Packing Your Kitchen Before a Big Move

Moving is one of the most stressful (though usually positive) experiences to live through. That’s especially true when you like to remain in control and do a lot of the work yourself. Getting and maintaining organisation is the only way to get through it without losing your mind.

While many rooms in your home will be fairly straightforward, packing your kitchen is always a bit of a terror unless you walk through it step-by-step and follow this (relatively) simple guide.

At Least a Month Before Your Move

Moving food and pantry items is usually a waste of time and money. Obvious exceptions are full bottles of liquor, expensive aged oils and vinegar, and the like. At least one month before you move, start whittling down your pantry and food stores. Try only to top up your fresh goods until you move. If you do have canned goods or other non-perishables that you’ve changed your mind about, remember there are plenty of local food banks and charities that can use your support.

It’s a god idea to grab a couple of boxes early on to fill with items for donation. Truly, you don’t need all those old takeaway plastic containers, and you know it. In the month before you move, keep a box open in your kitchen so you can toss in anything you know you won’t use in your new home.

Get Organised Early

The sooner you get started on your kitchen, the less daunting it will feel. Begin by gathering your supplies. Unless you are a foodie with an extreme amount of kitchen goods or a minimalist, your family of four is likely to need:

  • 5x large boxes for lightweight, but larger This might include baking trays, dish racks, and small appliances.
  • 10x medium boxes for heavier items. This includes pots and pans, cutlery, cooking utensils, and cookbooks.
  • 5x heavy duty boxes for breakables including plates, glasses, and your liquor bottles.
  • Plenty of newspapers and bubble wrap. You may also want a few rolls of paper towels to protect your items from newsprint stains (unless you buy unprinted paper for packing).
  • Packing tape, scissors, and Koki

You will also need those donation boxes and one box to pack your essentials.

Begin Packing Rarely Used Items

Working through your cupboards and drawers one at a time. Begin packing away the items you rarely use, such as serving dishes, special cooking appliances, vases, small appliances, cookbooks, ornaments and décor items.

While you pack, don’t consider the cupboards you have items stored in now. Think about where and how you will store these items in your new home. That could mean that you have a couple of boxes you’re working with now, but it will save you an incredible amount of trouble on the other side.

The Last Steps of Kitchen Packing

After you’ve packed all the items you infrequently use , move on to the items you can’t live for long without. Those are plates, glasses, mugs, cutlery, and the like. Keep only what you need for your family to use in a day and pack the rest away.

Pack your pantry items and then prepare your appliances for moving. That means emptying them, defrosting freezers, wrapping cords, and sealing them shut for moving. If your devices require additional preparation, you will often find those instructions on the instruction booklets that came with them.

Finally, create that essentials box. This should include everything you need for the first few days in your new home. That’s plates, cutlery, coffee mugs (and coffee), glasses, and a few other necessities (such as the kettle to make that coffee). You’ll also want to pack sponges, dish towels, and dishwashing liquid.

As you work, create a small inventory of items, whether you place this list in each box as you seal it or you keep all the records as a central inventory (we recommend the latter) is up to you. But, you should number each box as you work. Just work in reverse as you unpack.

If all of this seems like too much work, don’t forget that we offer packing services. It can save you a lot of time… and a lot of stress.