Moving to a new house in New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, the Westbank, Northshore, and more can be exciting, offering a fresh start in a new space.
However, the sight of countless unpacked boxes can quickly become overwhelming. But don’t worry! You can easily manage the unpacking and organizing process with a solid plan and these quick tips.
Here are eight tips to help you unpack and organize your new home (like a professional organizer).
1. Pre-Plan Your Space
It can feel overwhelming when you start unpacking boxes and suddenly have everything out with no idea where it should go. Before you start unpacking, take a minute to look at your new space and visualize where you want everything to go.
Having a general idea of where things belong before you start taking them out of boxes can make the process feel much less overwhelming.
It also allows you to unpack and organize at the same time, rather than unpacking everything first and then having to organize it all over again.
2. Give Yourself More Than One Day
Don’t rush the process. It’s essential to give yourself at least a couple of days or more to fully unpack and thoughtfully arrange your items.
Even as professional unpackers and organizers, unpacking and organizing can take multiple days. Remember, creating a comfortable living space takes time.
3. Get Your Boxes Into the Correct Rooms
If you can, make sure your movers put your boxes in the correct rooms when they’re bringing everything into your new home. The easiest way to do this is to clearly label your boxes while you’re packing so your movers know exactly where each one belongs.
Having everything in the correct room makes unpacking and organizing so much easier.
You don’t have to search around the house for missing boxes, carry boxes upstairs or downstairs yourself, or wonder where certain items ended up. Everything you need to unpack and organize that room is already there and ready to go.
4. Set Up a System for Discarding Packing Materials
As you start unpacking, you’ll accumulate a lot of waste material. Set up a system to manage the boxes, bubble wrap, and packing paper early on.
We like to use large black contractor bags for the overflow of packing items.
5. Declutter As You Unpack
If you didn’t have time to declutter before your move, or you know you have items you no longer want or need, we highly recommend decluttering as you unpack.
Moving into a new home gives you an opportunity for a fresh start. As you unpack each box, set aside anything you’d like to donate or throw away instead of simply finding a place for it in your new home.
Otherwise, those items can end up taking up valuable space and lingering in cabinets, closets, and drawers for much longer than you intended.
6. Set Up Your Bedroom & Bathroom First
When you move into a new home, you want your personal space to feel good, but you also want to get your normal routines back as quickly as possible.
We always recommend setting up your bedroom, bathroom, and closet early so your morning and evening routines aren’t disrupted for longer than they need to be.
Get your bed set up, unpack your everyday clothes and toiletries, and organize the things you use regularly. Having your personal spaces ready can make the rest of the unpacking process feel a lot easier while you’re still working through the rest of the house.
7. Unpack the Kitchen Next
After your bedroom and bathroom are set up, we recommend tackling the kitchen next. The kitchen is the center of most households. It’s where you make breakfast, cook dinner, prep meals, pack lunches, and spend time with your family.
Unpacking and organizing your kitchen early helps you get back into your normal routine. You don’t want to keep eating out for every meal or buying things you already own simply because they’re still packed away in a box somewhere.
Start by unpacking the items you use most often, then work through your cabinets, drawers, countertops, and pantry until everything has a place and your kitchen is functional again.
8. Continue Unpacking One Room at a Time
Once you’ve finished unpacking and organizing your bedroom, bathroom, closet, and kitchen, continue working through the rest of your home one room at a time.
Start with the areas that are most important to you and that you use the most. That might be your living spaces, home office, laundry room, or your kids’ rooms. Then leave the areas you don’t use as often, or don’t need right away, until the end.
Working through your home this way helps you get the most important spaces unpacked and organized first instead of trying to tackle everything at once.
9. Break Down Boxes As You Unpack
We always recommend breaking down boxes as you unpack. When empty boxes and packing materials start piling up, they can make whatever room you’re working in feel more cramped and overwhelming. You also don’t want to finish unpacking only to be left with a huge mess of boxes and packing materials to deal with afterward.
Instead, as you unpack and organize each room, break down boxes once they’re empty and consolidate your packing paper, bubble wrap, and other trash as you go. This helps keep the space you’re working in clear and makes cleanup much easier once you’re finished.
10. Wait to Buy Organizing Products
Get everything unpacked and organized before you start purchasing organizing products for your new home. It’s much easier to figure out what you actually need once you can see all of your belongings in the new space.
Once everything is unpacked, you’ll have a better idea of how many items you have, where they’re going to be stored, what will fit in each space, and whether you even need organizing products at all.
If you do decide to purchase bins, baskets, drawer organizers, labels, or other products, wait until you’ve unpacked and organized first. That way, you can choose products based on what you actually need instead of buying things ahead of time that may not work in your new space.
11. Don’t Worry About Decorating Right Away
If you have pictures, mirrors, artwork, or other decorations that need to be hung, don’t worry about those right away. Focus on getting everything unpacked, organized, and out of boxes first.
Decorating can easily take time away from the unpacking and organizing that needs to be done to get you settled into your new home.
Once your belongings are unpacked and everything has a place, you can start focusing on the smaller details like hanging pictures, mirrors, and decorating your space.
11. Consider Hiring Professional Unpacking Help
If unpacking becomes too overwhelming, remember there’s no shame in hiring professional unpacking and organizing help.
A professional organizer or unpacker can provide expertise and efficiency, helping you and your family members settle into your new home more quickly.
At Professional Organizer New Orleans, we’ve helped over 1000 clients declutter and organize every area of their homes so they can settle in faster after a move.
If you’re considering hiring professional help, check out our guide on what to expect when hiring an unpacking and organizing service to learn more about how the process works.
Before You Go
Remember to enjoy the process as you unpack and organize your new house. Every box you unpack is a step towards turning your house into a home that reflects you and your family.
So, take your time, follow these eight tips, and let the journey of creating your new home be a rewarding experience that the family can get involved in.
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