You’ve finally moved into your new home – excellent news! All the stress of decluttering, packing, cleaning and moving is behind you. After a long day, you can just lie down and enjoy your new place… right after you crack open 47 boxes to track down a towel so you can have a shower, and some bed linen to make up the bed.
Make the first night or two in your new home a whole lot easier by packing a few essentials in boxes that are easily accessible. By creating essentials boxes, you avoid having to scour every box you’ve packed looking for basic things so you can brush your teeth and get to bed.
We’ve compiled a list of the top 11 essentials you should pack to help get you through the first few nights in your new home.
- Clothes – Plan your outfits, and pack a few sets of clothes for each family member – and don’t forget shoes and pyjamas! You don’t want to have to sift through multiple boxes to track down appropriate shoes when you’re frantically getting ready for work the next day.
- Toiletries – Stock your travel toiletries case like you’re going away for a long weekend. Make sure you’ve got all the basic essentials for the family, like medicines, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, soap etc.
- Toilet paper – It’s a bathroom essential that nobody wants to be caught without. Pack a couple of rolls to ensure bathrooms are stocked when you move in.
- Snacks and a few basic groceries – Take some emergency food supplies to get you through moving day and while unpacking.
- Bed linen – There’s nothing better than lying down on a freshly made bed for the first night after a big move. Keep a set of linen aside for each family member so that if nothing else, you’ll all have something to sleep on the first night.
- Pillows – What good is linen, if you have no pillows? Whilst pillows seem like useful padding when packing, you don’t want to have to unpack stacks of boxes to find them on your first night, so keep them easily accessible.
- Towels – You’ll want a nice hot shower after moving and unpacking, so make sure you’ve got a towel for each family member.
- Cleaning supplies – In case you forgot to read 9 Things Everyone Should Do BEFORE Moving In To a New Home and didn’t get around to cleaning your new place before moving in, you’ll want cleaning supplies on hand so you can clean and wipe down drawers, closets, wardrobes, bathrooms etc before you use them.
- Scissors, Stanley knife and a tool kit – In the rush to get packed and moved, don’t forget the essentials you’ll need to unpack at the other end. Keep critical tools like scissors, a box cutter and a basic tool kit with allen keys and screwdrivers handy to help you unpack and reassemble furniture in your new home.
- Pet supplies – If you have pets, ensure you have their supplies like food, bowls, medication and litter tray readily available so you can help settle them in too.
- First aid kit – It’s always a good idea to have a first aid kit of essentials on hand just in case of an accident. Don’t forget first aid kits don’t contain medication, so you may want to add in things like pain killers or antiseptic.