If your move to Uxbridge in London is more or less all planned, you need to start thinking about the after-move stage. If you think packing is tough then you’d be surprised at how much tougher unpacking can be. The problem with unpacking is that it takes lots of space and most people don’t do it right. Opening all the cardboard moving boxes and taking out the items from them is definitely not the best way to do it. This way you will just end up being surrounded by piles of items and no specific order or organization. You do need proper organization which will make the process much faster and efficient.

If you can’t afford to hire professionals for the unpacking process, you need to organize your whole family so you can manage within a reasonable timeline. Start with the essential areas – assemble the beds so whoever’s really tired can get some sleep and proceed with unpacking the kitchen and the bathroom. You will certainly need to have a shower at one point or another after the relocation so the sooner the bathroom is ready the better. The other essential area is the kitchen – only the fridge will need a day to get accustomed to the temperature in the house so you shouldn’t plug it just yet. However, you can unpack the cutlery, the pots and pans and cook some food for the family. It’s best to eat in while there is so much work to do around the house, instead of going to restaurants and wasting valuable time. Unpack the boxes with linen, pillows and blankets so the first night everyone can get a good night’s sleep. Make sure you have one room at the house that is all set up and clear of cardboard boxes, used packing materials, dollies and tools. Whether this will be the dining room or the living room, it’s essential to have one such room where the family can gather and just rest. Not everything can be unpacked on the first day so don’t rush the process. You will have plenty of time to go through each box of books and arrange them on the shelves according to author or genre. Understand that you can’t do everything on the first few days and some boxes will have to wait to be unpacked. Don’t forget to clean every time you finish for the day so the dust doesn’t go on the beds and the kitchen items.

The best rule to follow is unpacking box by box and room by room. The other essential trick is to make sure each member of the family is contributing to the unpacking process in some way and have their own task. Standing on each other’s way and doing the same thing together is quite counterproductive. The boxes that might be put into a storage facility shouldn’t be unpacked at all. Keep them sealed unless you want to check for any damage. The cardboard boxes can be given for recycling, sold or kept for storage. Sturdy moving boxes can bring some order into the basement, attic or garage.

Stay organized and try to enjoy the unpacking process. You are creating a home out of an empty house and this is quite an exciting stage in one’s life – an opportunity to create something better and newer.