Moving into a new space is exciting. It offers a chance to start over with the design and the placement of your possessions. However, seeing all those boxes on the floor of your living room and countertops of your kitchen can be overwhelming.

Unpacking is one of the more tedious parts of moving, but it doesn’t have to be dreaded. These tips for eliminating the stress associated with unpacking will allow you to focus on all the more exciting steps ahead.

Eliminating the Stress of Unpacking

Unpacking tends to quell much of the excitement of stepping foot in your new home for the first time. There are several steps you can take to simplify the task of unpacking, making it less stressful for yourself and your entire family.

Declutter Before you pack

The first step to minimizing the stress of unpacking is to reduce the amount of unpacking you have to do. One of the common steps of the moving process is to donate or give away items you do not think you will use in the new home. Take a bit of time before the move will make unpacking after the move easier.

Unpack What You Need

Of course, you’ve packed your essentials box… the stuff you know you’ll need in the first day or so. But, you’ll quickly realize there are other items you don’t want to live without. These may be certain clothing items, or cooking supplies, or other things. Tackling these first and living without the other items that are not immediately essential may provide another layer of decluttering. Also, by getting those most important items out first, you can give yourself permission to slow down on the rest.

Organize Your Boxes

You’re probably tired of constantly organizing by this point in your move. However, placing your boxes in the rooms in which they’re going to belong can eliminate a lot of stress.

Keeping all of your boxes in one room can create an overwhelming stack of your possessions. Spreading them throughout the house in an organized manner allows you to tackle one room at a time without constantly being reminded of the other work you have to do. Don’t open any boxes until they’ve been put in the right place.

Set Your Furniture First

Moving involves transferring items large and small. Set all the large items, like furniture and major appliances, in place first. This helps reduce clutter during the unpacking process.

Setting your furniture in place first is another way to see which items are essential. You may realize that you like your coffee table even more without all the knick-knacks you previously had on it. Now is the time to donate, sell, or store items that made your old residence feel cluttered.

Take Your Time

You may feel like you’ll finally be able to relax when the entire house is unpacked. Trying to unpack everything in a day or two will only add more stress.

Allow yourself time for the unpacking process. Spend one day setting up the kitchen, another day in the kids’ room, and so on. It’s likely you have a long time to live in your new home, so it doesn’t need to feel complete immediately.

Ask the Experts

Hiring a professional moving company is one of the best ways to relieve the stress associated with moving. Moving professionals can help in far more ways than simply lifting heavy items.

Movers are experts at safely packing your possessions and unpacking them at your destination. You can expect them to completely unpack your items much faster than you could on your own. Then, you can step in and organize them the way you prefer.