Packing by Room: Kitchen

So it’s time to start packing up your kitchen, but you still have a few meals ahead of you before moving. Where do you start?

As with packing up any room in your home, you should ideally start planning a few days or weeks in advance so that you have a strategy in place ahead of time. To avoid a last-minute rush, here are some things to think about in advance:

• Start saving up newspapers or buy rolls of bubble wrap for all of your breakables. Are there special serving dishes or other items that you don’t use regularly? You can start wrapping these up well in advance if you know you won’t be using them before the move.
• Reuse original packaging. If you buy glassware and it comes in a box with individual compartments for each glass, save the box if you can. Using the same box for moving will save you loads of time compared to individually wrapping glasses in paper or bubble wrap.
• Check out the kitchen in your new home in advance. Does it have a similar layout as your current kitchen? Does it have more storage space or less? If the layout of the new place is similar, consider packing everything from one drawer/cupboard into the same box so that you can simply unpack it into the corresponding drawer/cupboard at the new place.

As moving day draws near, keep these tips in mind for a smart kitchen move:

• Avoid unnecessary repacking. If you have kitchen knives in a knife block, simply wrap the whole block with knives inside using bubble wrap or shrink wrap. The same goes for things like cutlery trays and spice racks.
• Use kitchen items as packing containers. Pack odd-shaped breakables in bubble wrap and place them inside cooking pots or plastic storage containers with the lids taped shut.
• Clean before you move. Setting up the kitchen in your new place will be so much more enjoyable if everything is clean, allowing you to move items directly from boxes onto shelves and into cupboards.
• Use a cooler for transporting perishables. If you are moving a short distance and will be able to get into your new place right away, use a large cooler with a bag of ice inside to transport the contents of your fridge. Be sure to check that the items are still cold when placing them in your new fridge. If you have any doubts, throw things out and replace them with new groceries – it’s better to err on the side of caution when it comes to food safety.
• Pack a box with the basics. To avoid a mad search, put a few essentials – a plate, cup and cutlery for each member of your household, and maybe a pot or frying pan – into a box for last-minute meals at your old place and the first few meals at your new place. Include a sponge, dish detergent and tea towel for your post-meal clean-up.

With cupboards full of odds and ends, your kitchen may be a daunting room to pack. However, with some advance planning and the packing tips above, you can have the kitchen all wrapped up and still have time for one last relaxing lunch before moving.