Kitchen pack + Unpack
Let’s talk about packing and unpacking your kitchen space ahead of your next move.
The kitchen is often described as the heart of the home, but more often than not, it’s one of the least thought‑out or planned‑out spaces when it comes to unpacking.
Moving day is BUSY, TAXING and a LOGISTICAL HEAD‑SCRATCHER. By the time all the boxes are piled up and the furniture has been moved in, the dreaded unpacking begins. Typically, your tank is empty and you’re over it. Family members pitch in and items begin to get thrown into random cupboards and drawers with the desire to get everything out of the way so breaky can be made the next morning, and suddenly the phrase “we can sort it out later” becomes the motto of the new house.
Not how you envisioned it, right?
Here are my top tips to help avoid this for your next move…
Before you pack (even weeks before), start decluttering and editing your kitchen. Even if this looks like a drawer a day or a cupboard a week, don’t pack and move items you are NOT using! This includes unused appliances (yes, that bread maker you’ve sworn you’ll use for the last 5 years), mismatched Tupperware, glasses at the back of the cupboard that never get used, broken or chipped serveware, ALL EXPIRED food items and more. It will amaze you, once you set aside the time to edit, how much stuff we hide in those cupboards that is simply wasting space.
The junk drawer has to go. You cannot tip that drawer into another box and then tip it into a new drawer at the other end. Clear out all the old manuals, cords, inkless pens, old batteries and more. Categorise and contain what you have left. This might look like: batteries, tape, scissors, current cords, household handy tools (allen keys, screwdriver etc.) and place these in labelled clear containers to store in a top cupboard at the other end. This helps avoid another junk drawer and keeps things organised.
Buy a clear file for your current manuals that you are taking with you, and one for any chattels staying with the house. Organise your warranties and manuals into these and store them with household documentation.
Pack in categories. Rather than just throwing things into a box as you come across them, lay out multiple packing boxes and start packing them in categories as you pull things out. For example: casserole dishes, pots and pans, ovenware, baking trays and cake tins, under‑sink zone, serveware, cups and mugs, baking utensils, cooking utensils, pantry items, oils and sauces, spices.
Wrap all glassware and serveware.
Contain cutlery and utensils in easy‑to‑transfer storage solutions such as separate containers, or even wrap them into categories in newspaper.
Label EVERYTHING! State on each box which room it came from and where you want it to go in the new house. Sub‑categorise your labelling. E.g. Kitchen, Cookware, Pots + Pans + Casserole Dishes, Next to Oven and Cooktop.
Ok, so you made it to unpack day, and if you’ve done the above, things will feel slightly less overwhelming with the knowledge that you are unpacking items you regularly use, food within expiry date, and BONUS: all the boxes are already categorised.
Think about where everything will go in relation to how you function in your kitchen space…
Food = pantry, cookware = next to oven, serveware = close to dishwasher for easy put‑away and an open surface for ease when dishing up, utensils = next to cooktop and cookware, spices = next to oven, bakeware = on the other side of the oven, baking utensils = by bakeware, cutlery = above serveware, Tupperware + drink bottles = contained together, mugs = close to the jug etc. You get the idea - it needs to flow, things need to be in categories, and it has to work for how you use your space.
Add in any storage solutions that help keep items contained and stored with ease.
Take into consideration the heights and accessibility of the storage in your kitchen. Place things up high that you use but not every day - think large platters, seasonal serveware or large pots. Store items low that you use every day.
When thinking about your pantry or scullery, think along the same lines. Snacks at an easy‑to‑reach area (unless you prefer to keep some away from little hands). If you cook more than you bake, then have these food items within arm’s reach and ideally decanted. Keep a back stock up the top for any double‑up items and categorise your shelves with baskets and jars. For example: one shelf for all baking supplies, one for cooking supplies, one for snacks (crackers, chips, snack bars, general snacks), breakfast zone and more.
You’ve done it! Hopefully, with the prep work and the plan, you’ve managed to unpack your kitchen with ease. Now try it out - set a time frame for your space and trial it for one week. Then pause, rethink and move things that aren’t quite working for you. Things can always change. Maybe the chopping boards don’t fit in the cupboard you hoped, that’s ok. Where else can they go so they are accessible but work for you? Maybe closer to the knives so everything is within reach for food prep. The more you work on your new space, the more you will love working in it.
