A Guide for Preparing Your Kitchen for Moving Day

The kitchen is by all rights the heart of your home—meals and memories happen here. To make those meals and memories, you need plenty of items, food-related and otherwise. The kitchen is filled with a variety of gadgets, appliances, and glassware. There are many things to pack. From items inside the drawers and cupboards to stuff nestled on the countertops, they are all uniquely sized and shaped.

When it comes to relocating to a new home, tackling kitchen disassembly can be one of the project’s most challenging components.

Here’s a guide for preparing the heart of your home for your big move.

1. Collect your packing supplies.

You will need good sturdy moving boxes in several sizes, packing tape, packing paper, markers for labeling, and maybe even a few box dividers or specialty boxes for dishes and glassware to keep things organized. The general rule is to get more than you think you will need.

2. Cull the collection carefully.

Culling through your kitchen stuff can come as a challenge. You can have a nagging voice inside saying you need to keep everything because it could be useful. The cocktail maker, cheese tray, double broiler, fondue set—if you’ve not used items like this for several years, they probably won’t be worth packing. Likewise, take the time to pull out duplicates and multiples, such as utensils, dishes, or pans you never use, and donate them. Your new kitchen will be less cluttered without these items you aren’t using.

3. Create a few boxes labeled as “essential.”

Ideally, you will be packing your kitchen closer to your scheduled moving day, so you still have a functional place for meal prep. Once you do start packing, label a few medium-sized boxes as “essential.” These boxes will contain what you need to make it through in your kitchen until the day you leave and what you may need most once you get to the new place.

These might be the final boxes you tape shut. Set them aside and let the movers know to load those last or, if you have room, bring them with you in your car, so they are readily available at your new house.

Bonus tip: Plan your first meal at the new place ahead and drop everything in a “first meal essentials” box. For example, you could include a jar of pasta sauce, a package of noodles, a pan for cooking, and enough dishes and flatware for your family.

4. Sort items according to their use.

Depending on how you like to organize, you might sort your items into groups according to how something is used. If you are going to reconfigure your new kitchen, you might find this an effective packing strategy. Try something like the following usage groupings:

Entertaining dishes
Everyday dishes
Everyday cooking utensils
Canning or food processing equipment
Electric kitchen gadgets
Kitchen linens and cloth items
Flatware
Barware

Or, you might prefer to sort and pack items according to their placement. For example, you could label a box “cabinet #1” and place items you know will go in that particular cabinet.

5. Pack your food last.

Naturally, packing food from your pantry, cabinets, and elsewhere last is logical. As you pack, sort through, and check expiration dates, getting rid of what you shouldn’t bring. Some people opt to donate most of their dry groceries to make packing easier; groceries are easy enough to restock once you get settled in. Check with your mover to see what items they might not take.

Dispose of open containers, liquids, and half-used foods before moving day.

6. Prepare your appliances.

Your professional movers can handle the heavy lifting, but you as the homeowner need to ensure that your major appliances are prepared for safe transport before the movers arrive.

Some of your appliances, like your stove or dryer, might be connected to a gas line. These need to be disconnected and the gas line capped off by you or an appliance specialist.

Each of your large appliances has different requirements. Discuss these considerations with your professional mover so that you can make the necessary arrangements and be prepared on moving day.

Simplify Your Big Move With Big Help

From appliances to gadgets to utensils — your kitchen holds a lot. It makes for a great deal of packing. To simplify the work, reach out to professional movers for help.