By Julie DeLong, A-1 Freeman Moving Group
Try not to look at your entire house as one project. Instead, consider breaking up the tasks by unpacking one room or space at a time. It can be overwhelming to see mountains of boxes or tubs. You've hustled to unpack the daily necessities, but the nagging feeling that the remaining items still need to be sorted, cleaned, and put in place can be a motivation stall. Start small and take your time. You'll feel accomplished room by room, and as you make progress, the whole house project won't seem so huge.
Moving is hard. Unpacking, rearranging, and organizing can be stressful. Don't forget to reward yourself throughout your settling in process. If you've dedicated an entire weekend to making progress with unpacking, take the next night or two off for yourself or with the family. Order pizza and have a movie night instead. Remember, positive reinforcements work great for your other family members as well. Reward the kids for tackling their closets or toys. You'll find everyone, including you, will enjoy the rewards and reprieves in between boxes.
Consider setting goals for yourself to break up the tasks into manageable goals. Maybe pencil in an objective to get all of the home office set up and unpacked by the end of the week. Maybe focus on main living spaces first, storage items later. You can schedule a housewarming party or social get together. Knowing you will be entertaining guests will help you prioritize what areas should be addressed first. Having a planned timeline can help you to commit to unpacking and keep you motivated.
Maybe you have a few boxes of books, picture frames or memorabilia. You might have an idea to put these items on a shelf that is not yet in place. So, you put off unpacking those boxes for now. But, now becomes later, and eventually weeks or months. The best way to avoid having those boxes sit for extended periods is to create a list of items needed ahead of time. Consider walking through your new space, room by room, and identify what items may need to be in place first. You can tackle that list as a priority. You will, in turn, be able to unpack all those boxes without hesitation.
Sometimes, it's hard to decide where things should go in your new home. You don't want to have to change things once you've completely unpacked, so you analyze what makes the best use of space, the most efficient access, and what simply looks good. Try not to stress at this phase. The good news is, if you unpack things now and change your mind later about the arrangement, it's ok. You can change things up later when you're less concerned about unpacking. Once all your boxes are gone, you can take a step back and tweak and adjust things for décor and functionality.
Keep your eye on the result. And remember that most moving companies can offer unpacking assistance, if you are feeling totally overwhelmed.
For more motivational tips and ideas for unpacking, or to schedule your upcoming move, contact us!
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