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Unloading
So you finally think you're done, and now you realize that you still have
to unload and unpack all of your stuff. Well, first of all, congratulations!
You have already done three quarters of the job, and you're now at the
home stretch. Fortunately for you, unloading and unpacking does not have
to be as overwhelming as it may seem. Stay organized, stay in control,
and delegate, delegate, delegate! With these three thoughts in mind,
the final piece of the moving process will surely be a smooth ride.
A good rule of thumb is to get children that are not big enough to help
(truly bring the real stuff in), out of the way. Send them to their new
rooms and tell them to explore, while waiting for their furniture to be
placed in the room. Have them unpack their personal belongings and clothing
into their furniture once it arrives. This way, they are not under your
feet, and instead, are feeling a great sense of control in having the
power over how their room is unpacked. Once they finish, suggest that
they arrange the empty boxes in their room into tunnels (not climbing
mechanisms, though) and play in their new found caves.
Now, as far as your work goes, there is one important stipulation that
will keep you organized and on top of things. Don't let the empty boxes
and packing supplies build up (the last thing you'll need is more clutter),
squash (or nicely fold up) the boxes, throw out the packing paper and
wraps, and put the unpacked item where it belongs (it'll be nice to not
have to blindly look for it later).
Make a conscious effort to get any large or heavy furniture unloaded
first. Get the hard stuff done while you still have some energy! Getting
the furniture unloaded first will also allow you to place other items
more or less exactly where you're going to want them to belong anyway.
The next thing to consider once you get everything unloaded (or maybe
somewhere towards the end of the unloading process) is what you are going
to feed all of your hungry helpers. Pizza, paper plates, paper napkins,
plastic cups, and a bottle of water can make for an easy cleanup and quick
meal.
Unpacking
The next morning, keep all of the previous day's rules in mind, stay organized,
stay in control, and delegate. While eating breakfast, begin to write
up a list of the most important things that need to be done first. Some
of these may include:
- Hook up major appliances, such as the dishwasher, washer and dryer,
refrigerator (if it hasn't been hooked up already), etc.
- Go grocery shopping with a grocery list (this will speed up the process
and give you more of that much needed time).Get the washer and dryer
hooked up.
- Plan the night's dinner (so you don't have to scramble at the last
minute).
Now comes the unpacking. A good method that will keep you organized is
rotating around your new home after unpacking every 5-7 boxes per room,
so that you don't lose your mind staring at a toilet or kitchen sink all
day. Most importantly, don't forget to take a break every now and then!
Considering the busy day ahead of you, the kitchen pantry will be the
best place to start (that way you can be sure to have easy access to energy
boosters throughout the day).
It's never too late to throw out those items that you haven't used
in forever. Did you ever even use them? If you can't find any place
for them in your new home, get rid of them! Creating a pile of these objects
will only lead to another painstaking and unnecessary project.
A good room to go to next is the bathroom. It's certainly a room that
you will not want to spare for long, and it will most likely be a good
mood booster (since there will be few items to unpack, hence, leading
to a quick room completion). Following the bathroom, the bedrooms and
the living room are probably good rooms to tackle. When trying to figure
out the layout for furniture within those rooms, be sure to consider where
cable and electrical outlets are located. Sketch a tentative layout of
the room too, so that way you can erase any mistakes, and not have to
move the huge couch fifty times.Take a final inventory of all of your
belongings and compare it to your initial inventory to make sure that
nothing was lost. For any broken or damaged items, keep them on hand as
proof for any insurance claims.
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