So you’ve moved into a new home. Luckily, the physically demanding aspect is over, for the most part. However, now you find yourself in a sea of boxes in a new place. You just want it to feel like home as soon as possible so you can get a good night’s sleep and get back to living a normal life.
The quicker you can get settled in, the quicker you’ll feel comfortable in your new digs. We’ve compiled a list of a few things you can do to make the process of settling in a little easier, and faster.
Make Cleaning and Unpacking a Priority
The first thing you should tackle when moving into your new place is a bit of cleaning. It’s likely the space was cleaned prior to your arrival, but you’ll feel much better about giving it once-over yourself. Giving your new home a thorough cleaning will be much easier before you have all your furniture and large items in place.
Once you are happy with the cleaning, it’s time to start unpacking. Start with the bedroom so you have a comfortable place to sleep if the job’s going to take you one or more days. If you have kids, unpack their sleeping area as well and pull out a few of their favorite toys. This will help them feel a little more at-home in a new place.
The kitchen would be the next logical area to unpack. Pull out the essentials so you can make some coffee in the morning and cook some breakfast. You can finish up in the kitchen the next morning, once you’ve had some much-needed coffee. Hit the bathrooms next and the living area after that.
Make it Homey
When you are finished with the tedious labor of unpacking, you can start focusing on making your space really feel like your home. Start hanging your artwork, get some flowers for the vases and get all those favorite books on the shelf.
This will make it feel much easier to get into your regular routine. Rent some movies and spend as much time as possible hanging out with your friends and loved ones inside your new home. This will make it feel more comfortable and less foreign quickly.
Have Pets? They Need Time to Adjust Too
Moving to a new home can be a stressful period for your pets as well. They may feel panicked or insecure in their new environment, which could lead to behavior problems. Be sure to stick to the same routines. Feed your animals at the same time as usual, walk and play with your dog frequently and let your cat walk around and get used to the place.
Introducing your pet to the new home will be much less traumatic of you allow your animal to stay with friends, family or a familiar boarding facility during the actual move. That way, you can introduce your animal to the new home once it is unpacked and your dog or cat will recognize many familiar items and smells.
Get Acquainted with the Surrounding Area
Take plenty of walks through your new neighborhood. This is a great time to introduce yourself to neighbors and start becoming part of the community. You’ll also want to take some time to discover some of your favorite places in town, like a local park, movie theater, restaurant or shopping district.
Strategize Before You Move
There’s more to moving than simply packing up all your boxes. When you are loading up the truck, think about grouping your belongings by what room they go in. That way, when it is time to unload, you’ll save yourself a lot of effort by streamlining the process. You won’t be moving one box to one room and another to a different room, you’ll be able to unpack room by room.
An even better option is to hire a professional moving company. One benefit is letting a professional and experienced mover handle all the logistics for you. This will ensure all your valuable items are properly packed, loaded and moved.
There’s a lot of effort and knowledge involved with properly packing and moving furniture, art, pianos, large mirrors and plenty of other items. You can do your best to study up on the proper methods, or hire someone who spends all their time moving valuable possessions from one place to another.
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Author Bio:
Art Lopez is the founder and owner of A&C Brothers Moving in Phoenix, Arizona. The company helps residents from all over Arizona take the stress out of moving.
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