How to Unpack Properly

With so much concern over moving and getting prepared for the big day, it's easy to overlook how things will go down on the other side of the moving-day coin. When you arrive in your new home, there are still things to consider so that you and your family can integrate into your new place in the smoothest manner possible. In this post I want to give you a few pointers for unpacking once you've arrived in your new home. PrioritizePrioritize the items to unpack first. I bet you'll be hungry after all of that moving, so put away any food you've brought with you. Check the new fridge to make sure it's cold and ready to take your food. If the house has been vacant for a while, the previous owners or the landlord may have turned the fridge down to save on his power bill.BathroomsAfter food, you may want to set up the bathrooms and make sure that the towels are handy. Don't forget to install a shower curtain and lay down your bath mats. Make sure the kids have their toiletries unpacked, so that you can brush teeth before going to bed that evening. Don't worry about unpacking every single item, just work on the essentials in these early stages of homemaking.Living RoomPlan how you want your living room to look before you start shoving furniture around. That stuff is heavy (I should know!), so if you take a piece of paper and sketch out where you want to place the sofa in relation to the window or the fireplace, position the television, etc, then you'll only have to move it one time. If you wish to get technical, you can go for graph paper and make your drawings to the exact dimensions of the room, but I think a standard sheet of paper should do it.BedroomsIf the bedrooms involve many pieces of furniture, you may wish to sketch them out as well. Since you've only just arrived, you may not want to go through the job of assembling the beds, especially if you're not yet sure of where you want them to go. So, you might just spend the first night sleeping with your mattress and box springs on the floor. The kids will think it's neat and you can get a fresh start on assembling all of the beds, shelves, etc. on your first full day in the house.