The kitchen takes longer than any other room
A kitchen has more individual items, more fragile pieces and more odd shapes than any other room in the house, so it deserves the earliest start. Plan on several sessions rather than one long evening.
Begin with the things you will not miss: the stand mixer used twice a year, the holiday platters, the fondue set, the extra glassware. Each session that clears a cabinet makes the final days calmer.
Edit before you wrap anything
Every chipped mug and mismatched lid you pack is something you will also unpack and store. Kitchens are the easiest room to edit because so much of it is duplicate or broken.
Run down your pantry and freezer in the weeks before the move, and plan meals around what you already have. Opened spices, half bags of flour and condiments are rarely worth moving, especially across long distances or through summer heat, when a moving truck in the Southwest can get very hot inside.
- Duplicate utensils, spatulas and can openers
- Food storage containers without matching lids
- Appliances you have not used in a year
- Expired or nearly empty pantry items
- Promotional mugs and water bottles
Step by step
- Two to three weeks out
Pack specialty appliances, entertaining pieces and seasonal bakeware. Start eating down the pantry and freezer.
- One week out
Pack extra dishes and glasses, most cookware and cookbooks. Keep a few days' worth of everyday items.
- Two days out
Defrost and clean the freezer if it is moving. Pack remaining pantry items and cleaning supplies.
- Moving morning
Pack the last-day kit into a clearly marked open-first box and carry it in your own car.
Wrap by type so nothing breaks
How you wrap matters more than how much paper you use. A few simple rules prevent most breakage.
| Item | How to pack it | Box size |
|---|---|---|
| Plates | Wrap individually, stand on edge like records | Small or dish-pack |
| Glasses and stemware | Stuff and wrap each one, use cell dividers | Small with dividers |
| Knives | Blade guards or towel rolls, labeled sharp | Small, packed flat |
| Pots and pans | Nest with paper between, lids wrapped separately | Medium |
| Small appliances | Original box if you have it, cords taped to body | Medium |
| Pantry items | Seal openings, bag liquids, pack upright | Small |
Label by zone so unpacking goes quickly
A box labeled only kitchen is almost useless on the other end. Label each box with its zone, such as coffee station, baking, everyday dishes or under sink, so you can unpack the most important ones first.
Mark fragile boxes on the top and two sides, and number the boxes so you know when everything has arrived. Our guide to labeling moving boxes has a simple system that works for the whole house.
Getting packing help for the hardest room
Many people pack every other room themselves and hand off just the kitchen. Sorted Spaces packs room by room, keeping categories together and labeling every box clearly, and we bring the boxes, tape and wrapping paper needed for the job.
When it is time to settle in, we can unpack and set the kitchen up in working zones at your new home. See our packing services in Las Vegas and the companion kitchen unpacking guide.
