The ultimate unpacking checklist

Most people think that unpacking is the easiest part of the moving process. However, if not done properly, it can end up giving you an even bigger headache than decluttering and packing combined. To help you prevent this from happening, we've prepared the ultimate unpacking checklist. Since the way you pack is essential for easy unpacking, we've prepared useful packing tips, too. The only simpler thing would be hiring professionals to do everything for you.

Make unpacking simpler by packing properly

Paying attention to how you pack is the best way to make unpacking and settling into your new Connecticut home easier. The first step towards making this more manageable is to declutter your home. By getting rid of unnecessary belongings, you'll reduce the amount of stuff you'll have to pack and then unpack.

Once you decide what you want to bring with you to your new place, it's time to start packing. Here are the three most important packing tips that will make unpacking easier.

• By packing one room at a time, you'll be able to group your belongings.

• While packing each room, make an inventory of your belongings. You'll be able to do a final clutter check and potentially decide if there is something else you'd like to toss. It's important not to skip this step. The experienced packers from Teddy Moving and Storage confirm that making an inventory is crucial if you want to make unpacking hassle-free.

• Make sure to label each box and write it down in your inventory. This way, you'll be able to look at your list, take a box to the right room, unpack it and place its content where it belongs.

• Set aside a box of essential items you'll need for your first night in your new home. After a tiring day, the last thing you want is to go through boxes looking for your toiletries and pajamas.

The unpacking checklist that will make your relocation easier

After an easy transfer from NYC to Connecticut, it's time to start unpacking. It's only normal to feel overwhelmed and unsure about where to begin. However, we're here to make it easier. Further in this article, you'll find our unpacking checklist.

Compare boxes to your inventory list and sort them

If you didn't have enough time to check every box as it was being carried inside by movers, now is the time to do it. Use your inventory list or the one provided by your moving company if you didn't make it yourself.

If you can't find something, make sure to contact your moving company. Also, take each box to the room it belongs to as it will be much easier to unpack it there. If you labeled the boxes while packing, it will be pretty easy to do this.

Set your priorities

Don't rush unpacking. You don't have to start doing it as soon as you move in. Remember, there are no more deadlines or moving dates you need to be mindful of. Therefore, take your time, and if you have more important things to focus on at the moment, don't neglect them only because you have to unpack.

Even though you might not feel comfortable living among piles of cardboard boxes, you still may have more important things to do. Maybe you need to prepare for work the next day or run errands in your new town. Whatever it is, take as much time as you need.

Create an unpacking strategy

If you prepare the right unpacking strategy, you already did half of the job. If you create a good unpacking plan and stick to it, the entire unpacking process will go smoothly, even unnoticed.

We guarantee there will be no emotional bursts or moments of high frustration or tension. After all, without a deadline constantly burdening you, you can relax and do things at your own comfortable pace.

Unpack only the essential things

The last thing you want to be doing after arriving at your new Connecticut home is to instantly start unpacking. A shower and clean bedsheets probably sound much better after all the hard work you invested into your move.

So, on your first and even your second day, try not to get too overwhelmed and unpack only the essential things.

Decide where to start

When it comes to deciding where to start, you'll probably come across many different opinions. However, most moving professionals agree that your kitchen should be the first room to unpack.

If you don't have time to completely unpack all of your kitchen items, unpack only what you need and use the most. Hook up appliances, and after you're done with the rest of your home, you can come back and organize your new kitchen in detail.

You are the one choosing when and where to start. Usually, it depends on the time of day you arrive at your new place. For instance, if you move in during the early afternoon, you might still feel energized and willing to unpack your kitchen first. On the other hand, if you arrive late in the afternoon or evening, your priorities will probably be the bathroom (a hot shower) and bedroom (good night's sleep).

The bottom line

We hope our unpacking checklist will help you settle quickly in your new home. Now that you know how to efficiently handle unpacking, it's time to think of ways to add a personal touch to your space and make your new Connecticut home reflect your personality. Best of luck with your move!

How to Organize Your Desk

The personal or office desks may reflect the habits and personality of the owner. Some people like to keep their desks highly personalized and colorful. An organized desk may mean more comfort, higher productivity, and the best time management. It can also accommodate your inclinations and preferences.

When you want to avoid being overwhelmed by the clutter, disorderly files, and paperwork stacks, you must give some time to organizing your desk. There are also certain items and resources available that are affordable but are highly effective in keeping your workstation and desk efficient at all times.

The desk organizer activities may not be complicated. Below are some important tips and steps which you can use to organize your workspace and desk and be more efficient and productive.

