The Art of Unpacking: How to Get Unpacked Faster and Easier

I have moved eight times in the past eight years. In addition to making me hoard moving boxes all year round “just in case,” it’s also made me a bit of an expert on the art of the move. And it truly is an art.

In some ways, moving is like a symphony. Each task is an instrument, coming together in the pursuit of something larger. But no matter how much practice you get, there’s never a conductor, the instruments are prone to breaking, and the tempo is always significantly faster than you planned for. You’re probably never going to get it perfect, but it has to get done anyway so you may as well string your bows, steady your drums, and give it your best shot.

All of my moves have been unique, but regardless of whether I was shipping boxes cross country or wheeling my mattress on a dolly down a couple city blocks, they’ve all had one major thing in common: unpacking was always the worst part.

Before a move, every step has a distinct deadline. You know when you have to be packed by, when you have to be out of your current home, and how long you have the movers for. But when all of the chaos is over, it’s just you, your new home, and mountains of boxes that, if you’re anything like me, you are just way too tired to deal with. Maybe you’ll get the essentials sorted out pretty quickly, but there are always the boxes that sit unpacked for months at a time, hidden in the garage or the back of the closet or perhaps out in the open so you can get a good dose of shame every time you walk by. Unpacked boxes are the deafening gongs of your symphony, and they’re pretty relentless.

Fortunately, while I’ve yet to become a perfect mover, I have picked up quite a few useful tricks for taking some of the pain out of the unpacking process.

Before the move

Label your boxes. It’s much easier to unpack when you know what’s in the box before you open it. You can go full on neurotic-mode like my mother, who last time her and my dad moved kept an Excel file that listed every single item in each box so she knew where everything was down to the last package of rubber bands. (You can use an app like Sortly to help you do that.) Or, you could just write “kitchen” or “bedroom” on the box so it gets sorted into the right place. Either way works.
Keep like items together. When you’re just trying to get everything into a box, it can be tempting to throw things in without paying any mind. But getting unpacked is considerably less tiring when you don’t have to shuffle all over putting items in their place. If items go together in your home, keep them together in the box.
Toss out unnecessary items. The less you have to unpack, the better. Don’t waste time carrying items you don’t use or don’t care about from home to home. Get rid of them instead, and free up your time and space for the things that really matter.
Keep the essentials separate. Pack a gym bag with the items you know you’ll need quick access to: chargers, toothbrush and toothpaste, any medications you may need, important documents, etc. You don’t want to be frantically digging in boxes searching for these things later, so pack them all in one, easily identifiable place.

During the move

If you put labels on the boxes, use them. Several moves in a row I found myself meticulously labeling boxes only to have them all thrown together in one chaotic pile in the front hallway. I get it – it’s much quicker to simply drop a box off and head back to the truck for the next one. However, this does you no favors when it comes to unpacking since you’ll just have to move each box again. Instead of spending a few days or weeks carefully sidestepping that overwhelming mountain of boxes, take the time to carry each box to its respective room during the move. If you’re using movers, request they do the same.

After the move

Fight the desire to procrastinate. Easier said than done, I know. But in my own experience I’ve found that boxes either get unpacked within the first week of moving in, or they sit unpacked for months. There’s no in between. Tackle the task right away, when you’re still in the moving mentality.
Recycle (or store) boxes as soon as they’re empty. Unpacking can be an overwhelming task, so visual markers of progress like breaking down and removing boxes from sight go a long way toward keeping morale up, not to mention freeing up space to get around. Yes it’s one more step to get done before you can move on to the next box, but you’ll definitely be glad that you did it.
Enlist help. You’re the only one who knows where all of your stuff goes, but like most things in life, unpacking is always better with a friend (even if they’re just offering encouragement from the couch). With a buddy nearby, you’ll be less likely to give up and nap after finishing half of the first box, and you’ll also have someone to distract you from the monotony of the process.
Reward yourself. Make unpacking a game, with prizes for each accomplishment. Unpacked one box of dishes? Treat yourself to a cookie. Got the whole kitchen unpacked? Get off your feet and enjoy a half-hour television show. Getting everything sorted is a necessary but thankless chore; by celebrating each step, you give yourself incentive to keep the momentum going.
Be kind to yourself. Unless you went full on purge and got rid of most of your things before moving, chances are you’ve got quite a bit to unpack. And while the thought of being all settled in to your new home within the first few days is a nice one, life happens, unpacking takes time, and there’s a very good chance you’ll exceed your mental timeline. Set realistic expectations for yourself, and don’t get too disappointed if the process takes longer than you thought it would. You’ll get all the boxes unpacked eventually, and if you don’t, well, maybe you didn’t need those items anyway.

Need some more tips? Check out our quick room-by-room guide for finding a place for everything and getting everything in its place. And if you need some hands-on support, consider hiring a helper through a service like TaskRabbit and taking a bit of the load off.