After moving to a new place, your list of things to do is not complete until you unpack and organize your belongings. Once the movers have unloaded your furniture and boxes, it’s up to you to get everything unpacked. These tips will help you unpack quickly, get the work done efficiently and keep your belongings organized throughout the process.
Start with the Most Important Room
For most individuals and families, the room that is used the most is the kitchen. It is a good idea to start unpacking the kitchen items first. This allows you to cook meals and eat them at home instead of defaulting to pricey and unhealthy take-out or fast food meals. Once you have handled the basics of your kitchen, unpack the items for at least one bathroom and your bedroom.
Unpack for Function First
To maximize your efficiency while unpacking, begin with the items that you use the most. It does not make sense to unpack the seasonal decorations that you only use once a year before unpacking your everyday dishes. On your first day at your new place, unpack the most important items for each room first. For the kitchen, that would be your dishes, cutlery, cooking utensils and pots and pans. Your small appliances such as the coffee maker or toaster should also be unpacked quickly. You can wait to unpack less-often-used items such as specialty baking pans or cookie cutters.
Handle Items from Largest to Smallest
When putting items away and arranging them in a room, start with the largest items first. In the bedroom, get your bed, chest of drawers and bedside table set up. Next, unpack your set of sheets and a blanket. Set up your lamp and alarm clock. Your decorations, off-season clothes and extra linens can wait until you have gotten through the basics for each room of your home.
Set Up Organizational Systems
Before you load all of your clothes into the closet or food into the pantry, set up your organizational system. If you plan to put in shelf liners or a shelving unit, do it before unpacking those items. Installing the organizational system first saves time over having to unpack the space and install the shelves or liners later.
Decorate Last
After all of your functional items have been unpacked, you can turn your efforts to seasonal and decorative items. This might mean setting up your framed photos or putting your artwork on the walls. You might discover that a piece that looked great in your old place does not fit or look quite right in your new place. As you unpack the decorative items, keep a box handy for things that do not work in your new home or apartment. When the box is full, drop it off at a charity shop or arrange for a charity to pick it up. Getting rid of items keeps your new place tidy.
