How to Unpack After Moving (in Less Than a Day)

Following a move, unpacking your new home quickly takes patience, determination and a good system. Moving is one of the most stressful things you can do in life, so some will enlist the help of a residential packing service. The process of packing, transporting and unpacking all your belongings without damaging anything is an ordeal that many people dread. It doesn't have to be this way though. If you follow these simple steps, you'll be able to unpack after moving in less than a day!

If you feel comfortable in the moving process, it's possible to unpack your house in about a day plus some more time to decorating your new space. Follow our tips below to make it easier and more fun to unpack your home and decorate the rest of your rooms. This list includes some of the best ways to do it quickly, so you don't have to be stressed out too much after moving in.

How long should it take to unpack after moving?

It usually takes about one day, but if you move quickly, and efficiently, it's possible to unpack in less than a day!

Where do I start unpacking after moving?

Start at the beginning. Start with a bedroom, and work your way throughout the house in order of what room you'd be using first (kitchen, bathroom).

What's harder packing or unpacking?

Packing may take longer to complete but unpacking is harder because it's easier to forget what you have or don't need.

What should you unpack first?

It's a good idea to unpack the rooms or items that you'll be using first, and the answer can be different for everybody, however most people will start in the bedroom or kitchen.

Can you hire someone to unpack?

Yes, but it will cost a little more and you'll have to be careful about what possessions they touch. Your moving company should be able to unpack for you, but if not you can hire helpers from a service like Taskrabbit to come and lend a helping hand.

Pack with Unpacking In Mind

Unpacking will be much easier and quicker if you follow a few rules.

The best way to make unpacking easier is to have a good plan in place. This is where your packing list comes in!

Pack items together that you need the most. These are often toiletries, medicines and important documents that cannot be left behind until unpacked elsewhere. Items like shampoo or toothpaste can go under a sink if there isn't enough time to unpack directly into their final resting places.

Get familiar with your new space

Make sure you get to know your new home before unpacking- this might seem like common sense for some but it's important not to just start tossing boxes willy nilly when you first arrive at your new place. Spend time getting acquainted with where everything is located so that once you're ready to unpack, the entire process goes by smoothly and quickly.

Assemble and Arrange the Furniture

If you need to rearrange furniture in the bedrooms, living room and dining room, hopefully you already have a systematic plan in place so you only have to do it once. Large pieces that need mechanical assembly, such as bookcases or entertainment centers, should be put together only after you know where all the furniture will be placed. Also, thankfully your moving company should assist you with this part.

It is a waste of time to assemble items that may need to be disassembled and moved again. If you have a floorplan, it is essential to detail every aspect of your new home and where items will go before you move in.

Staying Organized While Unpacking

Take a deep breath, it's time to begin making your house a home! You need to organize all of your possessions. Check and make sure you have all of your possessions from your old home.

The best way to unpack is to pack rooms at one room at one time, rather than just grabbing your essentials and leaving them in the wrong place. Doing it this way will make sure you don't have a lot of non-essential things left laying around long after you've settled in.

Break Down Boxes as You Go, in Real Time

As you unpack boxes, crumple up the packing paper and shove it into a box. Break down your boxes as you go, and you'll want to have a utility knife on hand so you can make this happen quickly. Breaking down your boxes as you go will help avoid the clutter of your boxes as you unpack and especially avoid a big pile of empty ones getting in your way.

Distribute your boxes strategically

Move-in days can be crazy and packing is often a way of getting off to a great start in your new life. Unload boxes directly in the room where their contents belong. It's much easier to do this when you're already in the groove of moving and have the strength to lift the heavy boxes further. When you or your moving help are unloading the boxes, put them in the same room as the contents.

This is where any labeling system you created while packing will come in handy. Every box should be clearly marked with the room in which it belongs. Save yourself from having to sort through everything twice and bring each box into the correct room from the car. This way, your unpacking can get off to an organized start, and you'll find it's faster and easier to unpack everything.

Unpack rooms by importance

When unpacking rooms you should start with your bedrooms first, unpacking in order of importance. This way, your resting place will be waiting for you when you're ready for a break from unpacking. You should also then unpack your kitchen, dining room, guest bedroom, and formal living space. You can tackle any supplemental storage areas like the basement or garage.

Avoid Distractions, Don't Unpack Games or TV

We suggest playing music or making a playlist to distract you from monotonous unpacking. You'll also need to make a plan for pets and kids to keep them occupied. The best way to keep to your task is to turn off the TV and movies when you're moving so you don't get too distracted from your work. It's all about keeping the distractions to a minimum so you can have enough time to finish at a reasonable hour. Have a plan to keep young children and pets occupied when you're unpacking.

