small children or a baby, you should strongly consider unpacking their rooms first. Moving can be incredibly confusing and stressful on children and establishing a sense of normalcy from the get-go is very important.
By setting up your kid’s bedroom or nursery upon move in, you’ll create a safe space that feels familiar and comfortable in a strange, unacquainted place. If you have a baby, set up all the essential furniture pieces right away – like the rocking chair, crib, and changing table. This will help to significantly save your sanity in the first few weeks in your new home. Nurseries and kids’ rooms tend to be the easiest to unpack anyways, aside from dressers, beds, and various toys, you won’t have to do a ton of organizing right away.
-
Unpack the Essentials
After your kids are taken care of, start unpacking your household items according to how soon you’re going to need them. The step may look something like this:
- Unpack the items you need to eat. This involves unpacking your essential kitchen tools and any perishable foods you brought. Moving and unpacking requires a considerable amount of energy, and although you’re going to be busy, you need to eat. Try to avoid relying on takeout over the coming weeks, and unpack the items you need to enjoy healthier foods that will sustain you for longer.
- Unpack your bedding. Unpack everything you need to make your bed including your pillowcases, sheets, and blankets. You’ll also want to ensure that you have a change of clothes that are comfortable for lounging and sleeping in after you’ve finished moving. It’s important that you prioritize your sleep after a big move-in day.
- Unpack your toiletries. The last thing you want is to be late for work after your move because you couldn’t find your deodorant. While you may not need to break out your lotion and razors immediately, you want to keep some necessities on hand. This includes putting your medications in a safe place, unpacking the items you need to maintain personal hygiene, and also having a few days’ worth of clothes available.
- Stock your linen closet. In addition to having your toiletries on hand, you’re also going to need towels, wash cloths, and toilet paper immediately after you move in. Collect all of these items and place them in a designed space so that you know exactly where to access them quickly and easily.
After you’ve finished unpacking all of the above items, start to prioritize the rest of your belongings based on when you will need them. For instance, unpack the items you use most frequently first such as your clothing and entertainment system. Then, follow up with unpacking your out-of-season and rarely used items last. In fact, these can wait until after the first few days of packing.
-
Consider Calling for Backup
Whether you haven’t factored in time for a move-in clean, need help making your old home presentable, or require general housekeeping as your packing or unpacking, consider hiring a maid service. You may also want to call in your friends or extended family to help with unpacking, or consider hiring professional movers. By selecting the packing services offered by your moving company, they will also provide assistance with the unpacking and assembly of your furniture in your new home.
At Three Men And A Truck, we offer a variety of moving, packing, and storage services to fit your individual needs. By partnering with us, we can help you stay organized before, during, and after your move. Call us today or fill out our online request form to receive your FREE, no-obligation moving estimate.
