How to Unpack Quickly After Moving

So, the day has finally come to step over the threshold of your new home – all your belongings in tow – and wave your movers goodbye. The pros have done a good job and delivered your items intact and unscathed, everything has gone more or less according to plan, and the arduous relocation process is over.

Instead of relaxing and having some much needed rest, however, you need to roll up your sleeves and get down to work once again – there’s one more task to complete before you can celebrate your successful relocation and the start of your new life: unpacking. And the sooner you get it over with, the better.

After the move, your new home is a maze of boxes, disassembled furniture parts, and randomly placed items. There is nowhere to sit, no comfortable bed to sleep in, nothing to cook with – you need to get your belongings unpacked as fast as possible so you can resume a normal daily routine and enjoy your life in your new home.

But how to unpack quickly after moving when you’re so exhausted and overwhelmed by the onerous relocation endeavor? How to find the energy and the motivation to deal with such a laborious task?

Read on to find some efficient strategies for unpacking after a move that will help you finish the last stage of your relocation adventure quickly and easily and will ensure the functionality and comfort of your new home.

How Long Does It Take to Unpack After Moving?

Unpacking after moving is quite a tricky task – unlike the pre-move preparations, it has no clear deadline, so it’s easy to postpone for later.

You’ll be tired after the relocation and there will be many things to take care of in order to settle into your new life, so once you’ve taken out the essentials, you’ll be tempted to leave everything else as it is – and some boxes may sit unpacked for weeks or even months before you find the time and the energy to deal with them.

According to a recent survey, it takes Americans an average of 180 days to unpack after moving to a new home – and it can take much longer when unpacking procrastination is not fought off.

How long it will take you to unpack your belongings depends on four major factors:

1. The number of boxes and the type of items to be unpacked and organized;
2. Whether you have unpacking help (either professional or non-professional) or not;
3. Your unpacking motivation, determination, and focus;
4. The way you packed before the move – unpacking will be faster and easier if you:
   • took pictures before packing your items for moving – having reference pictures will help you reassemble furniture and connect electrical devices correctly and easily, and will allow you to replicate your old home décor (if you wish to) and set up your new space in a quick and efficient manner;
   • organized your items well – keeping like items together and packing items from only one room in one box will allow you to streamline the unpacking process and complete it in less time and with less effort (you’ll be able to focus on one type of items and one room at a time and won’t have to walk back and forth around your home putting items in their places);
   • used an efficient labeling system – detailing the contents of the moving containers and color-coding the cartons will save you a lot of time when unpacking as you’ll know which room a box belongs to and what is in it at a glance;
   • made a floor plan of your new home, so you know where you want everything to go and have a blueprint to guide you and your movers on move-in day;
   • packed open-first boxes that contain everything necessary to facilitate unpacking and make a room usable right away.

Whatever the situation, you’ll certainly want to make your new place feel like home as soon after the relocation as possible – and to achieve this feat, you need to buckle down and start unpacking your things without delay.

How to Unpack Fast After Moving

To speed up the unpacking process and achieve maximum efficiency in your work, you need to follow a good unpacking strategy:

1) Adhere to the floor plan

Check every box and item unloaded from the moving truck against your inventory list to make sure nothing is missing and have each carton, furniture piece, appliance, etc. carried to its correct destination room. If you created a floor plan and marked your items properly this will be as easy as pie – and will take no time at all.

Bonus tip: Be sure to clean the space before you start unpacking – it will be much easier to clean your new house while it is still empty and you will feel much better starting your new life in a clean and fresh environment. (See also: Move-in cleaning checklist)

2) Unpack your essentials

There is a reason why open-first boxes are called so – they contain the most important things you’re going to need immediately after arrival (hygiene items, personal care items, medications, etc.) and some basic items (tools, cleaning supplies, etc.) that will allow you to initiate the unpacking process, so they should be opened first. 

So, be sure to unpack your essentials box and the necessities you packed for each room (the basics which will allow you to make that room usable and will facilitate the unpacking of the remaining boxes and items from the room) before everything else.

3) Position larger items first

You won’t be able to unpack and arrange smaller items until your furniture pieces, appliances, and other major household items are put in place.

Therefore, the first thing to do when you begin unpacking after a move is to set up your larger items – take them to their rightful places, reassemble furniture, connect major appliances, etc. You need to know exactly where each piece should be positioned in advance (that’s where a floor plan comes in really handy) to avoid having to move it again later when the furniture is already assembled and your new home is set up.

Bonus tip: Anticipate future needs – think about how you’re going to arrange and organize the smaller items that sit inside the larger household items and complete the necessary preparations (such as lining cabinet shelves or installing closet organizers) while setting up the furniture, when it is most efficient to do so.

