Once you’ve moved into your new home or office, it’s time to get everything unpacked and set up so that you can begin enjoying your new space. At first, it can be overwhelming to look at all of the boxes and think about the work that is ahead of you. However, if you prioritize and keep the process organized, it will be a lot easier than it looks.
We have some expert tips for settling into your new home or office that will help you keep the unpacking process organized. Follow these tips, and you will be surprised by how efficient and smooth the process of unpacking can be. These tips are great for homeowners and businesses alike.
Keep Your Unpacking Process Organized
Pack with Unpacking in Mind
One of the best things you can do to keep your unpacking process organized is to be smart about packing in the first place. When you’re packing up your home, make an inventory list for every box. It doesn’t require too much extra time and will save you a lot of headaches in the future. Not only will an inventory list help you quickly find anything you need, but it will also allow you to know if anything was lost during your move.
» Click here for our easy instructions on inventorying your move.
It’s also a smart idea to pack items from the same room together and label the box with the room clearly identified. That way, you can drop boxes off into the appropriate room as you unload the moving truck. It keeps the unpacking process organized by making it more manageable. You can unpack one room at a time—and finish each room completely before moving on to the next room.
Packing Essentials For Homeowners
When packing up your home, pack essentials in boxes that are clearly labeled so that you can unpack them right away. This should include necessities like toilet paper, paper towels, prescriptions, hand soap, and cleaning supplies.
» Click here to see what we recommend packing in your essentials box.
Packing Essentials For Businesses
An essentials box can be critical to getting your business up and running quickly in your new office. Items like a phone, laptop, power cables, and chargers are must-haves when you begin settling in. Clearly label your business essentials boxes so that you can unpack them first.
Clean Your New Space First
Before you start, give your new home or office a good deep cleaning. Moving is inherently messy, and the more people you have assisting with your move, the more dirt will be tracked in. Sweeping the floors and wiping down surfaces will make the unpacking process organized and more pleasant. When you clean first, you won’t have to worry about moving furniture and other items again after they are unpacked just to clean under and around them.
Don’t Rush
It’s common to feel anxious about getting settled in as quickly as possible, but try not to push yourself too hard. Rushing will cause you to burn out faster and will lead to more mistakes. These mistakes will cost you time in the future when you have to re-organize things to fix them. Take your time, and try to enjoy the unpacking process. You will think more clearly this way. As long as you have your box of essentials clearly labeled, you’ll be in no rush anyway…
Start with the Easy Stuff
If you followed the first tip above, then you should have all of your essentials boxes clearly labeled and ready for easy unpacking. This is the best place to start. Once you’ve unpacked the essentials, deciding what to unpack next can be challenging. As you look around your new home or office, the amount of clutter you see may seem insurmountable.
“Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions.” – Barbara Hemphill
Rather than wallowing in the clutter, start with the easy stuff. In a home, this might be the bathrooms where you can tuck items away into cabinets quickly. These easy decisions will empower you for the more challenging rooms. In an office, you may want to start with the front desk or the break room. The more decisions you can make quickly, the faster the process will go and the more organized it will feel.
Finish Each Box and Room Before Starting Another
Unpack one box at a time and one room at a time. This will keep things less cluttered visually, which will help keep the unpacking process organized. It can be tempting to rip open all of your boxes in search of one particular belonging but trust us, this is not the best way to unpack. Instead, rely on your inventory list to identify your essentials and make a plan of action.
In an office, this can be tricky. You will have lots of helpers around and don’t want them to sit idle while one person unpacks everything. One way to approach unpacking methodically with a large team of people is to create small “task force” style teams. Deploy one team for each space in the office. You can even create an incentive reward for the team whose room is the most organized after unpacking.
Unpack Items from Storage Last
Items that you plan to store away in utility closets or in the garage should be the last things you unpack. These items are used least often and so immediate access to them is not a necessity. Focus instead on the most important things that you use on a day-to-day basis and then work down the list of priorities from there.
Hire a Full-Service Moving Company
We hope these tips will help you keep your unpacking process organized. If you would rather have professional movers take care of everything for you, then give Megan’s Moving a call. Our movers can take care of the packing, moving, and unpacking process for you as part of our white glove moving services. Learn more about what makes our moving services superior to national chains, or request a quote for your move today. We would love to help you keep your entire move organized so that you can enjoy your new space as soon as possible.