So you've bought your first house, now what? You celebrate, of course!
And once the champagne has been drunk and the cheese platter is all finished, you must undertake the enormous yet still enjoyable task of unpacking.
Don't be daunted, as Mary Poppins says in every job that must be done, there is an element of fun! So where's the fun? In the organisation of it all, of course, those of you who love an excel spreadsheet and a binder like I do are going to much enjoy this article!
- Clean me!
- Before you even start to open boxes and begin unpacking its best to CLEAN EVERYTHING! Drawers and cupboard shelves can harbour many nasties and germs and any forgotten items that may have been leftover from the previous owners!
- If you want a deep clean, use some kind of drain cleaner on your sinks.
- Run your dishwasher on a boiling cycle to make sure it's nice and fresh
- Evaluate your Kitchen Space
- How does your kitchen flow, is there an island benchtop or a wrap-around bench, is it smaller with more cupboard space or large with plenty of room for appliances to be on seats?
- Do you have an oven under your stove or beside it?
- Think about how you as a person will be moving around your kitchen and how much you want to be bending and reaching into cupboards
- Think practical and functional
- If you have a dishwasher, ensure you put the drawer or cupboard for plates and bowls close by as not to be wandering the kitchen putting away dishes
- The top drawer is almost always reserved for cutlery – buy a cutlery holder that fits horizontally into the drawer
- Do you have small children, glass and sharp objects are to go out of reach
- Pots and pans close to the stove and Tupperware in a profound drawer
- Style and Decoration
- In any home, a kitchen can become the heart, so its important to decorate and style your kitchen (and Home) according to who you are! Reflect your personality and unique style in your appliances and utensils
- DON'T UNPACK ALONE
- If you are living with other people, make sure they are there with you to unpack. Every member of the household should know where everything is kept and not have to be searching through drawers to find the spatula. It's also an excellent chance to bounce ideas of locations of specific things.
