Pack Your Kitchen Like the Pros for Your Next Move

When you’re packing for a residential move into a new home, there’s one particular room that tends to inspire a bit of dread — the kitchen.

Not only is this important room packed with lots of fragile, oddly-shaped, breakable, and various-sized objects, it’s hard to know what to pack and when. After all, you still want to be able to grab a snack or a glass of water, even as moving day approaches.

Packing up such a bustling, highly-trafficked room can feel intimidating. Fortunately, a bit of planning and organization simplifies the kitchen packing process. Read on to learn how to pack and move your kitchen like a pro.

Edit Your Items

Start the kitchen packing process well before moving day. Your first mission — to eat as much perishable food from the freezer, fridge, and pantry shelves as you can. This will both cut down on waste and optimize packing space.

Next, edit the non-edible contents of your cupboards and drawers. Separate the essentials that you’ll keep from the items you can donate, sell or give away.

Focus on duplicates or items you don’t use regularly; they’ll simply take up valuable space in your moving boxes. Do you really need three colanders? Can you get rid of that ice cream maker that you forgot you even owned? As a general rule, if you haven’t used something for over a year, get rid of it.

Gather Packing Materials

Your kitchen is filled with items of all sizes, shapes, and levels of fragileness — and that makes it hard to know what kind of packing materials you need to keep it secure.

Start by gathering the basics:

• Sturdy cardboard packing boxes in various sizes
• Packing and labeling tape
• Plastic and bubble wrap
• Newspaper or packing paper
• Appliances’ original boxes and packaging (if you still have them)

Plan Ahead

Make a list of the kitchen essentials that you need to get by until moving day. After all, you don’t want to pack up the whole kitchen too soon and get stuck eating take-out three times a day for any longer than necessary.

Think about which items each family member needs: a cup, plate, mug, and set of utensils. Then think about the cookware you may need to make simple meals. Usually, a couple of pans and bowls will do. Keep out a few cleaning supplies, too, such as dish soap and a sponge.

Finally, consider items such as a coffee maker, dish towels, napkins, and a few spices that you can’t live without. All of these items can go into a special “essentials” box on moving day. Bonus: they’ll be easy to find once you’re in your new kitchen.

Pack Smart

Kitchen items can get heavy quickly, making them difficult to move. Pack larger boxes with lightweight items such as plastic dishware, dish racks, small appliances, and light metal bakeware.

Use medium and small boxes for heavy items, such as pots, pans, cookbooks, utensils, and silverware. For breakable items, such as dishes and glassware, choose thick, heavy-duty boxes that add a layer of protection.

Wrap each fragile item in bubble wrap, place them in the box, then fill in the gaps with packing paper to keep breakables safe. Consider packing dishes vertically, rather than horizontally, whenever possible. This will prevent the delicate items on the bottom from getting crushed from the weight.

As for glasses and stemware, use cardboard separators (often found at liquor or wine stores), so each piece has its own separate compartment.

A Little Prep Goes a Long Way

Packing your kitchen doesn’t have to be stressful. With a bit of preparation, you’ll be packed and ready for moving day in no time.

If you need help with your household packing and moving, contact us. We can make your move simple.