How to Unpack

Wondering how to unpack?

What goes up must come down, though not necessarily in the same spot.  The same is true for moving into a new house — what goes into the moving truck must come out, but not necessarily in the same order or into the same location.

Moving into a home requires a different approach than moving out of one. Here are things to remember when unpacking:

Planning

Yes, unloading a moving truck requires planning, even if you aren’t doing the legwork.

You want moving in to be efficient.  You don’t want to have your furniture and heavy boxes placed in rooms where you will eventually have to move them from.  If your initial move is disorganized, you will essentially have to move in twice.

A good moving-in plan will involve the following:

• Labeling – Make sure moving boxes are labelled during the packing phase, so you can identify their contents and know where they are going.
• Furniture – Decide which pieces of furniture will go in which room.  Also, have an idea of how to arrange your furniture before you move in.
• Measure – If you have large pieces of furniture, measure them to make sure they will fit in doors and hallways.
• Route – Based on the measurements and where different things are going, plan your routes of carriage.

Unloading the Truck

Unloading the moving truck can be more difficult than loading it. Here are the things to do:

• Follow the plan – Hopefully you came up with a plan for where and how to move your furniture, so follow it.
• Get help – More hands makes it easier to move something without damaging it… or yourself.
• Back in – Back the moving truck into your driveway to shorten the distance you’ll have to carry things.
• Unpack perishables first – Get pets, plants, artwork, electronics and any other things that might be harmed by the elements into your new house as soon as possible.  Have a list on hand so you don’t forget.
• Use a dolly for large items – Using a dolly will keep you from straining yourself, and it will help protect your stuff.

How to Unpack

Unpacking should be your last step.  Before you start unboxing and unwrapping your things, you should have arranged your furniture.  This way, you will have somewhere to put your things when you unpack them.

Unpack based on priority of use.  Kitchen utensils should be unpacked before books, clothes before Christmas ornaments.

For some ideas of where to put all the stuff you brought with you, learn about how to decorate a new home.