Unpacking Efficiently | Journey Home Lending

You did it! You made it through the process of finding and purchasing a new home, packing up your old one and moving in! Now the fun begins, right?

The process of getting into a new home can be a stressful time, but when you wake up in a new-to-you place surrounded by boxes and you can’t find the coffee pot—it may leave you wondering if it was all worth it.

It is, or at least it will be, once you get a little more settled. With an efficient unpacking plan, you can feel at home faster and never miss a single cup of coffee.

Start Before the Move

It might be hard to think about unpacking when you are trying to figure out how to get all of your belongings into boxes in the first place, but when you take the time to plan ahead it can make your transition much easier.

Before you start filling up the first box, think about the order in which you will need items in the new home and take that into consideration as you pack.

Label your boxes as you pack them as well. You can go with a certain color for each room, or just keep a sharpie handy to write instructions directly on the box once you have it sealed. If your new home has more rooms than where you currently are, decide how you are going to use those rooms before you move so that you can label your boxes appropriately. When you label, consider how boxes need to be loaded onto the truck so that they are coming off of the truck in an order that will work best.

Consider sketching out a quick floor plan of your new home as you pack. Not only will this help you stay focused on what is going where, but it can also help you fill in spaces in your boxes. If you finish packing one part of your house but have a half-full box, add in an item or two from a room that will be close to it in the new home. This will help you reduce the number of boxes and prevent your property from rolling around in a half empty box.

Right before your move date, pack an overnight bag. Even if you are moving all in one day, keep a change of clothes, medicines, toiletries and some comfort items with you. Plans can always change and things might get jumbled during the move, so having a few things easily accessible can cut your stress level down considerably.

Set Your Priorities

When you have spent time considering how you will unpack, it will make getting started a lot easier once everything is said and done. Consider your priorities before you start.

If you have kids, you might make it a goal to get their rooms set up first thing in order to ease their transition and keep them busy while you work on the rest of the house. There is no right or wrong when it comes to how you get started, just do what works best for you and your family.

It is ideal to tackle a room at a time rather than bouncing around. Make sure you break down your boxes as soon as they are empty and remove them from your home altogether.

This can help prevent any more clutter than there already is, which can quickly become overwhelming. If your new home has curbside trash pickup or recycling, take boxes directly to the curb as soon as they are emptied.

The best advice for unpacking is to just keep going. Empty a box, find homes for those belongings and start on the next.

Keep a list of needed supplies as you go, including new storage bins for that great big closet you love. Remember to take breaks and keep up with your regular needs like food and water. It can be tempting to get things done as fast as possible, but taking your time and caring for yourself as you go will make for a much more pleasant experience.

Ready to start your home buying journey so you can experience the joy of efficient unpacking? Contact us and we will get you started.