How to Pack a Kitchen for a House Move

The kitchen is the most challenging room to pack for a house move. It contains more fragile items, more awkward shapes and more specialist requirements than anywhere else in the home. Get it right and the rest of the move is manageable. Get it wrong and you replace plates, glassware and appliances.

Start with the right materials

For a kitchen you need more packing materials than you expect - double-walled boxes in small and medium sizes, generous quantities of bubble wrap and packing paper, and plenty of tape. Kitchen packing is not the place to cut corners on materials.

Plates - the professional method

Pack plates vertically like records in a box, never stacked flat. A vertical plate that shifts in transit will not break. A flat-stacked plate can crack under weight or vibration. Wrap each plate individually in packing paper before packing vertically in a small box. Fill any void at the top with scrunched paper.

Glasses and mugs

Fill the interior of each glass with scrunched tissue paper before wrapping in bubble wrap - this prevents the glass collapsing under lateral pressure. Pack upright with a thick paper base. Label clearly as FRAGILE - GLASS with an upward arrow.

Pots, pans and bakeware

Pots and pans can be nested but wrap each lid separately - loose lids clatter and chip rims. Heavy cast iron goes alone in small boxes. Non-stick pans get a sheet of packing paper between each surface to prevent scratching.

Small appliances

Use original boxes where kept. Otherwise wrap in bubble wrap with padding on all sides. Remove detachable parts, wrap separately and label. Tape cables neatly and label with the appliance name.

The fridge and freezer

Defrost at least 24 hours before moving day - a fridge that has not been defrosted leaks throughout the move. Clean the interior and transport upright. Leave to stand for four hours before switching on at the new property - the compressor oil needs to settle.

Food

Start using up frozen food two to three weeks before moving. Carry ambient food in your own car, not the removal van. Donate or dispose of perishables - do not leave food in a hot removal van.