Whether you're relocating within Houston or moving to our city, you'll hear plenty of packing and moving tips. What you'll hear less often is unpacking tips—ways to make your first few days in your Houston apartment less stressful. Here are a few ideas to make unpacking after a move go as smoothly as possible:
Plan while you're packing.
When you're packing for your move, you may be in a hurry to get everything moved out and cleaned up on time, but investing a little time in organization at that point will make unpacking after a move much easier. At the very least, label one box “Essentials” and fill it with everything you'll absolutely need on your first day in your new Houston apartment. Don't forget bedding, pajamas, toilet paper, toiletries, a shower curtain, towels, medications, basics for your pets (food and water bowls, leash, litter boxes), clothes for a day or two, snacks and paper cups and plates, box cutters and other tools to help you move in, cleaning supplies, and something to keep kids occupied, if you have kids.
If you can, keep an inventory of what all you've packed and which box it went into. Just number your boxes and keep a list of every item that goes into each box. If you're in too big a hurry to list every item, at least label your moving boxes by room (“bathroom,” “kitchen,” and so on) so you'll know what to unpack first.
Plan easy meals for the first few days.
Keep in mind that you may not have much of your kitchen gear unpacked and usable for the first few days. Make sure you can quickly find and unpack the basics for preparing a few simple meals. Also remember: There's no shame in ordering out when you've just moved in! Check Yelp.com for menus from restaurants that deliver in your new neighborhood.
Have boxes placed in the right rooms as soon as they enter your apartment.
Since you labeled all of your boxes, you can save yourself from carrying boxes from room to room as you unpack.
Check your utilities and plug in major appliances as soon as you arrive.
This means plugging something into an outlet to make sure the electricity is connected, and checking your gas and telephone line (if you choose to get a landline). If anything isn't hooked up yet, you'll want to call the utility company right away. Also plug in the refrigerator and any other appliances you'll want to have up and running as you unpack.
Unpack in a logical order.
About.com suggests this unpacking order to get you feeling at home as quickly as possible. Feel free to tweak it to fit what's most important to you. Just unpack mindfully, thinking about what you'll need first, and what you'll be okay leaving in boxes for a few days (or weeks, if you need to). Most people find it best to unpack the kitchen and bathrooms early on. You'll need to unpack your bedrooms to the point where you can sleep comfortably on your first night in your new Houston apartment. Unpacking in order will let you get your life running smoothly again in the first day or two, but still slow down and take your time. Nothing beats stress like knowing that you don't have to accomplish everything at once!
Posted by Melanie Belasco Levy on 07/07/11
