Moving house can be a stressful and challenging time for anyone at the best of times, let alone when you work full-time.
Scheduling time to unpack after moving can often feel like the last thing you want to do after a long day’s work, but failing to do so in a timely manner can leave you feeling overwhelmed when your life is still in boxes.
If you’re struggling with the motivation to unpack after moving, this guide is here to help.
Tips for getting motivated to unpack after moving include, but are not limited to:
- Minimise modern-day distractions
- Choose a number of boxes to unpack per day
- Set a timer
- Take it one room at a time
- Give yourself a deadline to work towards
1. Minimise Modern-Day Distractions
The first tip to get motivated to unpack after moving is to minimise modern-day distractions.
Procrastination is a real problem in modern-day society and can quickly eat away at the time you do have to do unpack.
What Are Some Modern-Day Distractions?
Modern-day distractions can include checking your emails, multitasking, social media, and the big one: smartphones.
Considering that users in the UK spend an average of four hours and 14 minutes per day using their mobile devices, your phone can be a major distraction.
As such, it’s good to put it on silence and place it in another room to allow yourself to start unpacking.
Whatever your distraction is, be it your phone, the TV, or another device, recognise your distractions and take the appropriate steps to remove them while you are unpacking.
Instead, use entertainment as a reward for starting the unpacking process.

Scheduling time to unpack can be difficult when you have a busy lifestyle.
2. Choose A Number Of Boxes To Unpack Per Day
The next tip to bear in mind is choosing a number of boxes to unpack per day.
While this might sound simple, setting a target helps you to take the unpacking process step-by-step.
Typically speaking, it’s best to start by unpacking your bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen essentials in the first instance.
This way, you will ensure that you’ve unpacked what you need to ensure you can rest, bathe, and cook in your new home.
From here, you can set a goal for the number of boxes you’d like to tackle every day depending on your schedule.
3. Set A Timer
To get motivated to unpack after moving, you should set a timer.
Although unpacking isn’t a quick process, using timers to your advantage is a great way to induce action.
Using A Timer For Productivity
If you’re struggling to motivate yourself to unpack, timers can be a great incentive to be more productive.
Being aware of how much time you have left to complete a task helps ensure that you don’t procrastinate unpacking.
Begin with short timers of 10 to 20 minutes in the beginning, and once you see how much you can get done before the timer goes off, you’ll be unpacked in no time.

It’s best to start by unpacking your bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen essentials in the first instance.
4. Take It One Room At A Time
Looking at unpacking a few boxes in every room can quickly demotivate you, so it’s important to take it one room at a time.
Not only will this allow you to keep the mess contained in a single room in your new home, but it will also minimise the risk of you becoming too overwhelmed once you begin emptying boxes.
Be sure to list the rooms in order of priority and, if possible, tackle the room with another person to speed up the process.
To discover more tips for unpacking after a move, be sure to check out our blog.
5. Give Yourself A Deadline To Work Towards
Lastly, to get motivated to unpack after a move, you’ll want to give yourself a deadline to work towards.
If you don’t set a deadline, it can be tempting to push the unpacking back continuously, especially during busy periods.
That said, if you struggle with feeling overwhelmed, make sure that the deadline is a realistic one.
Whether you aim to unpack your whole home in a few weeks or months, make sure that your goal is attainable.
This way, you can work on unpacking your home with the confidence that it will be done before the deadline.

Tackling unpacking with someone else room-by-room can help to minimise mess.
How We Can Help
At Falconer Removals, we use meticulous moving techniques, passed down and perfected through generations for over 132 years, to ensure your goods are moved with expert precision and kept in perfect condition. Get a quote from our team today.
For more expert advice on how to pack, unpack, move and store your belongings — or other FAQs on how removals work — check out our blog page.
We hope that this article has been useful in motivating you to unpack after a house move.
Written by Jemima Thomas for Falconer Removals & Storage.
