Five Things You Must Do Before You Unpack Those Boxes

Congratulations! You’re ready to head to your new home! It can be tempting to immediately start hauling boxes the moment you arrive at your new address -- but taking a few moments to make sure things are in place can save you hours of work later. Here are five things you can do to make sure your arrival is as smooth and hassle-free as possible:

•    Plan to be there early. It’s easier to clean an empty house/apartment than one that is stacked with boxes and furniture. If you can hire a cleaning service to do a once-over of your new place before you move in, even better.

•    Before you start unloading boxes, go through and do a thorough inspection. Make a list of anything that needs fixing, cleaning, organizing, etc. -- especially anything that needs to be done before furniture is in place (e.g., replacing a damaged switch plate or repairing a loose floor board).

•    If you’re moving into a place that has multiple rooms that could serve more than one purpose, label the rooms so that movers or anyone helping you knows where to place the boxes you’ve labeled: Office, Master Bedroom, Bedroom 1, Bedroom 2, Rec Room, etc. This will save you (and your helpers) a lot of frustration and will ensure that boxes don’t get misplaced.

•    Plan on either eating out, ordering in, or having easy access to healthy finger food for your first 24 hours in your new place. Keep it simple. There is no need to be digging around for a sauce pot at 8pm when you’re exhausted from driving or hauling boxes all day.

•    Think about what you need on a night away from home, and make sure you have access to those things: pajamas, toiletries, soap, a bed to sleep in (or at least the mattress) with clean sheets, pillows and blankets. It might seem like a silly thing, but there is nothing better than climbing into your own wonderful bed after a long day of hard work. It might be the only thing that’s set up in your new place, but it will be worth it: the restorative sleep you get will help give you a good start for the unpacking to come.

There’s a lot to keep track of with a move. But with a little planning, you can ensure a happy arrival and a smooth transition to your new home.