Moving is the perfect time to embrace your inner Marie Kondo and get rid of anything that doesn’t bring you joy. However, when it comes to actually packing, you may start off with the best intentions but end up throwing random items in boxes in a frenzy. Unpacking is your next chance to get rid of that stuff you really don’t need, because you’re in one of the new homes in Edgewood WA and you don’t want all that clutter and junk building up before you’ve even finished unpacking. Here are some tips to help you unpack and keep your new house organized and uncluttered.

Hopefully, when you did pack, you put together a box of essentials to get you through the first day or two, such as bedding, towels, medicines, and the all-important coffee maker and supplies. This should help you start tackling the unpacking with a better frame of mind.

Try to do each room to completion, one at a time. Obviously, if you have older children, they can work on their own rooms, getting them in order. Since the kitchen and living room are essentially the heart of the home, try to focus on these two spaces first. If there are two of you, whoever does the most cooking should probably be in charge of the kitchen so that important utensils, spices, etc., end up where they’re most convenient for that person. The other person should start on the living room, getting coffee tables and side tables set up, lamps put in place for some atmospheric lighting, getting the TV set up, hanging some art, and rolling out rugs. With these two rooms organized as quickly as possible, it gives you somewhere to retreat when you need a break from unpacking.

However, no matter what room you’re unpacking, don’t forget to toss stuff that really shouldn’t have made the move. Keep a few boxes around for items you don’t want and you can toss, recycle, or donate them at a later time. For now, the box will do. As you work on a room, you don’t have to put everything in its final place right away. Go ahead and group items together in the general area and then go in and put the finishing touches to the area, be it bookcases or bathroom drawers. The arrangement you had in your previous home may need updating, plus, you may find better ways of storing and arranging items in your new home.

Break down boxes as you go to give yourself room to move and get a better feel for the space. This is particularly helpful in the closets, even with our large walk-in closets. Hang everything up, then go back through and arrange items accordingly. Dump all of your shoes in a box and deal with them once the rest of the clothing is in place unless you have a specific shoe organizer.

Think about what tools you need to help keep your new home organized. Whether it’s decorative baskets, plain plastic bins, or drawer organizers, now is a great time to get everything organized in a way that will make life easier in your new home. If they’re going to be on display, look for attractive, matching containers. If they’re just going to be stacked on a top shelf of a closet for occasional use, then your standard plastic box will do just fine. Don’t forget the space under your bed. Consider plastic storage containers designed for under the bed. They’re great for storing out of season clothing or blankets and are easy to wipe down and keep clean.

Once everything is in place, consider using sticky notes or a label maker in some cases, to remind everyone where things are and where they need to be returned. This is particularly useful in the kitchen where your arrangement may have changed considerably. If you’re in the middle of making pancakes, you don’t want to be hunting high and low for the right spatula to flip them!

If you have a pantry, as almost all of our homes do, now is a great time to purchase pest-free and mess-free storage, be it plastic or glass, for things like flour, sugar, cereal, rice, pasta, and other items that don’t always have the best storage in their original packaging. Be sure to label them and try to arrange like items with like so that everyone can find things easily. It also makes it easier to see when you’re running low on ingredients.

If you labeled your boxes with the room they were to end up in at the end of the move, then you’re already moving in the right direction. If not, take the time to sort the boxes into appropriate rooms in your new homes in Edgewood WA before  you really start unpacking so that everything is easily at hand and  you can start creating some order out of the chaos. And once again, don’t forget to toss all of those things you really don’t need. Leave yourself some space to grow into your new home. To learn all about the storage and space in our homes, give us a call today and we can help you find the perfect home that works for you now and in the future.

Categorized in: Design Studio, Maintenance Tips, Market Tips, New Home Tips

This post was written by Pacific Lifestyle Homes