Last updated on
The kitchen is often the centre point of any home, which means when it comes to moving house the kitchen is also the trickiest area to pack. However, with a little structure and preparation, it can be a relatively straightforward and stress-free process.
From knowing how to pack glasses to understanding what to do with that miscellaneous drawer of chargers, cables and adapters, here is everything you need to know about packing a kitchen when moving house.
What's Inside
Start Early
Although packing a kitchen should be left till last when moving house, it’s important to start preparations early in order to avoid a last-minute panicked rush. Begin organising your belongings 3-4 weeks before moving house working through each cabinet, drawer and cupboard to see what is there. It’s also great practice to create an inventory list of your belongings to know what you will be moving with you.
Supplies
During this time you can also start to gather your moving supplies. Skip the heartache of unpacking your favourite glasses and mugs only to hear the clang of broken ceramic knocking together inside, and invest in high-quality packing supplies.
You’ll want sturdy boxes (the heavy-duty kind – not those flimsy ones from the grocery store), plenty of packing paper, bubble wrap for your delicate items, strong packing tape (the cheap stuff always fails mid-move), bold markers for labelling, and plastic wrap to keep those pesky drawer items together. Whilst it may be more expensive now, investing in proper supplies will save you from replacing your grandmother’s cherished serving platter later.
Declutter
Now’s the time to really get stuck in! Decluttering is a key step to packing up any kitchen as it helps minimise the amount that you will need to sort through when it comes to actually packing.
The most efficient way to declutter your kitchen space is to go through everything and split the unwanted items into three piles – donate, sell and discard. This is the perfect way to get rid of all of those kitchen gadget purchases that no longer serve a purpose (like the juicing machine you swore you needed when on a health kick) or the drawer of mix-match charging cables, batteries and old phones that don’t work. If it hasn’t been used in a year, then it can probably go! This should make the load much lighter when it comes to actually packing.
Create an Essentials Box
There are always a few kitchen essentials that each person will feel as though they can’t go without – whether that’s coffee and vanilla syrup, a toasty maker, or your family’s favourite cereal.
Whatever your vice, organising an essentials box of must-have kitchen items to keep with you will mean that you’re not left short eating spaghetti with your fingers straight out of the pan on moving day. Some items to consider including in your essentials box are as follows:
- Plates and dishes
- Utensils
- Coffee maker
- Toaster
- Sponges and dish towels
- Soaps and cleaner
- Paper towels
- Some favourite snacks and dried food
Packing
This is often the toughest part of all – the actual packing. Unlike packing clothes and cushions, getting a kitchen pack correct takes a little more skill, particularly because there are so many fragile items to consider.
When packing your kitchen, it’s important to be strategic to avoid getting confused with what has gone where. Start with one section of your kitchen space and work your way around packing drawer by drawer or cupboard by cupboard.
When you start a new box, a crumpled stack of packing paper should always be placed at the bottom and top of that box to absorb the impact of the journey. However, different items within your kitchen should be packed slightly differently, for example:
Dishes: Stack plates with packing paper between each one. Wrap bundles in bubble wrap and place them vertically in boxes – they’re less likely to break this way.
Glasses: Wrap individually in packing paper and stuff hollow spaces with crumpled paper. Lay glasses and mugs on their side, keeping a snug fit with packing bubble wrap and packing paper to avoid breakage.
Pots and Pans: Nest smaller pots inside larger ones with paper between. Wrap lids separately and bundle them together.
Appliances: Use original boxes if available. Otherwise, wrap well in bubble wrap and pack in sturdy boxes with plenty of cushioning.
Pantry Items: Use small boxes for canned goods and heavy items. Pack unopened, non-perishable foods in sealed plastic containers.
For boxes being packed with heavy items make sure to continuously check how much strain the box is under to ensure nothing will fall through from excess weight. This is when the high-quality packing tape and other packing materials you bought will prove their worth.
Label Everything
Clear labels are the key to a successful kitchen move, as they will help cut down time and reduce the risk of potential damage so go big! Now is even the perfect time to let your creativity fly because the bolder the better.
Labels should include a one or two-word idea of what’s in the box e.g. ‘MUGS’, ‘UTENSILS’, ‘EXPENSIVE GLASSES’ and should also have an arrow indicating which way up the boxes should go. If you’re particularly meticulous, you can even colour code your boxes depending on the weight or fragility of the items inside (that way it’s clear what to put at the bottom when loading the boxes into the moving van.
Trust The Professionals
Of course, there’s one certain way to make sure that your kitchen can be packed and transported to its new home with complete ease and that’s through hiring expert local removalists. With professional equipment and expert knowledge, removalists will help wrap, pack and relocate your kitchen items efficiently and correctly, so that you don’t have to lift a finger!
Hiring professional removalists will not only save you the strain and time of having to pack your own kitchen space but their expertise means that you can rest assured that everything will arrive safely to your new home. That way you can focus on the exciting parts like decorating your new kitchen space.
