Packing up the kitchen during a move comes with unique challenges like fragile dishes, bulky appliances, and lots of small items that are easy to lose track of.
The act of moving to a new home can be exciting, but also stressful. As you prepare to transport your life from one location to another, deciding what to pack and how to pack it tops the list of worries for many people.
However, if you ask most folks who have gone through the moving process multiple times, many agree that packing up the kitchen ends up being the biggest headache. So, if you want a moving company in Canada for moving your house, first research them.
Why is the Kitchen the Hardest Room to Pack for a Move?
Compared to bedrooms, home offices, and living spaces that predominantly contain clothing and simple furniture, kitchens present some unique challenges that make them the most difficult room in a home to pack up:
- Lots of breakable items – From delicate china and glassware to ceramics and other dishware, kitchens contain lots of fragile items that require special care and attention when packing to prevent cracks and breaks. This slows down the packing process.
- Bulky appliances – From heavy refrigerators and stoves to cumbersome microwave and toaster ovens, kitchen appliances take up a lot of space and can be difficult to disassemble, move, and eventually reassemble later. This complicates logistics.
- Plumbing and electrical connections – Sinks, garbage disposals, water lines, gas hook-ups for stoves – kitchens have lots of essential connections that need proper handling to prevent damage or safety issues. Improper disconnecting can cause headaches later.
- Abundance of small goods – From spices and condiments to utensils and cookware, kitchens harbor a ton of tiny items that are easy to lose track of when packing in a hurry. Missing stuff later leads to frustration.
- Lots of cabinet and drawer space – The many cabinets, drawers, and pantries around kitchens offer loads of packing real estate, but also make it easier for items to get lost in the shuffle. More spots to search increases the odds of leaving something behind.
My own recent experience moving our family of five across town taught me first-hand how troublesome packing up the kitchen can be.
Between worrying about getting boxes for all the plates and glass items, wrestling the unwieldy refrigerator onto the truck, and ultimately leaving behind some cooking utensils that got buried behind cabinets, it was by far the most stressful part of the packing process. If only we’d labeled those moving boxes better!
Tips for Streamlining Kitchen Packing
While packing up the kitchen for a move will likely always be laborious compared to other rooms, utilizing some of these tips can help streamline the process:
- Start early – Begin packing up non-essential kitchen items several weeks in advance. This spreads out the work and gives more time to organize. Also lets you use up existing food so less gets wasted.
- Label everything – Clear labels on moving boxes and kitchen items will make it much simpler to keep track of things and unpack later. Color coding labels by cabinet area can also help.
- Protect breakables – Wrap fragile glasses, plates, bowls, vases etc with newspaper or bubble wrap secured with tape. Preventing damage saves money and headaches.
- List key connections – Note what connections are required for appliances, sinks, and other fixtures so these can be smoothly reassembled later. Having the list visible ensures things get hooked up properly.
- Photograph jam-packed spaces – Take photos of the insides of packed cabinets, drawers, and pantries to memorialize what got packed where. Images make reloading easier during unpacking.
- Double-check corners and crevices – Scan any nooks, corners, and hidden spaces twice before leaving your old kitchen to ensure important items don’t get left behind. Failing to check thoroughly often leads to lost personal items.
Have a Strategy and Start Early
As experienced movers will agree, the kitchen requires ample planning and preparation to tackle effectively when relocating a household.
Starting the packing process early, protecting fragile items properly, labeling things clearly, and visually recording what got loaded where can all assist with making this challenging room less stressful.
What tactics have you utilized to smooth out the kitchen packing hurdle during past moves? Please share any tips not mentioned here!
