It’s easy to get tricked into the notion that a move is mostly over when the moving truck pulls away after having emptied out your stuff. But unfortunately, you’ve likely got an entire life’s worth of belongings still bound in dozens of boxes, just itching to get out and inhabit their new space. Not to worry: the Moveline team is more than a little experienced at helping folks relocate from one home to another, and we’ve got a laundry list of insider tips to make the task of unpacking easier than you might expect.

• Make sure each room has the correct boxes in it before you get started; a few misplaced items as you’re setting up a room can set you back unexpectedly
• Tackle one room at a time; take a break in between each and enjoy your progress.
• Sketch each room’s ideal layout first to save yourself extra work in the long run.
• Arrange your furniture first and the little stuff will fall into place much more easily.
• If your bed requires assembly, make it a top priority; sleep is inevitable in the first 24 hours!
• Save wall hangings and other artwork for the end; let them be the icing on the cake (without extra nail holes and awkward open spaces that can be avoided if you wait).
• Break down (or stack up) boxes as you go and get them out of the way; not surprisingly, visual reminders of your progress can keep you motivated to keep going.
• To keep momentum up, set a timer and a goal of a certain amount of boxes per half hour.
• Call for backup; for some reason, friends tend to view unpacking as more fun than packing, so harness that phenomenon and offer to pick up lunch or dinner in return for the favor.
• There’s no reason you can’t make it fun; crank up some music and sing along if it breaks the monotony and makes it feel less like work.