How to Unpack After Moving: Room by Room Unpacking Checklist

Your residential move has gone according to plan and all of a sudden, you find yourself in the new home, surrounded by huge piles and long labyrinths of freshly-delivered boxes.

You will probably want to celebrate the (fairly) successful house move, but a part of you will keep reminding you that it’s too early for celebrations because the task of unpacking comes next in your post-move agenda.

The unpacking job can be overwhelming and daunting at the same time, especially when you have no idea where to start unpacking after the move. Still, it’s something you must do as the final step before having the opportunity to settle in your new house or apartment.

The thing is that you shouldn’t worry too much about that seemingly challenging task ahead simply because, unless you do find some of your expensive and valuable items broken after opening up the boxes, the worst part of the residential move is already behind your back.

As a bonus, you now have this comprehensive room-by-room unpacking checklist to guide you through the entire unpacking process.

Which rooms to unpack first?

How to unpack after a move?

How to unpack quickly after moving?

The answers are coming, one by one.

What to do before unpacking the boxes

There are a few important things you should do before you rush into opening up those boxes and taking out their contents.

Having already taken advantage of your groundbreaking room-by-room packing checklist, you must be eager now to finish unpacking and arranging your belongings in the new home.

However, starting that critical post-relocation task the wrong way may cause you to lose valuable time, which in turn may upset the balance of your nervous system.

1. Check the boxes against the inventory list

If you hadn’t had enough time to check each box as it was being carried inside, do it now. Use the inventory list provided by your moving company or the one you yourself created.

If you can’t seem to find a box anywhere (missing in action), then contact your mover as soon as possible to resolve the issue.

2. Sort out the boxes

Having all the boxes in one single place won’t really work, so make sure all cardboard containers are sorted out and carried to their destination rooms. This is where taking the extra time to label your boxes should pay off as you will be able to locate the boxes you need easily.

3. Prioritize the unpacking job

Don’t make unpacking after a move a race with time. The period that starts right after the move-in day is all about prioritizing. Unpacking has a high-priority tag labeled to it, but focusing 100% on the unpacking task may not be the right thing to do.

Sure, you won’t feel comfortable being surrounded by huge piles of full cardboard boxes, but you may happen to have more important things to do as well: preparing for and going to work the next day, or going out for some urgent chores around the new town or city.

4. Have a floor plan

You want to know exactly where each large furniture piece will be positioned before you start to reassemble it. This is important because it will prevent stressful situations of having to move a bulky piece of furniture within the room or to another room after it has already been set up.

Make things easier on yourself – save valuable time and spare your nerves by having a foolproof floor plan beforehand.

5. Prepare an unpacking strategy

Having the right unpacking strategy is winning half the battle.

Create a good unpacking plan, stick to it, and you’ll notice how the entire unpacking process goes fairly unnoticed, without any emotional bursts or moments of high tension.

Unlike packing for a move where the mere existence of a deadline keeps the stress levels pretty unhealthy, now you can unpack your new home on your own terms and at your own comfortable pace.

6. Unpack only what you need

The best thing about unpacking after a move is that you can finish that time-consuming task without feeling the pressure of the approaching deadline as is the case with packing.

More often than not, the key to a stress-free unpacking experience is to unpack only what you need the first day and possibly the second day after the move, and unpack the rest of the household items whenever you manage to find more free time in the evenings after work or on weekends.

7. Which room to unpack first?

You’ll read and hear different opinions about which room to unpack first after the move: most moving experts are unanimous that your first unpacking stop should be the kitchen.

We think that which room you start with depends on the time of day you arrive in the new home. For example, if it’s around noon or early afternoon, then yes, you may choose to unpack the essential kitchen items first.

However, if you arrive very late in the afternoon or in the evening, your top priority is to take a hot shower (bathroom) and go to sleep (bedroom).

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Room-by-room unpacking checklist

One thing is certain: you will be exhausted, both physically and mentally, the day you move into your new home.

