If you’ve taken our pre-move advice, you’re halfway there. By labelling every box clearly, you should have set yourself up for a much easier time unpacking your house than if you were staring at a house full of random cartons instead. Couple this with a clear plan of attack, and the once daunting task of moving in becomes a far more realistic prospect without the stress.
THE PLAN
The plan is simple enough: tackle each room of the house individually and in a set sequence. This way, not only will you stay focused, but your motivation will remain intact as you start to check each room of the house off your list. Once you’ve wiped down benchtops, cabinets, wardrobes and floors, it’s time to assign each carton to its designated room. If you’ve properly labelled each box (room and contents), and kept like-items together, this task should be relatively pain free, (except for maybe a sore back, so remember to lift with your legs). Avoid stacking cartons in front of doorways and cupboards.
PRIORITISING
In terms of prioritising the order of each room, the general rule of thumb is this: start with the kitchen, followed by the bedrooms, on to the bathrooms, then the rest. For the kitchen, it is likely that your new space and configuration differs from your prior residence, so carefully consider the best location for those pots, pans, glassware and crockery. Utilise stackable storage containers to maximise space, and consider putting rarely used appliances into a carton for garage or attic storage.
BEDROOMS
With bedrooms, once the beds are assembled and made, put all clothes away in their logical place. If you’ve done your homework, jackets, shirts, dresses and formal wear should have been in porta robe moving cartons for the simple transference to the wardrobe. With children’s rooms, ensure you have enough storage space. Plastic containers, toy boxes and desks with special compartments are all recommended to help keep the new space in order. If old enough, let your children help unpack their own rooms. You can always rearrange their space if need be.
BATHROOMS
For the bathroom, if you’ve packed like-items together and know your new space well enough, you should a have a relatively simple time unpacking into overhead cabinets and vanity unit drawers and cupboards. Remember to hang your towels on the rails, too. You’re likely going to need a relaxing shower at the end of the day!
THE REST
You’ve likely got some or all of the following rooms to complete: laundry, living area or lounge room, dining room, and study. Although it all comes down to personal preference, it’s likely you’ll want to have a working washing machine and place to relax with the family, so the laundry and common living area(s) are probably your next priorities. Connect the washing machine and find the optimal position for your TV and you’re nearly set.
Remember, you don’t have to have everything unpacked and sorted in one day or even one weekend. As long as any remaining items are neatly and safely out of the way for future sorting, you should be able to move in quickly, comfortably and without any grief.
