The Art Of Unpacking In Your New Home

People like to think that their work is complete once the moving trucks drop the load off and leave, but in reality, they are left standing there surrounded by a fortress of boxes that (sadly) won’t unpack themselves. Why is it that some people can unpack so quickly, within a few short days, whereas others whose homes seem to be in a constant mode of being on the move? What’s the trick? What’s the secret sauce? Here’s the key to the piece of the puzzle you have been missing all along…

The trick to unpacking really quickly lies in the way you pack!

This small but vital piece of information will save you so much time! If you want to save time unpacking then pack up your old home exactly the way that you would unpack in your new home. How exactly do you do this? Here are some step-by-step tips on how to apply this the next time you are on the move

Pack One Section At A Time

Pack everything exactly the way that you would unpack. If you were to pack up the things in a dresser, then pack up one drawer (of the dresser) at a time and do it in a chronological order that makes sense to you. If you are to pack up your kitchen, you don’t necessarily have to categorise the items according to their type. Simply pack it up exactly how you have it put away in the old home so that when you unpack, everything is still in the same logical order as to how you had organised it before. Unless you lived in chaos previously, this trick will save you a lot of time. Make sure to label everything with as much detail as possible. It can cause a lot of confusion if you have three different boxes all labeled “Plates”. Try to use descriptive words in your labeling such as, “Blue Dinner Party Plates”, “White Daily-Use Plates”, “Large Serving Platter Plates”, “Afternoon Tea Set Plates''. The more detail you put, the easier it will be for you to distinguish between all the different moving boxes. Instead of having to rip through every single box in frustration, you can distinguish between which ones to open first according to where you are unpacking in the home.

 Unpack One Box At A Time

Similar to packing, you should always unpack one box or one section of the home at a time. The fewer boxes you have opened, the easier it will be for you to focus on one task at any given time, leaving less room to be overwhelmed and flustered. It’s like going through a to-do list. If you look at your whole list of tasks needed to be done all at once, chances are you'll become extremely overwhelmed and more prone to stress. However, if you look at each task and just tackle that one task before moving onto the next task, you will be able to get through it much faster and easier without being driven to insanity. Don’t ever try to tackle too many tasks at once. Not only will it make the process of moving that much more stressful, but it will also even slow you down. It's better to focus on doing one task well over doing many tasks poorly.

When Packing Up Clothes...

Don’t bother taking them off the hangers and folding them (if you don’t need to). If you are moving a short distance, then just leave them on the hanger and put them right on the new closet racks. In the goal to be meticulous, people often waste more time in cases when the more economical option is actually the better one. If your undergarments are already in closet organiser boxes, don’t bother removing them! Just pack up the entire box as it is so that when you unpack, all you need to do is take out the boxes and put them in the new closets. The method of packing can be applied to other things in your home to. Pack up the whole toy box. Pack up the whole dog toys basket. If you are moving your whole office desk, then pack up your whole desk without moving anything inside. This is the key to efficiency. If you are to employ this method, make sure you aren’t moving useless junk with you. Clean out and declutter all your big furniture pieces before moving so that you don’t move things that you don’t want with you to your new home. 

If you pack just the way you want to unpack, you will have everything already the way you want it for when you get to the new location. You simply have to open up a moving box and transfer it to its allocated spot. It’s literally “Grab and Go” - grab what you need so that they will be ready to go when the time comes for unpacking. 

Here are some other useful tips to help make your unpacking process quicker and less stressful...

•  Pack a carry-on bag or suitcase per person (enough for at least one week) with all of your daily essentials. This will be the bag that you will live out of for the period of time that you are unpacking. Instead of rummaging through your hundreds of boxes to find a toothbrush, a change of underwear, shampoo and conditioner, or whatever else it is that you need, you will have all the things required to sustain your daily needs. 

•  Plan on ordering food delivery or take-out meals for the first few days (minimum). Until you get all of your pantry and food moved in and your kitchen organised the way that you like, it will be much easier to not have to prepare meals for yourself and your family during the already stressful process of moving and unpacking. Also, stock up on food and drinks that don’t necessarily need to be refrigerated, and have enough healthy snacks prepared for quick bites during the day. You want to keep your energy levels up. We know it's easy to grab for the sugar-rich and caffeine-pumped snacks and drinks, but these things will only lead to sugar and caffeine crashes, making it even harder for you to get through the day and finish all the tasks you need to do. 

• Keep your cleaning supplies in a box that you can unpack first. You will want to have this box handy to clean and wipe down everything in your new home before you unpack.

• Don’t hesitate to ask for help! You may want to be a superman or superwoman, but teamwork is always better than a sole pair of hands. Have other members of the family and even friends help if you feel that the move is getting too much for you to handle all alone.

• Unpack the kitchen first because this is the room that you will use the most. It will also be the room you are guaranteed to use first to stock everything from bottled water to daily sustenance. Unpack the bathroom afterward as you will need it to freshen up each day after a long day of sweat.

• Unpack the bedroom after. This is the second room you will use the most. After a long day of unpacking, the first thing you will look for is a comfortable place to sleep and rest well.

• Unpack the living room third. This room is important once the kitchen and bedroom(s)are taken care of. This is where you, the family, and your friends will be gathered when you are finished unpacking.

• Have a place for everything and put everything in its allocated place. Have a system so that you know exactly where everything goes. The more streamlined this system is, the easier it is for you to find things in your new home.

• If you come across a decor piece (painting, picture frame, wall hangings…etc), just put it up right away. Don’t let it sit for months on end because you haven’t decided where to put it. This is how clutter accumulates and how extended procrastination occurs - so just pick a place in the new home, put it up, or hang it up. You can always move it to a new location later down the line, just don’t leave it lying in a clutter of mess full of things titled “location-to-be-decided-on”. 

• Stay offline until you unpack! Focus on unpacking and getting organised. It’s very tempting to plop down and watch TV or surf the Internet, but wait until you are done with what needs to be done before you get recreational. Entertainment should come second after you have gotten your unpacking done. The distraction from entertainment outlets can slow down your work pace and cause you to lose focus on what you should be doing.

Hopefully, with these tips, you can make your new place feel like a luxury home.