Hopefully, you’ll have arranged the transfer of your utilities prior to the move so that you now have electricity, water, gas, cable TV, and other household services. The last thing you’d want after an endless day is to start unpacking those boxes and setting up the major furniture pieces IN THE DARK.

Remember that the essentials box (or boxes) should be the very first thing you unpack to keep things running smoothly. For the most efficient way to unpack after moving, here’s an excellent room-by-room unpacking timeline you’re strongly recommended to follow:

BATHROOM

• Essentials. Unpack the essential bathroom items: some of them should be in the open first box, including toilet paper, towels, soap, shampoo, conditioners, toothpaste, and toothbrush;
• Shower curtains. Take out the shower curtains from the BATHROOM-labeled boxes and install them so that you have the privacy you need;
• Toiletries. Unpack all toiletries, including all cosmetic products, and place them in their respective spots;
• Medicine. Unpack any medication you may have taken with you and arrange the medical products in the medicine cabinet.

The thought of taking a hot bath or having a refreshing shower must have kept you going during the most exhausting and unpredictable day of a house move. You’ll soon have that wish fulfilled now that you’ve unpacked the bathroom.

KITCHEN

• Major appliances. Get the major kitchen appliances unpacked and hooked up. You will probably need the kitchen stove and the microwave oven to be operational as soon as possible. If you’ve moved the refrigerator as well, wait at least 3 hours before plugging it in and turning it on so that the oil within the cooling system makes its way back to the compressor unit. Your fridge should reach its normal cooling capacity (optimal performance) within a few days;

Small appliances. Unpack and set up the smaller kitchen appliances such as the coffee maker, toaster, blender, etc. The coffee maker will be especially appreciated during the first several days in your new house or apartment. Don’t forget to also find and unpack the box that contains the cream and sugar;

Essentials. Remember that you need to organize your unpacking time very carefully – unpack only the essential kitchen items – the utensils and kitchenware you plan to use in the next few days. You won’t use the glassware and silverware right away, right?;

Breakables. Unpack the boxes that contain all the breakables (plates, glasses, cups, saucers, bowls, etc.) on the weekend, on your days off, or whenever you have more free time. Unpacking fragile kitchenware usually takes more time than you planned because most of those breakable items will have to be washed first before you arrange them around the kitchen;

Cupboards. Line the kitchen cupboards and organize the rest of the kitchen after you’ve unpacked all priority boxes in all the rooms of your home. Unpacking and arranging the entire kitchen will take forever – just think of the hundreds of kitchen items that took you days to pack up prior to the move.

BEDROOM

• Bed. Unpack, assemble, and make up the bed if you have chosen to take that furniture piece with you. After all, arriving very late in your new home means that unpacking the most essential bedroom items is your top priority. Regardless of the packing strategy you have decided to follow, you will desperately need to have a decent night’s sleep after the energy-draining move-in day;
• Bed linens. Unpack the boxes that contain the pillows, bed linens, and blankets;
• Mattress. Unpack and place the bed mattress. If you don’t have sufficient time to reassemble the bed, then you can just take the mattress you have just unpacked, place it on the floor, grab a blanket and a pillow, and call it a day;
• Closet or wardrobe. Unpack and set up the piece of furniture that will guard your pieces of clothing;
• Clothes. Open the wardrobe boxes and regular cardboard boxes that contain your clothes and arrange them in the closet or wardrobe. One piece of packing advice is to unbox only the clothes you plan to wear in the next few days in order to save precious time;
• Lamps. Unbox the lamps intended for the bedroom and set them up;
• Furniture. Consider unpacking and setting up other bedroom furniture whenever you find more free time on your hands.

