You survived the move and all of your belongings have arrived safely in your new home. While you are probably excited to finally be in your new place, you have now found yourself standing in the middle of a room stacked floor to ceiling with boxes. Nearly everything you own is packed inside these boxes and you have to deal with the drudgery of unpacking each and every one. The truth is, unpacking can be a tedious and challenging process and can be just as exhausting as the move itself. As you anxiously prepare to get your life and home back in order, consider the following tips for unpacking quickly and efficiently.

Where to Begin?

Sort Your Boxes

The first step in the unpacking process is to make sure that each box has been placed in the correct room. When you packed, you should have marked and labeled each box according to its contents and corresponding room. This will make the process of sorting your boxes much faster and easier. It's much easier to tackle unpacking when you do it in shifts, so sorting your boxes by room will lighten the load and allow you to organize one room at a time.

Start with the Essentials

Once your boxes are sorted, you want to begin by unpacking your essentials first. This is the box you should have packed ahead of time, marked “Essentials” and moved yourself in your car. It contains all of the items you will need to get through those first few days in your new home. This includes items such as bedding, pillows, towels, toiletries, medications, a change of clothes, toilet paper, and a few basic kitchenware items.

Which Rooms to Unpack First?

Don’t stress yourself out trying to unpack your entire home in a couple of days. Rather, start with the most important rooms first and then take your time unpacking the rest. The rooms with the most urgency are the bedrooms, kitchen, and bathrooms. You can deal with the living room, playroom, garage, basement, or storage areas once the main rooms have been unpacked.

Bedroom

Unpacking and setting up your bedroom should be your first priority because you are going to need a good night’s rest to get through the next few days. Rest is essential in order to survive the grueling task of unpacking your entire home and helping you to acclimate to your new surroundings.

If your bed has not been assembled, start with that first. Next, place your bedroom furniture where it belongs. Now you are ready to begin putting sheets and pillows on the bed. Do the same thing for children’s bedrooms to ensure everyone in the home has a nice place to rest at the end of the long day.

Kitchen

The kitchen is typically one of the most tedious and time consuming rooms to unpack, so it’s good to knock it out early on when you still have plenty of energy. Start by unpacking the items you really need such as a coffee maker, toaster, microwave, dishes, and silverware. Next, move on to cookware and then finish with other miscellaneous items that you don’t use everyday. If you plan to cook meals right away, you will want to get your kitchen unpacked and organized right away so it can serve as a space for breaks, food, and refreshments.

Bathrooms

The next rooms that should be packed with a sense of urgency are the bathrooms. You want to make sure everyone can take advantage of hot showers after a long day’s work. Like the kitchen, start with your most important items such as shower curtain, rugs, towels, toiletries, and medications. A complete bathroom unpacking is important to make everyone in the home feel more comfortable.

Other Helpful Unpacking Tips

Break it into smaller jobs: Many people get overwhelmed because they try to do too much too fast. Instead, focus on one thing at a time and take it in shifts. It’s best to work room by room so you don’t overwhelm yourself trying to organize several different spaces at once.

Take breaks: Unpacking is a tedious and time-consuming process so give yourself a break every now and then to recharge. For example, work for two hours and then take a break for 30 minutes. Set a pace that works for you and don’t forget to take time for yourself between hours of unpacking.

Don’t procrastinate: It’s easy to give up and tell yourself “I’ll save that for tomorrow” but if you do that too often, you will start to feel frustrated that you still aren’t settled. Set a goal each day of what you want to accomplish and stick to it. Working hard for a week or two will really pay off when you get to finally relax in your neat and organized home.

Let family members help: If you have kids, give them the freedom to unpack their own rooms. This allows them to make the space their own while also taking some of the responsibility off your plate.