While packing can seem like an arduous task before a move, unpacking is far more exciting. It’s the process of turning your new house or apartment into a home! Above all else, successfully unpacking post-move comes down to how organized you were in the packing process. At the risk of living out of boxes for a few weeks, we put together these essential tips for unpacking post-move.
If you labeled your boxes based on room and contents, unpacking will be a much more streamlined process. If you left yourself with a ton of unlabeled boxes, unpacking will be a bit more difficult but that’s why we decided to write this guide.
Organize Boxes Based on Room
This is more of a pre-step before unpacking. Take your (hopefully) labeled boxes (or start cracking them open to check) and place them in the rooms they belong to. This will prevent you from having a ton of boxes and furniture stacked in your living room and common areas.
This is a great time to pull out your inventory list not only to check that all of your items made it to their destination but also to see what should be set up where.
Essentials First
Hopefully while packing, you set aside some essential items (and for more great packing tips check out this post ) including medications, important documents, and potentially some cleaning supplies to sanitize the house before your things are set up. Unpack this box (or boxes) before anything else. It’s also a good idea to take some basic food preparation items (ie. a skillet, cooking oil, etc.)
Onto the Bedroom(s)
Moving can be a stressful and (let’s face it) tiring experience. Getting clean sheets and pillows onto your bed is most likely going to be your first priority. You may need to assemble your bed frame. Although this is a service many moving companies offer, especially if it was disassembled during pickup.
Setting up your bedroom is much easier if you were able to put together a floor plan with measurements prior to the move. If this wasn’t an option or simply an afterthought in the whirlwind that is moving, try to envision the layout of the room first.
Once you know where the big pieces are going, hang up any shelving and closet organization units. It may even be a good idea to hold off on putting things permanently on the walls initially in case you decide to play around with the layout. This will make the unpacking process much more efficient.
To the Kitchen!
If you didn’t go directly to sleep after setting up your bedroom, time to unpack the kitchen boxes. If they don’t already get your major appliances hooked up, though this may have to be done by a professional. Line your kitchen cabinets and plug in any small appliances.
If you’re in a rush to get some rest, just take out the essential kitchen items like pots, pans, and dish/silverware. Once you’re completely unpacked you can focus on organizing the kitchen to your liking. Pro tip: take the time to set all the clocks in your kitchen on the stove, microwave, and other small appliances. It will make your place feel like more of a home almost immediately.
Last but Not Least: Bathroom(s)
Everything in your bathroom should more or less be up and running when you move in. This is assuming the water is turned on. Setting up your bathroom can really make a new place feel like home. After moving, if sleep isn’t the first thing on your agenda a shower certainly will be. Take the time to set up shower curtains, and any candles, and stock your medicine cabinet.
Bonus Tip
The main thing to keep in mind is that moving in isn’t generally a one-day process. It will take some time to get 
situated and hanging pictures or artwork on the walls are often the finishing touches to make your new place feel more inviting. Don’t rush to get everything set up right away. Take it one step at a time and that new place will feel like home in no time!
Thanks for reading and be sure to check out our other blog posts for more moving tips.