Take care of essentials and perishables

As soon as you arrive at your new home, you’ll need to stow your perishables and place your essentials where you can always get to them.

• You should have packed one or more special boxes (or suitcases) of essential items that you may need before you unpack your first box. These items may be toiletries, a change of clothes, kitchen items you’ll need in the first day or two, linens for sleeping (if you plan to stay in your new home right away), etc. Put this box in a place you will always be able to get to, such as a bathroom.
• If you moved any food, it needs to be put away as soon as you can get to it, especially items that need to be refrigerated or frozen.
• Any pets or live animals need to be tended to. Make plans to ensure they do not get in the way of unloading.
• If weather permits, place live plants outside where they will be out of the way during the unloading process. Otherwise, locate a place for them that is out-of-the-way of unloaders, such as a bathtub or shower you won’t need to use right away.

Where are the kids?

Like the packing and loading process, the unloading and unpacking process may not be the best place for your children. If they are old enough to really help you unpack, they can stay.

If they are young, they will be in the way while you are trying to manage everything in a hurry. In addition, it could be dangerous for them to play near stacks of boxes.

Consider finding childcare for any child younger than 13 or so, or even older, if you think the child will be more bother than help. This is a great way family and friends to lend a hand.

Protect your floors

Unloading boxes and furniture can make a mess of your floor, especially carpeting. Protect the traffic areas with non-skid material. Try collapsed packing boxes.

If you plan to stack boxes on carpeting, put down collapsed boxes to protect the carpet from the weight of the boxes.

Unload large furniture first

If you can control the unloading process, start with the furniture. During the last few weeks in preparing for your move, you may have a detailed layout of furniture. If you weren’t that farsighted, take some time before you begin unloading to figure out where your large furniture items will go.

Have furniture like beds, sofas, large dining tables, hutches and dressers, large tools and equipment, washer, dryer, refrigerator, and any large, heavy furniture pieces placed where you want them to stay.

These items are difficult to move later and it could be days or weeks before you clear all the boxes away enough to move them.

Caution: If you have fragile furniture such as a glass china cabinet or antiques, do not assemble or unwrap these pieces yet. Just get them unloaded, and then take measures to protect them from the unloading and unpacking process.

Once these pieces are set in place, consider putting wardrobe boxes, or a row of larger boxes around them. Make sure you don’t create a stack of boxes that could tumble over and damage your furniture.

Moving companies have their own order of unloading, but ask if they can place the large furniture first. If you can’t unload your furniture first, you want to know where you are going to put them.

Make sure you don’t stack boxes where a large pieces of furniture will go or block the path to get there later.

Where will all the boxes go?

After the large furniture pieces are in place, your home will quickly fill with walls of boxes. The placement of those boxes can keep you from spending countless hours opening each one and rummaging around for something you need.

The goal is to open a box once, unpack it, collapse it, and move on. Here are some ways to accomplish this:

• The most obvious rule, yet easiest to break amidst chaos, is to put the each box in the room where it needs to be unloaded. Be diligent! In the haste to finish unloading, boxes can end up anywhere.
• Open closet doors and place wardrobe boxes that contain the clothing to go in the close3t either in or in front of the opening. You won’t want to move a lot of boxes to get to the closets.
• Don’t stack kitchen boxes on kitchen counters. You will need to be able to get into the cabinets to put things away. And besides, you might need to use the countertops before you get the boxes unpacked.
• Use your furniture cautiously. Putting boxes on furniture you have already unloaded is tempting and may be necessary. Just be sure that surfaces are protected from scratching, gouging, and tearing. Protect surfaces from scratching by placing towels or sheets on them before you put a box on it. Don’t stack boxes that can fall over on beds or other non-level surfaces; keep boxes short and in a single layer. Don’t stack boxes on a bed that needs to be used in the first couple of days, unless those boxes contain the bed linens you’ll need when you sleep in it. You might consider using other furniture, like sofas and tables, to put decorating items and pictures on.
• Find a wall in each room that can be stacked with boxes, but make sure to not block windows or doorways for utility and safety reasons.

Let the unpacking begin.

Now that you’ve got a home full of box walls, it’s time to dig in. If you’ve spent all day with the unloading process, consider a night of rest before you begin. Regardless of how organized your move has been, unpacking is frustrating and draining; not something you want to do tired.

After a good rest, you’ll be raring to go.

• Unpack sleeping and living items first. Make sure you have a bed to sleep on and a way to eat. Bathroom essentials, bed linens (the ones you’ll need, not the ones you’ll store) and kitchen supplies are the best to start with.
• Get the big boxes done as soon as possible. Large wardrobe boxes can quickly be unpacked, clothes put away, and the boxes collapsed. You will appreciate the space.
• Try to unpack decorating items last. If your packing was very organized and your unloading systematic, this will be easier because your decorating boxes are tucked way in a back corner somewhere. Odds are, however, that you’ll open a box of silk plants or knick-knacks, stare at the contents, and wonder “Where am I going to put this?” Have a plan before then. Put boxes with these types of items in a protected back porch, corner of the garage, or basement. You won’t even want to think about them for a while.
• Books are often packed in the smallest, sturdiest boxes. Despite the fact that you won’t gain a lot of space, unpack your books by quickly putting them in bookshelves. Don’t worry about the placement of them; books are easily and quickly re-arranged later.
• If your children are very young, you will probably want to unpack their room for them. If they are older, however, they might want to do it themselves. It’s tempting to send your children to unpack their rooms, but think about this first. If you have an idea where things should be put, and you want to know where things are later, you and your child should unpack together. Ask your child to help you with the more urgent items first, then unpack the room together. This will also minimize damaging fragile items in your child’s room.
• Use friends and family to help, but don’t abuse them; they are volunteering. Ask them to unpack things that can be easily re-arranged later, like books or your kitchen items. But make sure you relinquish control and don’t micromanage them. You might unpack a room together, too. And, of course, friends and family might be most helpful by caring for your children while you unpack or fetching fast food for meals.

Get rid of the boxes.

You will quickly find the boxes from your move in your way after unpacking. The easiest way to get them out of your way is to collapse each one as soon as you unpack it.

Have a dry location where you can pile the collapsed boxes. You will have to keep a box intact every now and then to put packing material into. Jam as much packing material as you can into these boxes, then close the flaps, so more boxes can be placed on top of them.

Moving companies may offer to pick-up the boxes when you call them. If not, you will have to find a way to get rid of them. You might be able to sell them or donate them. You can let your real estate agent know you have them and see if he or she can spread the word to anyone who is moving and needs them.

Some people put classified advertisements in newspapers or put signs on bulletin boards. You might try searching the Internet for someone near who would pick-up your boxes. Internet bulletin boards (such as craigslist.com) could be a good option too, if you comfortable using them. Look through your phone book yellow pages to see if you can find a company to take them.

If all else fails, contact your trash removal company to see what they’ll take.