Pro Tips for Packing Your Kitchen Before a Move

Moving is by far one of the most stressful situations people find themselves in over the course of a lifetime, let alone in a year like 2020! Most of us dread the thought of having to pack up all of our belongings and move into a new location. Sorting through personal belongings and packing can be daunting, unless you have a strategy of course. I’m a calculated individual and have a methodology for how my belongings are to be packed away, especially when it comes to my kitchen. All of this is fresh on my brain of course because I recently moved. Here are my pro tips for packing up your kitchen.

Pro Tip #1 Eat Everything in Your Fridge, Freezer, and Pantry

While it is easy to grab take out while moving, I highly recommend eating the food that is already in your fridge, freezer and pantry. Traveling with perishable foods is a hassle, and the less you have, the easier the transport to the new fridge. About two weeks before moving day, I started to make the food that was in my fridge and made very few trips to the grocery store except for items such as fresh veggies and eggs. This forced me to get creative with my meals and also helped me eat down the items I had on hand. In the process I came up with a few new ideas for dinner!

Pro Tip #2 Buy Packing Paper Instead of Using Newspaper

Save yourself the blackened fingertips and dirty dishes and invest in a roll of clean newsprint from a moving supply company. For $7 I had enough packing paper to wrap all of my dishes and drinkware plus all the other fragile items in my house with leftovers to spare! I passed it along to my roommate and he still had plenty to go around. Your belongings will be wrapped with consistent sized packing and will make your unpacking process clean and easy!.

Pro Tip #3 Use Several Smaller Boxes to Pack Dinnerware and Drinkware

Plates, glasses and coffee mugs can get heavy and fast. Save yourself from heaving a huge box of breakable items into the moving truck. Have a few smaller boxes for these kitchen items. This will eliminate the possibility of dropping the box due to weight and also limit the amount of breakable items in one box. Unpacking should be a breeze if you keep all of your plates, drinkware, and serving pieces separate.

Pro Tip#4 Pack Pots and Pans in Box with Cooking Utensils and Kitchen Towels

I’m all about spatial awareness and efficiency. Pots and pans are awkward in shape and leave lots of open space in a box just perfect for all of your spoons and spatulas. There is also space for soft, malleable items such as kitchen towels and oven mitts. These items do not weigh much and won’t add weight to an already hefty box.

Pro Tip #5 Unpack Your Kitchen FIRST Once in Your New Home

You read that right. Do not pass go or collect $200. Get your kitchen in order first before anything else. Why? For starters, if you have a kitchen ready for cooking, you’ll be more apt to make your own food instead of getting take out or drive through (but I know if you are reading my blog, drive through isn’t in your vocabulary anymore right?). Getting back into home cooking your meals will help decrease your stress and spending right away. Your first grocery shop will be a fresh start for purchasing whole foods and avoiding restocking on those old bad habit processed foods.

Hopefully these tips for moving your kitchen will come in handy in the future and lessen the stress that comes with moving!