A room-by-room approach to unpack your home in an organized fashion

As we’ve discussed over the past few weeks, unpacking is probably the easiest part of a move, but it’s also the most important to get right. Unpacking your items in an organized fashion into a newly cleaned home can be the difference between clicking right into your new place, or instantly making your new home a mess as you dig through your stuff trying to find what you need, which eventually leads to organization in the end!

As the saying goes, get it right the first time! After you place your large furniture items, going room by room and unpacking can be the simplest & easiest way to make sure your personal items are neatly placed & easy to find in each room. And there is an art to it, so says Unclutter writer Erin Doland. By going room by and following these steps, you, too can tap into the artistry of an organized unpacking process:

  1. Essential items: Toilet paper, hand and body soap, shower curtain, bath towels, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, paper towels, trash bags, scissors (I use them to open boxes), a change of clothes, vacuum, broom, dustpan, pillows, bed sheets, and pet food and bowls. I usually pack these things in a clothes hamper and have it packed in the car, not the moving van.
  2. The kitchen. I start by unpacking the food first and then dishwashing supplies, drinking glasses, silverware, plates, pans, and finally everything else.
  3. Assemble beds and put on sheets.
  4. Bathrooms. They’re easy to unpack, and easy is what you’ll need at this point.
  5. Coat closet. This is more of a priority in cooler weather than in warmer weather.
  6. Clothes closet and dressers.
  7. Laundry room. Dirty clothes tend to pile up quickly when moving.
  8. Remainder of bedroom.
  9. Home office, if you have one. Beware, hooking up equipment with all of its cords and cables can be stressful, so take your time with this step.
  10. Dining room. After putting your office together, you’ll need this low-key room.
  11. Family room. Setting up the television and all of its peripherals can be just as frustrating as putting together the home office. Take your time.
  12. Porch. You’ll need a breather.
  13. The garage, basement, and storage spaces. Save these spaces until late in the process because it might take you weeks to get these the way you want.
  14. The last thing I do is hang artwork throughout the entire house.