You did it! You finally moved to that great new home or apartment. Now you can relax in your new home, right? Wrong! The easiest part of moving is the actual move. Now, you have to get down to business and get all those boxes unpacked. At least when you were packing, all the stuff you were putting into boxes was in one place. Well, now you have to get the box to the right place and then find room to put that item. Lucky for you, I, Mark Roemer, have some tips that are going to make unpacking a lot easier. Take a look at the tips below, and you will be done in no time.

 Labels

While most houses have clearly defined spaces, there is a trend that is growing – open floor plans. This means that there will be a minimal definition of where the front room ends, and the dining room starts. These details will be left up to you. My recommendation is you label each room. This can be done by putting a physical sign up, marking the area with tape on the floor, or pointing out the barrier to everyone helping you unpack.

Making sure the rooms are labeled, or defined, will help you get the boxes into the right room. Having kitchen boxes in the bedroom is not going to help you unpack faster. It may take you a few minutes to label the rooms, but it will save you hours of moving and re-moving boxes.

Closets

Utilize the closet space you have. Not only will it allow you to put things away to deal with later, but it will also allow you to have room to move around. If you have ever been to a home that has just moved into, you know it is hard to move around. Clearing some of those boxes out will allow you to move around more comfortably and thus get things done faster.

Necessities

Ideally, you will want to pack a box that has all your essentials in it. It should be clearly labeled so you can find it and unpack it first. The box should contain everything you are going to need to get through the first few days of your move. Such items should include, a couple of changes of clothes, any bathroom supplies you might need, hygiene products, medication, and maybe a few ready to eat meals that do not require refrigeration or any special storage requirements.

Once you get to your new home, you will want to locate this box and get it unpacked as quickly as possible. You will likely be unpacking until late at night and don’t want to be looking for this box when all you want to do is have dinner, grab a shower, and get to bed.

Clean

Depending on what kind of house or apartment you are moving into, chances are the previous tenant did not leave it very clean. They, too, were on a truncated timetable and rushed out the door. Before you start putting stuff away, I suggest you do a quick clean up. You will find it much easier to clean cupboards and flat surfaces before occupying those spaces with your possessions.

Bed

Much like your necessities box and cleaning, you are going to want to make your bed. Again, after a long day of unpacking boxes, the last thing you want to have to do is make a bed. The reason is that making the bed is not an easy activity. When you make the bed, your heart rate will increase, and you will start taking deep breaths. This will wake you back up and not allow you to fall asleep too quickly. If you have decided to do this after dinner and shower, you might get sweaty as well. No one likes to go to bed hot and sweaty.

Rooms

The first thing you did was define your rooms, right? If you are following this list, then the answer should be yes. Now that you have taken care of everything that you will need to be ready for you at the end of the day, it is time to start unpacking boxes.

I highly suggest that you unpack boxes one room at a time. The reason for this is that you can see progress. If you remove only a few items in each room, it can be challenging to know that you are reaching the end of your unpacking journey. When you do one room at a time, you can see at a glance that things are getting done.

Matching

When you are unpacking individual rooms, you need to make sure that the items have a place to go. Meaning, if you have an entertainment center that needs to be assembled, you don’t want to unpack your CDs, DVD, and other items that are intended for that piece of furniture. Only remove things that have a place to go. The alternative will have you unboxing and re-boxing items that will eat up your precious time.

Kitchen

The first boxes that you unpack should be going in the kitchen. Sure, eating out can be a fast and easy way to get a meal. The truth is, fast food is not suitable for your health, nor is it good for your wallet. You would be better off making yourself a lovely home-cooked meal. Besides, when you make your meals, it will give you a little break from unpacking boxes. Believe me when I tell you, your body needs the rest. Take the time to plan your next move while you are preparing and eating the meal. Having a plan of attack is better than any advice I could give you.

Conclusion

There you have it. If you follow these simple steps that I, Mark Roemer, have laid out for you, unpacking should be a breeze. Moving can be a great new experience, but it does have an element of hard work attached to it. Whenever you move, plan how you are going to unpack ahead of time. When you plan to succeed, the job will be done before you know it.