LIVING ROOM

• Furniture. Unpack, reassemble, and position all furniture pieces that will occupy the living room. Make sure you 1) have a floor plan first and 2) get help while setting up, lifting, moving, and positioning heavy living room furniture such as couches, armchairs, tables, chairs, bookshelves, and so on;

Electronics. Unpack and set up the entertainment center: TV, stereo, DVD player, computer, game console, and other types of electronic devices that you will desperately need during the monotonous and never-ending task of unpacking and organizing after the move. Use the reference photos you took when packing electronics to wire up and hook up your devices;

Lamps. Unbox the lamps you have taken with you and position them on strategic places around the family room;

Books. Do not bother unpacking your books for now – you can do it at a later stage when you’ve already unpacked and arranged the other rooms in your home.

STORAGE SPACES

• Storage areas. Tackle your spare rooms, garage, attic, or basement last. Most of the time, storage areas do not contain essential items – after all, it makes much more sense to first have your bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room ready for use than to have your tools all unpacked, set up, and arranged nicely in your garage;
• Organization. Organize the storage spaces before you begin to unpack. Have a good idea where all the things will go and make the space functional by adding extra shelves or getting more storage boxes;
• Storage boxes. Do not waste time opening boxes with items that are intended for storage. Instead, keep them shut and labeled and place them in their respective destination rooms. Later, when you’ve already unpacked all boxes and arranged all the rooms in your home, you may choose to go through those storage containers and see if there’s stuff in there that you can actually use.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Remember that which room you unpack first will depend on your family needs. If you have children, then the task of unpacking and setting up the children’s room has a much higher unpacking priority. If you work from home, then unpacking and arranging the home office will be more important than unpacking the living room and its entertainment hub.

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How to unpack quickly after moving: 10 unpacking tips

Here are some extra tips for unpacking after moving that will help you complete the most significant post-move task as quickly as possible. What’s the hurry, you may ask?

Unpacking your entire home can take weeks to complete, and as long as you know you’ve still got loads of unpacking work to do, you’ll never be able to turn your attention to what really matters in that new life chapter of yours.

Not surprisingly, the sooner you’ve unpacked and arranged the new place to your own taste, the sooner you can accept it as your own home.

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Here are the top 10 tips for unpacking QUICKLY after moving to a new home:

• Unpack one room at a time. The best way to unpack after moving is to do it in stages. Stay organized and unpack room-by-room while following your own unpacking checklist.
• Don’t procrastinate too much. Unpacking at your own pace doesn’t mean you should keep finding excuses not to finish unpacking for months to come. The quicker you get the unpacking job done, the better.
• Keep your unpacking focus. Similar to packing, unpacking after a move is a tedious task that takes too much time. It’s easy to lose your focus so set mini unpacking goals to actually feel the progress.
• Get rid of packing materials while unpacking. Packing materials will pile up as you keep unpacking, and those supplies will slow down your progress. Store away the boxes you can reuse, flatten out the ones for recycling, and throw away the rest regularly.
• Books and clothes can wait. Chances are you won’t be in the mood for reading books, and you probably won’t have time to do so either. You won’t need to unpack all your clothes at once either, especially the out-of-season ones.
• Get everyone involved. Everyone in the family should contribute to the unpacking process, except small children and pets, of course. After all, it’s a family task.
• Organize an unpacking party. Ask friends to help you out if you must finish unpacking really quickly. Unpacking with friends can be kind of fun, consider playing music in the background to make the job a bit more pleasant.
• Find the motivation to unpack. If find yourself with no motivation to unpack after moving, remind yourself that your post-move acclimatization period won’t even start while you still have tons of boxes to unpack. If that won’t work, then set up a self-reward system to keep you motivated to unpack.
• Handle breakables with care. There’s little point in packing your breakable items with so much care only to ruin a fine dinnerware set or a glassware set while unpacking your fragile items. Your unpacking momentum will be ruined too.
• Make your new place your own. You won’t feel the new place like your own home until you unpack all miscellaneous items. Unpack and hang photos, pictures, or paintings on the walls. Also, don’t forget to unpack and arrange any flower pots you may have moved to beautify the living place.

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