What To Unpack First When Moving

By Author: Jay Hardy
Total Articles: 2
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The key to unpacking is organization. But how do you get organized?

With so many boxes in every room of your new home on moving day, it’s hard to decide where to start unpacking. Here are some guidelines for a more organized unpacking process and some suggestions for what to unpack first.

When it comes to unpacking, you need the time necessary to do it. If you have enough vacation and can afford to do so, it’s a good idea to take a week off from work. But if you can’t take time off, then delegating three boxes of unpacking per family member per night is another way to get it done. Incentives work great for kids and teenagers. If they unpack three boxes a night, then they get a movie or pizza night, anything that inspires them to get the job done. Hiring babysitters for small children who can care for your kids away from the house during the day is ideal. That way they aren’t getting into things you’re not ready to put away.

When you move you should have boxes that contain your essentials. In other words, items that are essential, without them you can’t function. Each family ...
... member should have one and many homeowners have them marked “Open First.” Other homeowners mark these boxes with red ribbon, making it easier to tell professional movers where to place them. Kitchen and bathroom items are considered the most essential things you’ll need the first day you move in. Beds and linens for the first night would also be considered essential. The goal is to make your life easier by having the items you need easily accessible for your first night in your new home.

Which room should you unpack first? You should unpack one room at a time starting with the kitchen. The kitchen is critical to family life structure and the most complicated. An unpacked and organized kitchen means spending less money on take-out and pizza. Get your kitchen unpacked first and the rest of the packing falls into place. After you have your new kitchen in order, then tackle the bedrooms. Start by unpacking and organizing the current season’s clothes. Once the clothing is in order, move to the bathrooms, unpacking medicine from your box of essential items and placing them into the medicine cabinet. Husbands may differ with their wives when it comes to placing more importance on the family room and media center than on the kitchen. This is okay as many wives are happy to set up the kitchen with their husbands setting up the TV and other electronics.

Assuming you can’t take time off to unpack, unpack your bedrooms in the evening after work. Each family member should go to their bedroom and unpack. This allows everyone the chance to settle in and arrange their own spaces as they see fit. This is especially important for children and teenagers to make them feel more at home in their new place. Multi-use rooms can be saved for the weekends and should be done as a family. When children are allowed the voice their opinions about where things should go, they experience a sense of belonging and you can better hold them accountable later to put things back where they belong.
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