- Know How Long Should Unpacking Last
- Factors That Determine How Fast You Unpack
- Tips To Help You Unpack Fast
- Ask For Help
- Give Yourself A Timeline
- Make A Schedule
- Unpack One Room At A Time

Know How Long Should Unpacking Last
According to a survey by Duck Brand Tape, Americans take approximately 182 days to finish unpacking their items after a move. Some take longer while others take a relatively shorter time so there is no rule when it comes to the duration of unpacking. However, psychology experts will tell you that it’s difficult to feel relaxed and at home when there are unpacked boxes around you. This means that unpacking should take the shortest time possible; ideally a month tops.
Factors that determine how fast you unpack
- Size of the house. A bigger house means more items to unpack so it will most definitely take longer. The bigger the house the longer the duration of unpacking.
- The amount of time you have on your hands to concentrate on unpacking really matters. Unfortunately, some people have full time jobs and kids to take care of so they only apportion two or three hours in the evening to unpack. People who have the whole day to unpack and organize can finish faster than those who don’t.
- How many people do you have helping you to unpack? The more they are, the faster the job will be done. However, if you have to unpack everything by yourself, you are bound to do it slowly and even get demotivated along the way.
Tips to help you unpack fast

Ask for help
There is nothing as boring as being alone while unpacking. While some music can probably keep you up for some hours, you need someone to help you, talk to and bounce ideas off each other. Don’t be shy to ask your friends and relatives to come over in the evening to help you unpack as you share a cup of coffee or a bubbly. If you have complicated furniture pieces that you can’t figure out how to assemble, call a professional or two so they can help you with that.
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Give yourself a timeline
The main reason why people take up to a year to unpack is because there is no rush. For you to feel the pressure to finish unpacking, give yourself a deadline and work towards finishing the job before then. You can plan to have a party on that day or anything else that will pressure you to finish unpacking fast.
Make a schedule
For anything to be successful, you need to make a plan. Have a schedule on what to do each day whether you are working or not. Allow yourself a couple of hours where you know exactly what you are coming to do so you don’t waste time moving around aimlessly.

Unpack one room at a time
Your schedule should include packing one room at a time. It’s easy to lose focus and feel overwhelmed when you don’t see progress. However, when you finish the kitchen and then every other room at a time, you can see progress and get motivated to carry on.
Unpacking should take the shortest amount of time possible. Make sure you work every day to finish that job so you can move on with your life. Do not procrastinate or get distracted lest you find yourself with sealed boxes a year after moving.