Give yourself a deadline

Set a date for a housewarming party at your new home and then stick to it. If friends are coming over on that date, you may have extra incentive to making sure your unpacked.

Ask for help

If you want help in unpacking, ask a friend or two to help with your unpacking task. Taskrabbit is an app that connects people to a various work tasks. Hiring someone on a task site like TaskRabbit can help you get help with unpacking or cleaning up a room or even unpacking a room in a place where you don't know anyone in the area to help out with a task.

Do a little at a time

If you're not trying to speed-race your unpacking job, just unpacking every day will help you feel energized and positive. Do something small every day that way. Breaking down the unpacking process into tiny tasks makes the whole thing seem more manageable. Unpacking your socks is a simple task and will leave you feeling more productive. Do it every day, no matter how small it adds up, to help keep you feeling positive about life in your new home.

Maybe Save the Kitchen for Tomorrow

Be warned, the kitchen is the most time intensive room to unpack, due to the amount of tiny, heavy and fragile items. Your brain will be tired by the end of moving day. If you have a huge house to unpack, maybe order food in the first night and save it until the next day when you've had time to make a fresh pot of coffee.

Tackle the Bathroom

Living without a bathroom is not fun, so it's best to get the essentials out of the way first. Spare towels that belong to linen closet can be unpacked later. Getting the essentials set up will make your bathroom livable and keep you focused on just that room. Toiletries, toothbrush and cleaning products can be used in the new bathroom, so be sure to pack all of them in the closet.

Closets and Excess Items

Closets, spare storage and bulk items are your next focus. The next thing left to unpack is decor. Take your decor out and unpack your extra things from your closets and store them in the hallway closet or spare room. Unpack a box of out-of-season clothes you set aside while unpacking your bedroom and other items, for example, in a hallway closet or spare room, wherever you want them to live.

Unpack Your Home Office

Set up your electronics and furniture before you unpack small office supplies and optimize your desk arrangement. Start with the big things and wind your way down to the smaller stuff. Set your desk up with furniture in place before unloading any of the office supplies you need. Leave any certificates or awards in their box for now, we'll come back to these later. Set up the internet to set up and install computers and printers.

Unpacking the Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the least liked rooms to unpack in a home. There's a lot of storage space to set up. It's a good idea to label cabinets with what items you want in each room. Then unpack and place your items in their designated spot. This will help you avoid problems before they arise, like running out of space to put things. To make this easy on yourself, slap a blank sticky note on each cabinet and drawer you want to put in their space, then label each sticky note with what you want on each drawer or cabinet.

Set Up Your Living Room

The most difficult rooms in the house are done, now it's time for the living room. Unpacking your living area can lead to various distractions. Your living room is likely where you'll find most of your entertainment: games, books, movies, etc. If you know you'll get distracted by the television or game system, leave those items for last and unpack the other items first. If you think you'll get distracted, don't do this until you finish unpacking in the rest of the room and other rooms in your home.

Unpack Your Bedroom

Unpack the bedroom essentials–your daily wear and any items that need to be hung up ASAP, then come back for the rest on a later day. If you have kids or live-in relatives, unpack their bedrooms next using the same methods. Before you know it, your bedroom is ready to go, and you can move on to your next room. If your bedding is set up, then unpack the rest of the room, then move onto the next room.

Take Care of Your Guest Bedroom

You're almost done, your guest room is the last room you'll unpack. Start with furniture, then unpack your guest bedding, followed by any other spare items. Keep space in your spare room set aside while unpacking for other storage items, to avoid running out of spots later.

Decorate Your New Home

Once most of the rooms are unpacked and your essentials are in place, consider how best to decorate your new space. For many people, this means pulling out their favorite décor items and arranging them on the walls or shelves where they will live for a while (and hopefully long after).

Unpacking is one of the most stressful things you can do in life. If you followed our simple steps, you'll be able to unpack after moving in less than a day. Hopefully we made it easier and more fun to unpack and decorate your new home. Get to know your new neighbors after you finish unpacking, and enjoy your new home!

Enlist the help of a professional packing service in Maryland

If you are in need of a professional packing service, Treasure Moving Company can help! Our team is ready willing and equipped to handle any packing or unpacking job. Request a free quote online or call us at 855-715-6683.

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