Cleaning your Desk

For organizing your desk, you need to first clean it thoroughly. Organizing and cleaning are easy when there is nothing on the desk. Remove all the items from the desk and keep them on the floor or some other table. Once the desk is blank, dust, wipe, and clean the desk to remove all kinds of stains. You can also apply a polish so that the scratches are not visible. Also, clean your computer if you have one on your desk, at this time.

Now that you have cleaned your desk, you need to classify and organize the items that you removed from the desk. You need to put the items you want to throw away into one group, and the item that you intend to keep in another. Get rid of all the unimportant items and keep only the bare necessities. All the trash obtained during cleaning the desk should be disposed of as well. Do not forget to update your space by removing outdated calendars and other old items. However, you can always keep things with a sentimental value (like your old photos).

Reordering your Desk

When you reorder the desk, do not stress about putting the things in the same way. Imagine and think of new and more creative ways to stack up against your computer and other belongings of the desk.

Your desk may require certain new supplies like ink pens, paper, or staples among others. Apart from putting up a new and fresh calendar, you can also reload your desk with these essentials. Rearranging and reordering your desk this way ensures that you can preserve and improve productivity and eliminate clutter. The documents and the tools should be kept within reach, while the computer should be kept at the center of the disc.

You can also add some decorative touches to the desk to personalize it and to make it more attractive. The decorative items can be humorous coffee mugs, statues, framed pictures, and others. Also, place some inspirational messages and images that will keep you motivated at work.

Promoting Efficiency

You need to think wisely when you want to be more efficient. For instance, the essential items that you use often should be kept close enough, at arm's reach. These items can be typing papers, writing utensils, communication devices, notebooks, and other kinds of accessories including digital accessories. Likewise, pens and pencils should be kept in separate cups or pen holders. The stapler and the paper clips should be located near the printer. These are the creative ideas that will help you be more efficient.

Non-essential items that are not used frequently can be stacked in the drawers. If you are using several smaller items, you can also purchase the drawer organizer trays. These trays can easily fit the drawers of the desk and the compartments and can help you keep your items in a classified way. Paper trays can be used to keep the documents in a more sorted wave.

Organizing Desk Cables

There can be many tangled wires on the desk if you own and use many tech devices and gadgets. These wires may come from the printer, computer, phone, internet modem, and other kinds of devices that are plugged into some extension cable lead. Before you plug anything, make sure that the extension lead is fixed at the back of the table. All the lengthy wires should be shortened, which will help you prevent and reduce the mess. The wrap straps can be used for shortening the wires. You can also label the cables (at both of their ends) to know at any point which cable is for serving what purpose.

Conclusion

The tips given above can help you have a clean, organized, and productive workspace and desk that also looks motivating and inviting at all times. Having an efficient and organized desk is also easier nowadays with many resources (for instance the cable management box) available at a low and affordable cost.

How to Recover From a Hoarding Situation

Although one of America's greatest strengths is its easy access to just about any material item you could want, this can also lead to some people's greatest problem: hoarding. If you or someone you know is recovering from a hoarding situation, it can be a long and difficult process to go through. Fortunately, if you stick with it, there is light at the end of the tunnel. To help you make your way through the mounds of stuff, here are a few steps to follow.

Address Mental Health

The goal when recovering from a hoarding situation is to make sure you or your loved one don't return to that situation. Therefore, it's often beneficial to seek professional counseling to help you identify the trigger behind the hoarding so that you can address this root issue. Otherwise, you'll simply be attacking the symptoms and likely end up right back where you started at some point.

Take It One Step at a Time

A house full of trash and treasure can be an overwhelming task to tackle. That's why it's a good idea to focus on the small stuff. If you can achieve a small victory by cleaning out a drawer in the kitchen, for example, that victory will inspire you to move on to other areas of the home. By taking on one small task at a time, you'll eventually be able to tackle the entire house.

Dispose of Unneeded Items

As you go through various items, it's important to have places to put them once they've been sorted. For example, you may want to rent a dumpster so that you can have a quick and easy place to dispose of garbage and unwanted items. You can even find a junk vehicle buyer for cash if there are junk cars on the property so that you don't have to go through a time-consuming process to dispose of these large and unruly items.

Craft a Plan for Future Success

After you've completed your cleaning journey, it's important to craft a plan for future success. You want to be sure that you know what to do with new items as they come into your home so that they don't start accumulating again. You'll also want to make a plan that will help prevent you from bringing certain items into your home altogether. This will help you stay on top of the cleanliness of your home with minimal effort.

