When and How to Pack Your Kitchen for a Move

The kitchen is one of the most frequented rooms in a house. The amount the kitchen is used and the abundance of items can make it extremely difficult to pack. Here are some top tips and tricks for preparing for your move by packing your kitchen efficiently.

Preparing the Kitchen for Packing

The kitchen is so difficult to pack because you use it so often. You will probably use the kitchen every day until your move. This makes preparing the kitchen for a move more complicated than an area like a guest bedroom. 

First, remove any kitchen items you don’t want to move, including old or expired spices, condiments, and foods. Discard chipped or broken items, then donate the others that you never use. 

The weeks leading up to a move are an excellent time to use old pantry items. Make a plan to use up your non-perishable items instead of buying groceries and creating more waste.

Bring in the Boxes

Boxes and packing paper are necessary for a kitchen move. A large kitchen will likely require 15 to 20 medium to large boxes, and a smaller kitchen will need 10 to 15. 

A lot of kitchen items are fragile, especially family heirlooms like china or crystal. Packing paper is thicker than newspaper and will protect these items of all shapes and sizes from damage.

Prepare an Essentials Box

One of the trickiest parts about packing the kitchen is that you need to use many items until moving day. So plan to keep a few essentials in your kitchen until moving day. 

These items on the “kitchen essentials” list include:

• One medium-sized pot and one medium-sized pan
• Spatula and large cooking spoon
• One cutlery set for each member of the household
• A plate or bowl for each person
• Coffee maker and mugs (if coffee drinkers)
• Cleaning products for washing dishes and cleaning

These items can generally fit in one large box. Set aside a moving carton for these items so that you can pack them quickly on your moving day. Label it as “Kitchen Essentials” and keep it handy as you will need it soon at your new home too.

Begin Packing

When packing, remember to place the heaviest items in the bottom of the moving carton and build them up in layers, placing the lighter items toward the top. Always label each box.

Plates and Bowls

Separately wrap each plate or bowl in packing paper. Use several sheets. Start in one corner and wrap the packing paper diagonally across the plate or bowl. Tuck in the overlapping edges as you go. Place several layers of crumpled packing paper on the bottom of the box. Don’t stack the dishes flat as this can cause them to break from the weight. Put the plates and bowls in the box on their edges. Separate the layers with crushed paper. 

Pots and Pans

Wrap your pots and pans in packing paper like your plates and bowls. Then place them in moving boxes with crumpled paper on the bottom. Next, put packing paper in between each pot and pan and separate layers with more crumpled paper.

Cutlery and Knives

You can easily pack flatware in the container in which you store it. The entire tray can be wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a box. Place larger utensils on top.

Wrap knives in packing paper and place them on their side. Clearly label any boxes with blades in them to make the unpacking process safer.

Appliances and Larger Items

Pack things like toasters and small appliances by individually wrapping them and placing them in cartons with crumpled paper on the bottom. Then fill in around the appliance with added crumbled paper so that it remains protected in the box.

Large appliances require special attention as you prepare for your move. Many large appliances have high-voltage connections or gas supplies. Talk to your professional mover to arrange for a technician to ready these appliances.

Moving Assistance

Professional movers can make your move dramatically easier, especially when packing and unpacking. Contact us to eliminate the stress of packing, unpacking, and all aspects of your next move.