4) Unpack your home room by room

The best way to unpack after moving is to focus on one room at a time – this will save you time and energy (as you won’t need to shuffle all over the place, arranging your items) and will allow you to get your most needed rooms ready for use as soon as possible.

What room to unpack first? It depends on the time of day when you arrive in your new home:

If it’s around noon or early afternoon, it may be a good idea to unpack the kitchen first, so you have access to your cooking and eating essentials and can get a decent meal before going to bed at the end of the day.

Keep in mind though that unpacking all your kitchen items and making the kitchen fully operational can take days, so you need to set up only the absolute essentials first – get the main kitchen appliances such as the refrigerator and the cooker up and running, set up the microwave, the toaster and the coffee maker, unpack a few pots and pans, take out the silverware, some plates, cups and mugs, etc.

If you arrive late in the afternoon or in the evening, the bathroom and the bedroom(s) should be your first priority. You need to be able to take a shower and have a good rest on the first night in your new home, so be sure to set up the bed(s) and unpack your bedtime essentials (bed linen, nightwear, night lamp, etc.) and bathroom essentials (towels, shampoos, shower gels, etc.) first.

Click here to find a detailed room-by-room unpacking checklist that will guide you throughout the entire unpacking process and will help you set up your new home in no time.

5) Clean regularly and get rid of packing materials without delay

As you unpack, packing materials will pile up and dirt and dust will gradually accumulate. If you do nothing about it, soon enough you won’t be able to stop sneezing and it will be impossible to walk around the house without tripping over an empty box. This will slow your unpacking progress and strain your nerves.

To avoid such an unpleasant situation, you need to clean on a regular basis and get packing supplies out of the way:

• Store away moving boxes in good condition you can re-use (See also: What to do with boxes after moving);
• Flatten damaged boxes in stacks to be recycled soon;
• Set aside two large moving boxes and make one of them a paper box and the other – a bubble wrap box. As you unwrap your items, crumple up the packing paper and shove it into the paper box and put the pieces of bubble wrap into the bubble wrap box.

Breaking down and removing boxes will free up space to get around and regular cleaning will keep the space neat and fresh, allowing you to unpack quickly and efficiently.

6) Keep your focus

To finish unpacking quickly after moving, you need to stay focused on the task:

Don’t procrastinate

There are no time limits when unpacking after a move, so you can set a work pace you’re comfortable with. This, however, doesn’t mean you should keep postponing the unpacking job – what can be done today, should be done today. There will be plenty of other things to do tomorrow.

See also: What to do after moving into a new home

Stay organized

Create an unpacking schedule and stick to it – plan out when you’re going to unpack what, decide how much work you want to have finished in a day, and allot a certain number of hours per day for unpacking.

Keep your moving inventory list at hand and cross off each item you’ve unpacked, unwrapped, and put in its place to keep better track of your progress.

It is easier to finish unpacking quickly when you maintain order and stick to a schedule.

Find a place for everything

It may be difficult to find the perfect place for every item in your new home, but leaving some items in the boxes for later is a very bad idea – these items will stay in the cartons for months or will never get unpacked at all.

It will be much better to just put everything somewhere it makes some sense for it to be and then, once you’ve lived in your new home for a while, rearrange your things in a more convenient and stylish way.

Leave decorating for later

When unpacking after a move, your priority should be to make your new place functional and comfortable – unpack the most important rooms and commonly used items first, set up your living space, and ensure the practicality and comfort of your new home. Get the essentials done as soon as possible, so all you have left is the fun part – decorating the place and making it feel like home.

This way, you won’t lose valuable time wondering about your home décor and will have something to look forward to – which will make unpacking faster and more efficient.

Avoid distractions

Avoid turning on the TV, chatting with your old friends on the phone, checking your social media accounts every 30 minutes or so, and any other distractions while unpacking – you need to stay focused on the task at hand, so you can get it over with as soon as possible and engage in more pleasant activities.

Order meals

Even though home-made food is best for your health (and your wallet), cooking takes a lot of time and effort – if you want to finish unpacking really quickly, it may be a good idea to make do with take-out meals for a few days, so you can focus on the unpacking job.

Have a plan for kids and pets

If you have children and/or pets, you need to keep them out of the way, so they don’t get hurt during the unpacking process and so you can concentrate on your work.

If your children are old enough, they can help you unpack quickly – once you’ve set up the furniture and other major items in their rooms, you can give them the task to unpack their smaller items and decorate their rooms to their liking.

