After the Move: Getting Started in Your New Home

When the movers leave and it’s just you and your family in the new home, it can be overwhelming. It’s time to pick a starting point and start tackling, unpacking, and organizing. We hope with these simple suggestions will help you start making your new house into a home.

Time to pull out that first night box! Something that might have seemed silly a few weeks ago is now essential. Bottled water, snacks, clean clothes & a tooth brush are simple first steps to making your first night in your house feel like a home. Check out the blog on the first night kit  linked here to make sure you have the essentials at your fingertips when they’re needed.

Make sure all the essential services are set up. Double check that the appliances that the movers installed work properly. Make sure the electricity works and you have hot water for a shower. If not, call to get these things addressed.

Boston

Electricity

Water

Internet/ Cable

Washington DC

Electricity

Water

Internet/Cable

Pennsylvania 

Electricity

Water

Internet/Cable

Google “Best take out around me” and celebrate! Make the first day in your new home a memorable one – you’ve worked hard to get to this point and you deserve it! Treat yourself to delicious take-out from your new neighborhood and pop a bottle of champagne. After a full move-in day the last thing you will want to do is worry about unpacking boxes to find pots and pans to cook with, or a trip to the grocery store. Make an indoor picnic, open up a moving pad, and dive in to your first meal in your new home.

Begin to plan out each room. Because all of the moving boxes are labeled and brought in to the designated rooms it will be easy to attack them one by one. A plan will make the unpacking process less stressful. When you are beginning to get settled, it’s apparent that some rooms take priority over others. A simple bedroom set up is essential in the first few days, some clean sheets and hung up clothes will have you feeling refreshed the next day. Nothing is worse than waking up in a new space with nothing familiar around you. That goes for the kids rooms as well, the sooner they get in to a solid routine in the new home, the better. Plus, if you get the kids set up in their rooms it will keep them preoccupied when you set up the rest of the home. After the bedrooms, we suggest getting the kitchen in order. While you might enjoy some take out for the first few nights, nothing gets you settled in a new house like a home cooked meal. 

Safety. Safety. Safety. Make sure that all fire alarms are wired correctly and working. Confirm that the home is child proof as needed. If the new home has a pool, make plans to fence it in.

Change Locks. It is important to change your locks on your new home because you never know who has copies of the keys. It’s an important safety precaution that can be easily over looked!

Manuals & Remotes: When you’re unpacking and unwrapping new things it is easy to throw away or lose track of user manuals and remote controls. Make a designated area for these. You will need them! (Even if you think you know how to work the new fancy washer and dryer)

Schedule a Debris Pick Up. If you find yourself in a pile of empty boxes as you continue to unpack, give Olympia a call to pick up the pieces for you. Also, check out our blog on how to use some of the leftover boxes for the kids entertainment when you unpack!

The most important thing to remember is, the small details can wait. Don’t stress to get everything unpacked and organized in one day! It will all get done, and your home will look great.

Post-Move Organization Inspiration

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Avoid becoming this person!  From XKCD

After the movers leave, setting up your new home may be daunting, but that’s where the fun can begin!

Before you start unpacking, consider some ideas to make a fresh start.  These post-move organization tips will help you save space and create a beautiful, practical home.

Utilize Your Movers

One of the best ways to jump start organization is a bit of pre-move planning.  Create a floor plan of the placement of your furniture in the new house.  There are some fantastic, free online tools to assist you.  This plan will allow you to direct the movers to place the furniture in the perfect spot on delivery day.  Remember, if you’re moving locally the charges are by the hour, so your advance plan will save you and the movers from time-consuming and expensive feng shui experimentation!

Unpack

You’re in your new home and the truck is empty, but there’s still a lot to be done.  Unpacking can be a daunting prospect, especially if you just packed!  Did you know that your mover may offer unpacking services?   Olympia can jump start the settling into your new home and remove those pesky boxes with our unpacking services.

Call in the Experts

Maybe you crave organization, but it’s just not your forte.  Fortunately, there’s organization professionals who are eager to lend a hand.  Consider getting an organization consultation.  Here are a few great, local companies that can help you out:

Boston:  The Little Details | Ditch the Clutter | Organizing Boston | Sort It Out

Washington D.C.:  The Organizing Agency

Philadelphia:  JM Home Organizing

Get Inspired

We created this Pinterest board chock-full of easy, DIY, and creative organization ideas.

