Moving into a new home can be an exciting beginning to a new chapter in your life, bringing new possibilities and a fresh start. However, some people also experience their fair share of stress while they struggle through the process of moving all their belongings from one place to the next.
If you’re hoping to minimize the potential stress of unpacking and picking everything up once you’ve moved in, then check out this list of 6 clever ways to organize and clean your home after unpacking!
1. Complete big cleaning jobs before unpacking anything.
When it comes to streamlining the cleaning process, the order in which you do things is a big game-changer. If you’re planning to either clean large surfaces of your home yourself or hire a professional, then it’s crucial to get these tasks done ahead of time.
Tasks such as floor waxing, carpet cleaning, and wiping down the walls should all be done before you start unpacking and have boxes’ worth of items to contend with.
2. Start with the electronics.
Not only can disorganized piles of cords lying around give everything a more chaotic and stressful feeling, but they’re accidents waiting to happen as well. Kitchen appliances and entertainment systems should be put away as soon as they’re unpacked.
Rather than letting your stereo and speaker system sit on the floor with its sprawling cords posing tripping hazards to you and your moving crew, plug everything in and put on some music for everyone to enjoy!
3. Separate your boxes into the appropriate rooms before you unpack.
One of the easiest ways to keep your unpacking process organized is to “unpack by zone” and sort your boxes by the rooms they belong in before you even open them. Put all the living room boxes in the living room, stack all the bathroom boxes just outside the bathroom, and so on.
Not only will this clever trick help you carry and unpack more effectively, but it’ll give you a visual gauge for how best to work with your space as well.
4. Reassess your inventory as you go.
Hopefully, you already went through your belongings and pared-down unnecessary items to save time, space, and money during the move. However, even if you went through this step before moving in, it’s worth taking a second look while you unpack as well.
Does that old crockpot you’ve considered replacing look even worse against the backdrop of your new kitchen? How about that blanket that you were unsure about that clashes with the new carpets? Take the opportunity to reduce unnecessary items even further, and your home will be easier to clean and maintain.
5. Designate utilitarian storage spaces like linen closets and kitchen spaces early.
Not only is it a good idea to know where useful items like towels and kitchen tools are in case you wind up needing them soon after moving in, but they tend to take up a lot of space as well. Designating and organizing your linen closet right away will help keep things out of the way while you’re unpacking and deciding where to put other, more decorative items.
6. Save recreational and decorative sections for last.
Just like you should unpack and organize in utilitarian rooms first, it makes sense to save the most versatile and fluid areas of the home for last. Functionality and organization often take priority over pure aesthetics during day-to-day life, so make sure that you’ve got those areas in order before moving on to decorations and finishing touches.
Once you’ve got all the practical areas such as kitchens or home offices organized (or at least well underway), then you’ll be able to relax knowing that the essentials are covered and feel more able to get creative with spaces like your living room or den!
To Recap:
While moving can be both exciting and stressful, you can tip the scales in favor of excitement by streamlining the organization and cleaning process with these six clever tips for after you unpack.
For starters, make sure you’ve gotten any big cleaning tasks such as wiping down the walls or floors before you unpack anything, since doing it the other way around can be a huge pain!
Then get appliances such as stereos, TVs, and other appliances in place before moving on, and focus on practical and utilitarian areas first. Save recreational areas for last to ensure that all the essentials are in place so that you can relax and have fun putting the finishing touches on your new home!