Moving is a great time to sort your belongings and take with you what you know you want and/or need, and leave behind, sell or donate what you don’t. Here are few things to consider, strategize and act upon when packing up your kitchen.
Supplies – Boxes, wrapping, and tape
It’s likely your pots, pans and lids will all be moving with you and you didn’t keep the box they came in. That’s ok, how often can we repack the original packing? Make sure you have large boxes, medium boxes, and small boxes. Large boxes are only for lightweight items such as plastic shelving, utensils, and baking items. Medium boxes are for small appliances like toasters and blenders, pots and pans. Even a few cookbooks. The small boxes are ideal for dishes and other fragile items. The idea is to be able to pack our goods and lift the box while keeping it’s contents safe. This is where wrapping comes in. Bubble wrap is ideal for your stemware while newspaper or other wrap is safe for dishes.
Special Occasion and occasional items
These items are things like crystal and fine china. Vases, mixing bowls and extra towels. Serving plates, cookbooks, and baking supplies. These can be sorted and packed first since the likelihood of a house party where these items are needed is small.
Upper shelves and drawers
Do you have a junk drawer? Maybe that top shelf is a catch-all for those things you are sure what to do with? When cleaning out these areas, a good question to ask yourself is “how long has it been since I used this?” then decide if you really want to keep them or if it might be time to consider a minimalist lifestyle. If you haven’t used something for least six months to a year, don’t move it.
Priority packing
Priority packing means to pack the least used first and top off a box with the items you use often. This will help you to organize your new kitchen when you start to unpack. It’s also a good idea to write more than Kitchen on a box. Write kitchen, baking supplies. Or kitchen, pots, and pans. You will have a better idea of what is inside the box and where those items will go.
Essentials
Essentials are those items you will need to use the week leading up to your move and what you will want to have available the first week you are in your new home. You may not need all of your silverware and dishes or all of your pans, but you might enjoy having a few of each.