Packing Your Kitchen for Moving
There are some parts of the house that seem like a breeze when you’re getting ready to move to a new location. These parts have a few items, few fragile things, and only a couple of unwieldy pieces of furniture. But what about those other rooms? You know, the nightmarish ones? Well, one of the worst rooms to pack and move during your whole moving experience is the kitchen. With so many fragile items, small and large pieces to pack, and the issue of transporting appliances, you’ll be looking up the best way of kitchen packing and moving as soon as possible. So we’re putting all the best tips and tricks that we have right here, in one guide for moving your kitchen from one home to another!
We’re going to go by categories/tips for packing items and give you an overview of the best materials to use and ways to pack these!
Remember: Pack an Essentials “Bag”
When you’re packing your home, you should get most of it done one to two weeks in advance so you’re not rushing at the last minute. But what about the things you need to live in your current home in the meantime? You can’t just pack up everything and live without plates, a fridge, or silverware for a week! Remember to keep out a box for your “essentials” – this includes enough plates, bowls, and silverware, etc. for one or two meals a day. That way, you can wash them and reuse them in the week after you’ve packed your kitchen. This also includes a few pots and pans – and also pack your non-perishable food items last!
Clean Out Ahead of Time
Don’t get rid of anything you might want at your new home – but also don’t hoard your ten hundred tupperware containers such that you 
hold onto all the ones with warps, stains, and missing lids. Things that you don’t want or think it’s time to replace? Stick those in a bag or box that’s clearly labeled for donations! It’ll save you time and space, and you’ll have a fresh start at your new home.
This also applies to the crud that’s stuck in the back of the fridge. Use as much of your leftover and remaining perishable food items as you can, and then you should toss or give away the leftover mayonnaise, pickles, and jams that you won’t want to bother transporting. Trust us when we say that setting up your fridge in it’s new spot will not be your top priority.
However, you can keep dry goods, unopened bottles, and boxes of good, non-perishable snacks since they will keep. Wine bottles, unopened jars, etc. will journey well with a double layer of packing paper or bubble wrap and brought over in a clearly-labeled medium sized box. Lighter items and small items that are less fragile can fit as padding in other boxes.
Keep Organized!
We say this every time we can, and it’s definitely some of the best advice possible: don’t mix and match! Stay organized! You’ll hate rummaging through every single box just to find three napkins. Find a way to sort your items and then label the boxes clearly. For silverware, put all your forks, spoons, knives, and other match-able silver together into groups and then wrap them or tie them together. Make sure to also wrap them in paper packing or other packing materials so they won’t damage anything else in the box. This way they won’t damage anything and won’t be a pain to sort! This goes for dinnerware and pans, too.
Dinnerware, Pots, and Pans
For these items, you’ll need separate boxes that will be good for stacking plates and bowls on top of each other and for stacking pots and pans together. Make sure to place plenty of packing into the bottom of the box beforehand, and then wrap glass tops and plates in thin packing paper, extra t-shirts, or bubble wrap. Add extra layers of material as you stack dishes and fragile tops, and properly secure them in the box. For pots and tops, you can put them in the same box as long as you wrap glass tops well.
Appliances
You should prep and complete the packing of large appliances, small appliances, and heavier items at least a day in advance. Even before you get your packing started, you should look for the original boxes and the owner’s manual for each item. This way, when you’re packing, you can check out the best ways to disassemble if needs be and tape the owner’s manual to the appliance so you don’t lose them.
If you don’t have the original boxes, don’t worry. A medium or large box should work as well. Make sure the fragile or glass items within items (like a microwave plate) are wrapped and packed securely where they won’t break. This may mean you need an “appliance extras” box!
Hire a Moving Company
Sometimes, parts of this process are easy to do on your own, like packing dishes. But if there’s something you’re confused or concerned about packing (or it’s just too darn big!), don’t be afraid to call a licensed, trusted moving company. They’re used to moving and packing things like fridges or cabinets full of glassware. A trusted moving company can make a world of difference when packing and moving rooms like kitchens!
