Whether you are eager to arrange your new home the way you’ve always pictured it in your head but just never had the chance to do it until now or you are so totally exhausted by the moving process that the mere sight of empty rooms and piles of boxes throws you in panic, you have no choice but to unpack quickly after the move.
However, there is no real pressure, no deadlines approaching too fast, and no strict rules to be observed, so the process of unpacking doesn’t have to be as stressful as packing, or maybe even unpleasant in any way. You just need to get the essentials ready as soon as possible and then you can continue unpacking at a much slower pace that suits your frame of mind.
The job of unpacking after a move is rarely urgent but you still have to tackle it successfully so that you can begin the uneasy journey of getting used to the new place and adapting to the new surroundings. Luckily, there are proven unpacking techniques that will enable you to boost the unpacking speed to suit your needs.
How to unpack quickly after a move?
Read on to find out.
Understand the factors that affect unpacking
It’s easy to underestimate the unpacking task simply because there isn’t a fixed deadline that’s approaching with each passing day. As a result, many people fall into the trap of postponing unpacking for later. And when that later comes around, those people tend to leave the unpacking job for even later in time.
You’ll most likely be exhausted right after the move so unpacking will seem like the least important job there is. It has to be done, of course, but what’s the hurry?
The only way to speed up packing is to understand well the factors that affect the process in general:
- Number of boxes to be unpacked. Naturally, the more containers you have to unpack, the more time you’ll need to do so.
- Level of unpacking assistance. Will you do it on your own or will you ask friends or movers to help you unpack?
- Proper labeling. Have you labeled each box accordingly when you packed it prior to the move? If yes, then unpacking should be faster.
- Level of energy and self-motivation. The task of unpacking after a move can be finished in a few days or it can be dragged out for weeks or even months.
Get help from friends to speed up the unpacking task
One of the best ways to unpack quickly after moving is to ask some of your friends to help you out. After all, it’s a logical choice – the more people get involved in the unpacking process, the faster the post-relocation job will be completed.
However, if you just moved to a new state, then you’re not likely to know anyone there so asking your friends for assistance is impossible. Also, even if your pals are nearby, there’s no guarantee that they will be willing to help you out, especially when they know that unpacking is never really an emergency.
Get your whole family involved in the unpacking job
In most cases, you’ll find it easier and much more practical to get your entire family involved in the unpacking task, if applicable at all.
When moving with a family, you can get each family member to unpack their boxes – that is, their personal essentials boxes and the rest of the moving containers that are meant for their rooms. And provided that your children are old enough, they can provide invaluable assistance in order to speed up the unpacking task considerably.
Unpack all essentials items first
To unpack a house quickly, it’s always a good idea to follow a set unpacking order that’s proven to be efficient and productive, thus saving you loads of time as a result.
First of all, make sure you unpack all essentials boxes because you’re going to need all those essential items right from the start. Ideally, each family member, including any pets you may have, will have their own open-first boxes so tackle those as soon as you can.
And secondly, unpacking the essentials boxes will definitely facilitate the rest of the unpacking task since it’ll make some of the rooms usable – that is, habitable.
See also: What to pack in an open-first box?
Consult your floor plan first
To save valuable time, consult your floor plan before you take any large items to their respective rooms and position them in their designated spots. In most cases, such large and heavy items include furniture pieces, household appliances, or other specialty items such as a pool table, for example.
Remember to check against your inventory sheet (or your packing list) each box or household item that is being unloaded from the truck. When the boxes are taken straight to the rooms they belong to, you will be able to begin the unpacking task right way and without any interruptions.
Thus said, you should avoid stacking all cardboard boxes in a huge pile in one room – if you did it, you would lose many hours later to find the right boxes and carry them to their destination rooms.
Good to know: How to remove packing tape residue when unpacking after a move
Use the room-by-room unpacking technique
One of the best ways to quickly unpack your house after a move is to follow the proven room-by-room unpacking technique.
The idea is simple enough – you should never start unpacking your boxes randomly and unpacking the rooms in the new place without a pre-set order because that would only result in more wasted time after the move.
Once you unpack your essentials boxes, it’s time to switch to the room-by-room unpacking method where each room has a priority label when it comes to unpacking.
Which rooms should you unpack first?
- Bathroom. The bathroom should be the first room to unpack simply because you’ll need it to be usable after you move into the new home.
- Bedroom. You’ll need to be able to have a good night’s sleep after the energy-draining Moving day, so make sure you make up the beds with priority.
- Kitchen. Unpack the most essential kitchen items next as you’ll need to know you can rely on that room to have the required unpacking energy for the days to come.
Read also: 7 things to do on the first day in a new home
Clean often and keep getting rid of packing materials
As you keep unpacking those boxes, the packing materials will begin to pile up and after a while, they are likely to take up most of the space in the room. Piles of empty boxes and mountains of packing paper and bubble wrap will surely slow down your unpacking progress.
To avoid making things messier than they need to be, you should get rid of the unwanted packing supplies before the situation gets out of control.
- Flatten out and store away the cardboard boxes that are in good condition and can be used again in the future.
- Flatten out any damaged boxes to be thrown out for recycling on a regular basis.
- Keep the bubble wrap and packing paper that are not torn and can be reused. Prepare for recycling the rest of the padding materials.
Also, make sure you clean regularly as you unpack to clear off the accumulated dust and debris.
See also: How to recycle moving boxes after moving
Stay focused on the job
Because of the fact that unpacking can be stretched out indefinitely over time, it’s relatively easy to keep postponing it once you’ve unpacked the most essential boxes. In other words, the lack of motivation can be problematic, especially when no deadline is approaching fast to keep the pressure on.
How to unpack quickly after a move?
Your only chance of finishing unpacking fast enough is to maintain your focus and stay organized throughout the unboxing process:
- Do not procrastinate the start of the unpacking task. It’s so much easier to leave the job for tomorrow… but bear in mind that you’ll have tons of things to do when tomorrow comes.
- Stay organized – create an unpacking plan and stick to it to speed up the whole process. You can still set an unpacking pace that’s comfortable to you but the trick is to maintain that speed from start to finish.
- Do not allow yourself to get distracted too often because that would only slow down the unpacking progress and result in hours and hours of lost time.
Read also: How to motivate yourself to unpack after moving
Use professional unpacking services
Sometimes you just want to get back to your normal lifestyle as quickly as possible and it can be very hard to do so when you know that you have many days left until you tackle the unpacking job.
Therefore, the best way to manage the unpacking task may be to leave it to experienced professionals who know exactly what it takes to complete the job as fast as humanly possible. What’s more, you may have to start work almost immediately after the move so you won’t have time to unpack all those boxes.
In some cases, it might make much more sense to use professional unpacking services, especially when your movers have packed the boxes in the first place. Whatever your decision, you should definitely do what’s best for you and your family, especially when time is once again against you after the move.
