How to pack a kitchen for a house move

How do you pack a kitchen for a move?

Pack a kitchen from the least used items to the most used. Start with the back of the cupboards a week or two before you move. Finish with a small box of essentials on the last morning. Heavy items go in small boxes, and breakables are wrapped one by one.

Kitchens hold more small, awkward and fragile things than any other room. That is why they almost always take longer than people expect. Giving yourself several short sessions rather than one long evening makes the job much easier.

This guide covers how to pack a kitchen in a sensible order, plus appliances, food and labelling. For detailed wrapping of china and glass, our guide on how to pack fragile items goes further.

What packing materials do you need for a kitchen?

You will need small and medium double-walled boxes, plenty of plain packing paper, some bubble wrap, strong tape and a marker pen. Small boxes matter most, because crockery, tins and pans become heavy very quickly.

Cell dividers, the cardboard inserts used in wine boxes, are very handy for glasses and mugs. Tea towels and oven gloves make good padding for pans and baking trays. Avoid newspaper on anything you eat from unless you are happy to wash it all again.

Line the bottom of each box with crumpled paper before you start. Keep a box of supplies in the kitchen while you pack, so you are not hunting for tape in another room. Fill gaps as you go, so nothing can move when you gently shake the box. A box that rattles is a box that might break.

In what order should you pack kitchen cupboards?

Start two weeks or so before the move with things you rarely use. Think of the slow cooker, party glasses, cake tins, the fondue set and anything on the top shelf. This is also a good time to give away duplicates and gadgets you never use.

In the final week, pack most of the everyday crockery, cookbooks, spare utensils and decorative items. Keep back just enough plates, bowls, cutlery and mugs for each person, plus one or two pans.

On the last day or two, pack the remaining crockery and the toaster. Keep out only the kettle and the cleaning things you need for the final wipe down. Leave the essentials box until last.

How do you pack plates, glasses and pans?

Wrap each plate separately and stand plates on their edge in the box, like files in a drawer. They are much stronger that way than lying flat in a pile. Bowls can nest in small groups with paper between each one. Keep each box light enough to lift comfortably, even if that means it is only half full of crockery and topped up with tea towels.

Fill glasses and mugs loosely with scrunched paper, wrap them individually and stand them upright, ideally in cell dividers. Keep wine glasses and anything delicate in their own box, marked fragile on every side, and never at the bottom of a stack.

Pans can nest inside each other with paper between them. Wrap knives in several layers of paper or a tea towel and tape it closed. Mark the bundle clearly so nobody is caught by a blade. Put heavy cast iron in its own small box. Lids can travel separately, wrapped and slotted down the side of the box with a note saying which pan they belong to.

How do you prepare appliances, the fridge and the freezer?

Start running down the freezer a week or two before the move, so there is little left to throw away. Switch the fridge freezer off and defrost it at least a day before moving, with towels down to catch water. Clean and dry it fully, and leave the doors slightly open so it does not smell.

After the move, check your manufacturer's instructions before switching a fridge freezer back on. Many recommend leaving it upright for a few hours first. Tape the doors shut for the journey and remove loose shelves and drawers to pack separately.

Washing machines usually need transit bolts fitted before they are moved, so look for them in the manual. Gas cookers must be disconnected by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Unplug small appliances, clean them, and pack them in their original boxes if you still have them.

What should you do with food, the pantry and cleaning products?

Plan meals for the last couple of weeks around what is already in the cupboards and freezer. Open packets of flour, cereal and rice should be sealed with tape or tipped into lidded tubs. Tins and jars travel well, but pack them in small boxes because they are heavy.

We do not carry perishable food in the van, so use it up, give it away or take it with you in a cool bag. We also do not carry aerosols, chemicals or flammable liquids. Our guide to what removal companies won't move explains why.

Bottles of oil, vinegar and sauces should have their lids taped and be placed upright in a sealed bag, in case of leaks. Throw away anything nearly empty rather than moving it. Check use-by dates as you go, as a move is a good chance to clear out the back of the cupboard.

What should you keep out for the last night and first morning?

Pack one open-top box that travels with you rather than in the van. Include the kettle, mugs, tea, coffee, sugar and some long-life milk, plus a plate, bowl, cutlery and a mug for each person. Add washing-up liquid, a sponge, a tea towel, bin bags and kitchen roll.

A few easy snacks and breakfast items save a hunt through boxes on your first morning. If you have children, add their own cups and a favourite cereal, which helps the first breakfast feel normal. Pop in scissors or a box cutter for opening everything else, and phone chargers if there is space. Put the box in your car last, so it comes out first at the new home.

How should you label kitchen boxes?

Write kitchen and a short list of contents on the top and on at least one side of every box. Add fragile and this way up where needed. Numbering boxes and keeping a quick list on your phone helps you find the toaster or the good knives without opening everything.

If you would rather not pack the kitchen yourself, our packing service can do the kitchen alone or the whole home. Every box is wrapped properly and labelled by room, and packing is listed separately in your fixed written quote.