After moving into your new apartment, you might be overwhelmed with the next task – getting everything unpacked. Though the thought of digging into those stacks of boxes might sound exhausting, the sooner you unpack, the sooner you will feel settled in your new space. To help you get started, here are our top tips for unpacking:
Where to Begin
Before you start unpacking, there is still quite a bit to do. Not only will these things help ease your unpacking process, but also help organize your apartment that’s currently filled with moving boxes.
1. Identify Your Essential Boxes
If you’ve planned your move well, you probably packed separate moving boxes filled with essential items, such as dishes, clothes, cleaning supplies, and toiletries. These are the items you need your first few days in your new apartment. We always recommend packing your essentials in clear plastic tubs, so they’re easy to distinguish from all your cardboard boxes. Start by locating these boxes and unpacking the contents so you’ll have the essentials on hand as you get organized.
2. Clean Your Home
In most cases, your new apartment won’t be spotless. So, before you start unpacking, or even moving boxes around, make sure you give the place a once-over. Here’s a helpful checklist of what to clean before moving in. Ideally, this step would happen before the movers deliver your things, but with a hectic moving schedule, this may not always be the case.
3. Move Large Items First
It’s essential that you arrange your large pieces of furniture first, so it’s easier for you to fill in the gaps with the smaller items. If you have rugs, you should make sure to put them down on the floor first. Then, you can move in your bed, couch, chairs, tables, and other large items. If you hire a professional moving company, the movers can assist with tasks like reassembling your bed or moving heavy furniture into place. Just be sure to ask!
Develop a Plan
Now, before you begin unpacking and your apartment turns into a chaotic mess of boxes and packing paper, it’s essential to develop a plan. For example, what boxes go in which rooms? It’s best to think through strategy before the move, but if you didn’t, now’s a great time to do so.
1. List the Rooms in Your House
Starting with a list of the rooms in your home makes it easier to organize your unpacking efforts. Plus, once you start crossing off the rooms you complete, it will motivate you to press on and finish!
2. Determine Each Room’s Purpose
No matter what size your apartment is, decide how to use each room. This planning will help you to stay organized and figure out where boxes should go. If you have a family, discuss who gets which bedroom, where the toy room will be, and whether you will have a formal dining room.
3. Decide Which Room to Start With
Rewrite the list of rooms and arrange them in order of priority. Begin with the rooms you use the most, like the bathroom, kitchen, and bedrooms. End with the rooms used the least, like your spare room or office.
4. Make a Schedule
The amount of time you need to unpack will mostly depend on the size of your apartment and the amount of stuff you have. This process can take anywhere from a week to a month. Write down your schedule and stick to it. Be sure to schedule extra time for rooms where you have many small items to unpack.