Always Ask for Help

During every step of the process, it's always a good idea to ask for help. Although it can be embarrassing to invite someone into a cluttered home, the fact is that most people are more than willing to help if you're willing to ask. Don't let pride get in the way of you finally tackling a hoarding problem once and for all.

Things That Make Your Home Look Cluttered

The first time you move into a new home, everything feels perfect. All your knick-knacks have fallen into place, and there's no clutter in sight. However, this, more often than not, changes quite rapidly. Since we live in a very consumeristic world, we tend to purchase endless supplies of unnecessary items (or even necessary ones that just aren't pleasant to look at). In the spirit of both discovering things that make your home look cluttered and trying to solve the problem, we've made a list that is hopefully eye-opening.

Don't strive toward perfection

Before you actually dive into our list of things that make your home look cluttered, there's one thing we should get out of the way. No matter how tidy and perfect you want your home to look, you'll never reach your goal all the way. It's impossible to sustain. Especially if you have younger children, there'll always be some stuff lying around your floor or hiding behind the sofa; it's the law of nature. Do your best but then just relax and remind yourself that there are far more important things you should give your energy to.

Open shelves and full countertops

Although open shelving has become more and more popular over the years, it's not always such a great idea. If you're someone who doesn't own too many dishes and glasses and loves to color coordinate these items, more power to you. However, if you live in the land of us mere mortals, you might want to skip this trend. It's simply not worth it. Nevertheless, if you've already remodeled your kitchen and opened it up, there's still hope. People usually solve this problem by placing the excess items into a storage unit. Although a fine approach, you don't have to get rid of your items altogether. All you really need to do is get some cabinet doors and close everything up. It'll make all the difference and your place will look much more put together.

Too many decorations

Decorating your home gives it character and warmth. However, overdoing it can have a negative effect. Make sure to shop for decorative pieces mindfully. Always keep the big picture in mind of what you want your home to look like once you're all done. This way, you won't buy items that don't fit and don't serve a specific purpose.

Memorabilia 

Even though we all love to display photos of our loved ones in our favorite rooms, memorabilia can really make a house feel cluttered and cramped. If you don't want to avoid it altogether, make sure to do it tastefully. White frames that aren't too flashy and shiny make for a really lovely and subtle effect.

Visible cords and cables

If there's one thing that we could all agree on, it's our mutual hatred of cords and cables. No matter how you tangle and untangle them, they always look messy and sloppy. Luckily, there are ways to deal with cables and cords with ease and organize them so that you never have to see them again. You can hook them to the back of your furniture or walls if they aren't visible. However, the best way to do this is to purchase white seamless tubing. This way, you can stretch them wherever you like, and they'll be invisible.

Things that don't have a place

If you're not too big on organizing your home, chances are that you'll have some loose ends lying all around it. Of course, the best thing you could do is dedicate a spot to every item you purchase as soon as you buy it. On the other hand, this isn't the most realistic thing for everyone. An excellent solution for those that don't want to bother finding a particular spot for everything is to set aside a box or a drawer that'll simply be for all sorts of things.

An untidy hallway

One of the first things people see when they walk into your home is your hallway. Regardless of how the rest of your space looks, your hallway is the thing people will remember the most. Make sure that it's organized and tidy. 

Fridge magnets

Even though most people love displaying magnets that show where they've been and remind them of dear memories, they can be unnecessarily imposing. The first thing you should remove when decluttering your home is these little things. If you still want to display them somehow, you can do so in a place that is less visible than your refrigerator.

Too many throw pillows and blankets

Throw pillows and blankets are usually really pretty and give off a luxurious feel. However, they can also be overly eye-catching. Be careful not to overdo this display since it can make your space seem cluttered and smaller than it is.

Are you planning to relocate?

The best time to get control over the things that make your home look cluttered and remove them from your space is during relocation. You'll get a fresh start and be able to completely reinvent your house. According to moving experts from Simplify Valet Storage & Moving, people usually place their items in storage so that they have enough time to plan and organize their future space.

Finding balance with the things that make your home look cluttered is key

No matter how much you want to avoid the items that make your home look cluttered, you still need to have some details to make it look homey and cozy. You should aim to add a personal touch to your place but not overcrowd it. If you're not too sure how to do it yourself, you could look for inspiration online or find a professional interior designer that'll do it for you.

Keep your home clean

It really won't matter if you find a suitable place for every single knick-knack that you own if your home is untidy and not properly cleaned. Leaving dirty dishes around after you've used them or having dirty carpets is something that will negate all the effort that you've put into your house. Once you've removed and dealt with all the things that make your home look cluttered, make sure to maintain it to the best of your abilities.