If your kids are too young though, you need to find a way to keep them occupied away from the unpacking chaos. Your best option is to leave them with a relative or a trusted friend, but if that’s not possible, you’ll have to get creative and come up with some enjoyable activities for them (like building a box fort, for example) – or hire a babysitter. (See also: How moving affects children)

Your animal friends should be kept in a safe and quiet room where they’ll be comfortable and won’t be able to escape. (See also: How moving affects cats; How moving affects dogs)

To sum it up: How to unpack efficiently after moving? Unpack your essentials, set up major items, follow an efficient room-by-room unpacking checklist, and get rid of packing materials as you unpack. The unpacking process will go smoothly and efficiently and will be over before you know it.

Bonus tip: Get help unpacking after a move

If you need unpacking help so you can finish the job faster, you have several options:

1. Involve your entire family in the unpacking process

With all the relocation hassle and stress behind you, unpacking can be fun and rewarding. Make it a family bonding time:

• have family members compete with each other to see who can unpack a box, arrange a shelf, or organize the items in a drawer the fastest (make sure you have small prizes – candy, funny certificates, gift cards to favorite restaurants, etc. – for the winners to increase motivation) ;
• organize a hidden object game or a treasure hunt;
• come up with funny riddles that will keep everyone entertained while working;
• play rhythmic music you all love;
• make up funny unpacking songs with your kids;
• have fun with the packing materials; etc.

The lively music and entertaining games will lift everyone’s spirits and get your family members more focused on their work, so unpacking will be completed quickly and in a very pleasant way.

2. Ask friends to give you a hand

Unpacking will be much more enjoyable – and much more efficient – when done with friends. Ask your pals to come help you unpack after the move and organize an unpacking party to turn the tedious task into a fun event – prepare some of your friends’ favorite snacks and drinks (avoid alcohol as people will be handling fragile items and heavy furniture), play cheerful, upbeat music, organize amusing unpacking games and competitions, tell jokes and share funny memories, etc.

You will have some fun after the stressful relocation process and will considerably speed up the unpacking process.

3. Use professional unpacking services

If you have quality furniture that requires expert re-assembly skills or specialty items that require special handling, or have a lot of stuff and don’t have enough time to get it unpacked efficiently, you may want to hire professionals to handle the task for you.

Professional movers can unpack the contents of a large home in less than a day and have the experience and technical know-how needed to complete the job in the safest and most efficient way possible. They can reassemble your furniture and connect your appliances, set up your rooms and dispose of the packing materials, so your home is fully functional and comfortable from day one after the move.

So, be sure to ask your chosen movers what kind of unpacking services they offer and how much they charge for them – having your home professionally unpacked may be quite a convenient and affordable option.

How to Stay Motivated to Unpack After Moving

Unpacking is quite a tedious task and it may be difficult to find the motivation to deal with it when you’re so exhausted after the relocation and have no deadline to worry about. Yet, you won’t be able to really settle into your new home until it is fully unpacked, so it’s best to complete the job as soon as possible.

But how to get motivated to unpack after moving? And, even more importantly, how to keep that motivation going?

Here are some tricks you can use to boost your motivation to unpack after moving:

1) Set mini-goals that can be achieved quickly, so you don’t get overwhelmed by the magnitude of the unpacking job and can actually feel your progress.

2) Create an unpacking schedule (as detailed above) and set an unpacking deadline – It will be more difficult to keep delaying the unpacking task when you have a set time limit to complete it.

It’s best to schedule an event in your home sometime in the next weeks – such as a housewarming party, for example – that will serve as a deadline for finishing the unpacking process. This way, you’ll have a great incentive to complete unpacking in time as you’ll want your home to look tidy and presentable for the guests.

3) Listen to rhythmic music while unpacking – It will keep you entertained and will help you keep a quick pace in your work.

4) Leave electronics for last – Your television, computer, DVD player, etc. should be the last items you unpack – this will encourage you to finish unpacking quickly (so you can enjoy your favorite TV show, computer game, etc.) and will help prevent distractions.

5) Reward yourself – Give yourself a small reward (enjoy a treat, call a friend, check your email, etc.) after every completed unpacking mini-task – this will give you a chance to have some rest, will break up the monotony, and will give you the incentive to keep the momentum going.

Celebrate the completion of every major unpacking task (unpacking the entire kitchen, setting up the living room, etc.) by enjoying a favorite activity like going to the movies, having a picnic, dining at a restaurant, etc.

Promise yourself a big reward – something you’ve wanted for a long time – for when you complete the entire unpacking job. This will give you something to look forward to and will increase both your unpacking motivation and your unpacking speed.

See also: How to reward yourself after a move

Now that you know how to unpack quickly after a move, you should not waste a moment longer – the sooner you get down to work, the sooner you’ll be able to turn your new home into your cozy haven.