Organization Inspiration

Post-Move Organization Pinterest Board

More tips and fun for after the move:

Stylish moving / change of address cards and e-cards

Tips for the Perfect Housewarming Party

Post-Moving Fun: How to Build a Box Fort

Tips for Packing Electronics

Packing ElectronicsElectronics are often both valuable and fragile. Packing and transporting these items can seem intimidating; however with the proper supplies and methods, you can ensure that televisions, computers, DVD players, and gaming consoles will safely reach their destination.

The first step is to check owner’s manuals to see if there are any special packing or moving instructions. If you lost the manuals, you can often find an online version at the manufacturer’s website.

Next, gather the right materials for packaging these items. Using the original box is ideal, however if you did not save the original packaging, Olympia also sells boxes; including special flat-screen TV boxes. Olympia can also build custom crates to transport larger electronics.

When packing, use static free bags to pack all related wires and cables. Protect your item with bubble wrap or paper and include related manuals, accessories, and remotes in the same box so you won’t lose them later. Careful labeling will help to ensure that you can reconfigure your electronics properly at the new residence.

Boxes containing electronics should be designated as “FRAGILE’ and noted on the top and sides of the relevant containers.

If you are not comfortable to pack your own electronics, Olympia offers complete packing services. Should you require these services, please contact your move coordinator to ensure availability.

 

Having trouble envisioning yourself packing that fridge or TV? Check out our how-to videos for a step-by-step in packing common household items.

8 Essential Unpacking Tips

Unpacking is often overlooked as part of the moving process, and rarely do people set aside enough time to complete it.  The result is that boxes remain unpacked months after you have moved into your new home.  Following are some basic tips for a successful unpack:

1)     Make sure that when you are packing, every box is carefully labeled with your name, the room that the box came out of, and the contents of the box.  This will make the process of unpacking MUCH easier.

Man Unpacking Boxes
Careful Unpacking is Just as Important as Packing

2)     If possible, allot one day after your move to unpack and settle into your new home.

3)     Put your friends and family to work and have them help by unpacking books and clothes.  Hopefully they will be appreciative of the fact that you did not ask them to help you move!

4)     Start by unpacking the absolute essentials and then work as a team and go room by room through your residence.  This makes the experience much more pleasant and ensures that all items get fully unpacked.

5)     When unpacking, try and stack the box that you are unpacking onto another box or a raised surface to avoid having to repeatedly bend at the waist and potentially injure your back.

6)     Designate an area within your new residence to put used packing materials in the interest of not cluttering your new home.

7)     Break down the boxes as you unpack them in order to avoid creating an unnecessary mess.

8)     Donate or sell your used boxes.

 

If the above seems too burdensome, consider contacting Olympia Moving to schedule an unpacking service or debris removal service.  This is an economical approach that takes a lot of the stress out of moving in.

Hiring Packing Services

At Olympia Moving and Storage, we understand that preparation and packing are critical ingredients of a successful move.  To this end, we invest hundreds of hours training our staff on best practices every year.  Whether you require the luxury of a full packing service, or are simply interested in having our team pack some of your fragile items, we are confident that we can address your specific needs.

Full Packing Services

Olympia’s full packing service allows you to focus on the myriad of other details associated with relocating your home.  Our crews work as a team, carefully packing, labeling, disassembling, and preparing each room for moving day.

Partial Packing Services

Partial packing services typically involves Olympia Moving and Storage handling the most fragile items; such as stemware, china and pictures.  We also use this as an opportunity to ensure that your residence is fully prepared so that we can expedite the moving process.

Unpacking Services

There is so much effort and planning that goes into moving, that boxes often are left packed weeks and even months after the move date. Olympia’s unpacking services help you get a jump start on settling into your new home and include box and debris removal.

Benefits of Using Packing and Unpacking Services

Some of the benefits of having Olympia Moving assist you with the packing and unpacking process include:

  • A more efficient (and less costly) relocation based upon the fact that your residence will be fully prepared for the arrival of our moving team.
  • Peace of mind that your belongings will be properly packed and protected.
  • An expedited and consolidated time frame for completion.
  • Minimizing time taken away from work and family.
  • Reducing the stress associated with your move.
  • Ensuring that your boxed items are fully covered from a liability standpoint.
  • Limiting the time in which your household (and lives) are in transition mode.
  • Better organization on the front and back end of the relocation process.

More About Packing and Unpacking Services

For more information about Olympia’s packing services, or to speak with a relocation councilor about your specific needs, please contact Olympia Moving at 800-222-4744 or [email protected].