A well-stocked kitchen is like a double-edged knife. It’s the perfect playground for home cooks and pro chefs alike, and it’s also the room most likely to give you nightmares when you’re packing up to move house. Are you currently dreading the thought of getting started, perhaps even glancing from your phone or computer to the full cabinets and drawers in front of you? Or, are you just about ready to get to work, but could use some professional advice? We’ve got you covered either way! Read on to learn how you can conquer your kitchen and make the acts of packing and unpacking a breeze.

Packing Your Kitchen

If you’ve built up a sizeable collection of kitchen tools, silverware, dishes, and trinkets over the years, it can be hard to figure out where to begin and how to make the best use of your time. We recommend:

Determining What You Really Need to Keep

Before you pack a single item, make sure you actually need it. Notice that we didn’t say “want it”—a tool you’ve used maybe once in the last few years, if ever, is a prime candidate to be sold or given away. And, of course, any food items that are past their expiration dates can go. It may be difficult to talk yourself into parting ways with some of your items but, as you go on, you may find it easier to cull the collection. Keep in mind that the more you get rid of, the fewer items you’ll have to worry about packing and unpacking.

Separating Essentials From Packable Items

Next, you should figure out what the last things you’ll pack will be. This includes:

• Food you’re going to eat
• Cooking utensils you’ll need to prepare that food
• Cleaning supplies you use on a regular basis

Separate all of these items until you’re finished packing everything else. Then, on or just before moving day, you’ll have an easy time packing the remaining essentials.

Preparing to Pack More Than You Think

There really isn’t a rule of thumb for how many boxes and packing supplies you should have ready to go. It all depends on how much you have to pack. So, while you’re free to come up with a rough estimate based on your own assessment of your kitchen, you can’t go wrong purchasing or asking others for more supplies than you think you’ll need. You’ll likely end up using it!

Organizing Your Items

We recommend grouping together similar items—pots and pans in a medium box, glasses and stemware in a box with dividers, plates and bowls wrapped and stacked for protection, silverware and utensils wrapped up and packed together, and so on. If you’ve saved the boxes from your appliances, they’ll be perfect for the move; if not, use the smallest boxes you can find for them and tape shut any doors the appliances may have.

Unpacking Your Kitchen

After the move is completed, the kitchen is likely one of the first rooms you’ll unpack. Here’s how you can approach this task:

Start With the Essentials

You ended your packing for the move with the kitchen essentials, and now that you’re setting up your new home, there’s no better place to begin than with the essentials. Plus, if you need a break from unpacking and have to cook, you’ll at least already have everything you need taken out and ready to use.

Food First

Perishable foods should be among the first things you unpack and put away. After that, it’s not a bad time to fill up your pantry and fridge. You’ll be glad to see those areas full of your food as you unpack over a period of days, weeks, or even a month (we won’t judge—we’ve all been there).

Take the Path of Least Resistance

When you’re filling up your new cabinets, cupboards, and drawers, start with the items you’re most likely to use sooner than later. This includes silverware, plates, bowls, cups, and the like. Afterward, you can begin unpacking appliances and other bigger, space-consuming items.

Need Help With Your Move?

Now that you know some of the best ways to approach packing and unpacking the kitchen, do you know who’s going to move your stuff? If not, give Bulldog Movers a try! We’re known for keeping metro Atlanta, Georgia moving since 1982 and can handle all kinds of residential moves—whether you’re moving 20 minutes away or 20-plus hours away. Contact us to learn more.