Your kitchen is one of the main hubs of life and activity in your home. Some even say it’s the most important room in the house. More than just a place to prepare food, the kitchen is where families gather around shared meals to discuss their day. Modern kitchens are more dynamic, fluid, stylish, and integrated into the overall look and feel of the home than ever before.
Unfortunately, the kitchen is possibly the hardest room to pack when moving house. From pots and pans to utensils and long-life foods, it’s full of useful items of various shapes and sizes that you know you’ll need at your new place yet that are notoriously difficult to manage. If you’re wondering how to pack your kitchen for moving and having trouble figuring out where to begin, Ready Movers can help.
Whether you’re relocating locally, interstate or just down the street, Ready Movers has the expertise and the techniques to take the stress out of packing kitchen appliances for moving. Our team can have you set up in your new home cooking with ease before you know it.
Packing Supplies You Will Need to Pack a Kitchen to Move House
When it comes to packing a kitchen for moving, the right supplies make a world of difference. You’ll need the right amount of protective materials to handle small items, breakable items, and other difficult-to-manage bits and pieces. The following supplies are important for packing kitchen appliances for moving:
Boxes
A mixed selection of small, medium, and large boxes is best. Large boxes are perfect for light, unusually shaped items like plastic storage containers and other small appliances. Medium boxes are ideal for heavier items like dishes and cookbooks, while heavy-duty boxes are best for breakable items like glassware.
Packing paper
Newspapers and other forms of packing paper are used to wrap fragile items during storage and moving to prevent them from breaking.
Bubble wrap
Bubble wrap is more expensive than packing paper, so it’s best to use it sparingly. However, it offers an exceptionally high level of protection for especially delicate items.
Wine sleeve inserts
Wine sleeve inserts protect fragile bottles, preventing breakage during transit. They cushion them against shocks and impacts and also prevent movement, minimising the risk of breakage.
Packing tape
High-quality packing tape is essential, so consider purchasing it in bulk so you have more than enough on hand.
Markers
Markers are essential for labelling boxes so you know where to find things at the other end and for letting your removalists know when a box contains fragile goods.
How to Pack a Kitchen When Moving House
Packing up your kitchen can feel like going on a discovery dig. In each drawer and cabinet, you’ll find items that you haven’t used in a while, as well as ones you typically use every day. Where do you begin? Start by packing the least-used items before moving on to the most used, as you’ll still need your favourite items in your day-to-day life over the moving process.
Some further kitchen hacks you can use: toss your opened and expired foods, declutter as you pack, place heavy or less-frequently used items on the bottom of the box and pack up your kitchenware by section instead of by category.
Two particularly challenging categories of kitchenware are sharp and fragile items. This is how to handle the more difficult items to pack.
Fragile Items
Packing delicate kitchenware is much the same as packing up any kind of fragile or breakable items. Make sure you invest in strong boxes and moving items rather than cutting costs using the cheaper option. If you want to keep your kitchenware safe, you need a box that won’t buckle under pressure. Use packing paper or bubble wrap to create a solid foundation at the bottom of each box, wrap each item individually in bubble wrap, carefully fill the box to the top and clearly label each box by marking it ‘fragile’.
Sharp Items
Safety is always a priority, and throwing some knives into a box and hoping for the best is a recipe for disaster. How do you pack your kitchen knives for moving? Fortunately, it’s not too complicated.
For one method, all you need is packing paper, kitchen towels, some tape and a marker. Cut the packing paper into long, wide strips that will cover the blade of each knife while leaving a couple of extra inches. Once you’ve covered one blade, lay another knife down and fold the paper-coated first knife over the top of the second one. Continue one by one until you have a bundle of folded knives, which you can then secure with tape. Tape the side with paper and then fold down and tape the top, creating a snug “pocket” to stop your knives from slipping out. Make as many bundles as you need.
Packing and Moving Kitchen Appliances
From microwaves to freestanding ovens, coffee machines to drink and ice makers, there are probably some kitchen appliances that you use on a daily or weekly basis. Steps you can take in order to pack and move these items with care include
Use original packaging
Most of the time, the best and most secure boxes for your items are the ones that they were sold in. The original boxes will be the right size and have padding in exactly the right areas.
Consult the instruction manual
This usually includes tips on the best way to pack the appliance, and you can pack it with the appliance for easy transportation. Keep the packing materials listed above on hand for any appliances if you don’t still have the original packaging.
Securely clean and wrap appliances individually
Make sure you wash and thoroughly dry every item at least 24 hours before you plan to pack it away. Check that any appliances that contain water, such as kettles and coffee machines, are completely drained before you pack them. Pack kitchen appliances securely in wrapping paper or bubble wrap.
Accurately label boxes
Your appliances should be accurately labelled, just like the rest of your kitchen stuff. Label each box with the name of the appliance inside to make it easy to find at the other end.
Stress-Free Packing and Moving Services at Ready Movers
There’s a lot of stress and mental energy involved with packing and moving house. It’s a massive job, and the kitchen is only one part. Luckily, Ready Movers has home removalist services available to take the stress out of moves of all kinds, whether you’re relocating to a different suburb or interstate.
With two men and a fully equipped truck available to handle every move, Ready Movers can pack up everything from a single room to an entire house, with each move designed to suit your individual needs.
Packing is one of the biggest hassles involved in moving, especially if you’re short on time. Ready Movers has packing services that can speed up the process and spare you from the excessive workload of trying to do it all yourself. We can pack and unpack a single room or an entire house, assemble and disassemble furniture, and supply packing materials for you to work with.
If you have a big move coming up and you’re eager to make the process easier, contact the Ready Movers team for a free quote.