By Julie DeLong, A-1 Freeman Moving Group
We've all heard about the most productive ways to pack up a house, but what about after you get to your new place? As with most things
in life, unpacking from a move to Dallas does have some best practices. You can streamline your unpacking
piece of the moving process by planning ahead.
Unpacking
mindfully can help you cut through
some of the disarray and disjointedness
that might happen after you move into your new home. If you cannot
locate what you are needing, it makes it very difficult
to feel like you're living normally.
Part
of a smooth unpacking process involves preparation
for it as you are packing. A few things
to remember as you pack include the following:
- Label
boxes. This
is super simple advice, but you
will never be more pleased about heeding this advice as when you are wandering
around your new residence looking for the
carton with the coffee mugs in it. Is it
labeled? Excellent!
- Pack
a day bag. A small satchel or
duffel bag can hold
your dental floss, a clean outfit, and anything else you know you will definitely
need fairly soon in the new place.
- Give
away items you do not use. The fewer items
you move, the easier it will be to unpack. There are some things that you will not
want to get rid of, but if there are items
that you do not need, consider
giving them to someone who can use them.
Once
the moving company has unloaded the cartons at your
new abode, the way you unpack can also diminish
confusion. Here are several of our preferred
tips:
- Put
together your bed first. There are few things better after a demanding day
of moving and unpacking than to fall into a comfortable
bed. If you set up your bed and put on sheets
first, you'll be thankful
later. This goes for each member of the house.
If you hired professional movers, they should do this task
for you.
- Begin
with the necessities. Things like coffee mugs, plates and cups and spoons
and forks, and your computer equipment
are some of the first items you
will need as you begin life in your new home.
Ahead of diving into the nuts
and bolts, contemplate
what you want to have in place in the next 48
hours. Begin
there.
- Box your boxes. Many times, rooms
become piled with empty boxes and packing paper in the
middle of the unpacking process. You cannot keep track
of what you have left if it's hindered
with discarded packing supplies. Keep one box complete and pack it with other
empty boxes that you've broken down. That
way, you can observe how much you still have to unpack.
Your box of boxes can be trashed or, preferably,
recycled.
- Group your
shopping trips. Even if you have planned, you will most likely need to run to the store to buy toilet
paper, a shower curtain, light bulbs, or other new things. Rather than making a trip every time you
need something, create a running list of necessary
supplies so that you can buy
everything in a single trip. You will save time
and money, not to mention lessen
your hassle.
- Don't
settle on furniture arrangement too quickly.
Too
many people get locked into room layouts the day they move into a new place.
Grant yourself some leeway—not
everything has to be unchangeable right away. The couch
that you adored at your old home may
seem awkward in your new home.
That's okay. Allow
yourself some time to get settled and you will figure out whether you can make it work.
This also goes for artwork on the walls. It's
your home! There is no need to hurry.
- Decide Which
Areas Are Most Vital. The most common error
that is made during the unpacking process is a refusal to perform
the chore piece by piece.
Instead, we try to
unpack the whole house at once. Once everything
has arrived at the residence,
take the time to figure out which areas are most critical.
The rooms that you usually spend the most
time in are the ones that should be given priority.
-
Set Feasible Goals. In most cases,
you are not going to be able to handle all
of the unpacking in one attempt. Don't
push yourself too hard in the first couple days. There is going to be plenty
to accomplish and none of the jobs are going
anywhere. Set attainable goals and
stick with them. Choose the area that
needs to be focused on first and finish it prior
to moving onto the next job.
- Pick a Reward for Accomplishing the Deadline. For those who are moving with the
total family, it might be a challenge
to wrangle everyone working together. Everyone is going
to have their own agendas and getting everyone on the same page can be quite exhausting.
Setting up a reward for achieving
a predetermined deadline is a wonderful
way around this debacle. By creating
a reward, you are doing your part to keep every single member of the family happy and
motivated. No one will want to slack off. Setting a deadline will also keep you from
the annoyances of having to deal with various belongings that haven’t
been put away yet after you have already moved to Dallas and gotten
somewhat settled.
Since 1974, A-1 Freeman Moving Group has worked with individuals
and families to move their household goods safely and
securely. Contact us now so that we can help you pack, move and
unpack in Dallas.
