How to Pack a Kitchen for Moving House: Step-by-Step Guide

Pack a kitchen in stages: start with rarely used items, use small sturdy boxes for heavy crockery, wrap fragile items individually, prepare appliances according to their manufacturer instructions, and leave one clearly labelled essentials box until last. The aim is to keep the kitchen usable while making every box easy to identify and safe to handle.

1. Start with the things you use least

Begin with serving dishes, spare glasses, cookbooks, baking equipment and anything seasonal. Leave everyday mugs, plates, cutlery and the kettle until the final day or two. This keeps the room working while you pack around it.

Before filling boxes, clear out expired food and items you do not want to move. Kitchen boxes become heavy quickly, so use smaller boxes for tins, crockery and pans rather than filling one large box.

2. Pack glasses so they cannot move inside the box

Wrap glasses individually in clean packing paper and add extra protection around delicate stems. Use cushioning in the bottom of the box, keep the glasses separated, and fill empty spaces so they cannot knock together in transit.

Keep the box comfortably liftable and mark it clearly as fragile, with the destination room written on more than one side. Dividers can also help stop glasses touching each other.

3. Protect plates, bowls and crockery

Wrap plates and bowls individually, adding paper between pieces. Pack them snugly in a sturdy box with cushioning around the sides and base, then fill remaining gaps before sealing it. Do not leave room for crockery to slide around when the box is carried.

4. Nest pans and protect sharp utensils

Pots and pans can sit inside one another with paper or tea towels between them. Wrap lids separately and use soft kitchen items to fill harmless gaps without making the box too heavy.

Knives and other sharp utensils need their blades fully covered and secured so they cannot work loose. Label the bundle clearly rather than leaving a loose knife where someone may reach into a box without seeing it.

5. Prepare small appliances before boxing them

Empty and dry appliances that hold water, remove loose parts where practical, secure cables and pack removable glass or blades separately. Original packaging is useful when you still have it; otherwise use a sturdy box with enough protection to stop the appliance shifting.

6. Follow the manufacturer guidance for large appliances

Run down chilled and frozen food before moving day and allow enough time to empty, clean and, where required, defrost the appliance. Preparation and restart time can vary by model and by how it is transported, so follow the manufacturer instructions for your fridge or freezer rather than a single rule.

Washing machines and dishwashers should be emptied and drained before transport. If disconnection involves fixed plumbing, wiring or anything you are not confident handling safely, arrange suitable help in advance. Keep any manufacturer transit fittings or bolts if your appliance requires them.

7. Sort food and anything that can leak

Use up perishables where possible and move only food that is worth taking. Keep sealed dry goods together in manageable boxes. Bottles, sauces and other liquids should be closed securely and separated from crockery and dry food in case something leaks.

8. Pack a first-night kitchen essentials box

Keep one box separate for the first evening: kettle, mugs, tea or coffee, basic cutlery and crockery, a pan, bottle opener, washing-up liquid, cloths, tea towel, kitchen roll and bin bags. Add anything your household will need before the main kitchen is unpacked.

Mark this box clearly and keep it accessible rather than burying it among the main load.

9. Label kitchen boxes for the room and contents

Write both KITCHEN and a short contents description on each box. Add FRAGILE where appropriate. Clear labels make unloading simpler and mean you can find essentials without opening every box.

When it makes sense to use a packing service

Kitchens take time because so much of the room is fragile, heavy or awkward. If you would rather hand over some or all of the packing, our packing service is the next place to look. If you are packing the rest of the property yourself, continue with the room-by-room house packing guide.