The kitchen is almost always the hardest room to pack. Too many shapes. Too many breakables. Not enough time.
If you're moving house and you're staring at a kitchen full of appliances, crockery, spice jars and the blender you've used twice, this guide is for you. We'll take you through exactly what to do, in what order, and how to make sure nothing arrives in pieces.
Moving day is not the time to discover you own four identical vegetable peelers.
Before you touch a single box, go through your kitchen properly. Bin anything past its use-by date. Donate gadgets you haven't switched on in a year. Pass on the pots and pans you replaced last Christmas.
According to a survey reported by Index Digital, 57% of Brits rank moving house as the most stressful life event they experience. Getting rid of things before you pack is one of the most straightforward ways to cut that stress down.
Fewer items means fewer boxes. Fewer boxes means a faster, cheaper move.
Don't leave this to the night before. Really.
Most kitchens in an average UK home need between 15 and 25 moving boxes, depending on how much you've accumulated. Bookamover's UK guide recommends starting the kitchen one to two weeks before moving day, working in two stages.
Week one: pack everything non-essential. Glassware you save for guests. Bakeware you only use at Christmas. Decorative pieces. Recipe books. Anything you could live without for a fortnight.
Week two: pack the daily items last. Plates, pans, mugs, cutlery and your kettle stay accessible until the final 24 hours. That way you can still make a cup of tea without digging through boxes.
Grab these before you open a single cupboard:
Don't scrimp on materials. A roll of packing paper costs a few pounds. A set of broken wine glasses costs considerably more.
Work from the least-used to the most-used. This is the rule professional packing crews live by.
Pack this first:
Pack this second:
Leave these until last:
This is where most people go wrong. Plates should never lie flat in a box. Stand them upright, like records in a crate. Wrap each one individually in packing paper and layer a sheet of bubble wrap at the base of the box before loading them in. The packing specialists at RemovalBoxes.co.uk explain that vertical packing reduces pressure fractures because the force of anything heavy placed on top passes across the edge of the plate rather than through its face.
For glasses, stuff the inside of each one with crumpled packing paper first. Then wrap the outside. Place them upside down in the box, never right-side up, and keep them in the top half of the box rather than the bottom.
Fill any gaps in the box with scrunched-up packing paper so nothing can shift in transit. If you shake the closed box and anything moves, there isn't enough padding yet.
Plenty of kitchen packing guides tell you to wrap your plates carefully and then jump straight to labelling. Appliances deserve their own section.
Your fridge needs at least 24 hours to defrost before it can be safely moved. If you move it while the compressor is still warm, you risk damaging the mechanism permanently. Empty it the day before, defrost it overnight, and clean the inside before it goes on the van.
Washing machines need the transit bolt fitted before they're moved. This is the drum brace that came with the machine when it was new. If you've lost it, your removals company or an appliance retailer can supply a replacement. Moving the machine without it can crack the drum.
For smaller appliances like microwaves, food processors and coffee machines, use the original boxes if you've kept them. If not, choose a box large enough to allow at least 5cm of padding on every side. Remove detachable parts and wrap them separately.
This one box could save your sanity.
Put together a clearly labelled box or bag that stays with you, not in the back of the van. Include the kettle, tea, coffee, mugs and a few teaspoons. Add a set of plates and cutlery, a roll of toilet paper, hand soap and a couple of towels. Throw in any phone chargers, medications, important documents and valuables.
When everything else is stacked in boxes and the rooms look unfamiliar, being able to make a cup of tea at your new place without unpacking 23 boxes is genuinely worth it.
This is the question most packing guides skip entirely. Let's answer it honestly.
Packing a kitchen yourself takes most people a full day, sometimes two, depending on the size of the kitchen and how organised you are. Bookamover's research found that professional packers can typically work three times faster than first-time movers. A job that takes you six hours might take an experienced crew two.
Just Removals London offers a full packing and unpacking service that takes care of everything: wardrobe cartons, bubble wrap, dish packs, tape and protective floor coverings are all included. The crew wrap and box every item carefully, load the van in the right order so nothing moves in transit, and place boxes in the correct rooms at the other end.
If you'd rather pack most of the house yourself and only get help with the fragile bits, a packers and movers service can handle the tricky items while you deal with the rest.
For larger house moves, our house removals service covers the full job from start to finish, with a fixed price that includes wrapping and floor coverings at no extra cost.
Need to move a smaller amount? A man and van service is ideal for one- or two-room moves where you've done most of the packing yourself and just need a reliable crew and a van.
And if your move-in date doesn't line up perfectly with your move-out date, secure storage means your boxes can stay safe until you're ready.
The kitchen takes longer than almost any other room to pack properly. Give it the time it deserves, pack in the right order, and get the fragile items done first. If you'd like some help on the day, or you'd rather hand the whole thing over to a trained crew, Just Removals London is happy to give you a free, no-obligation quote. Call us on 020 4525 2039 or get in touch here.
Real questions people ask before packing their kitchen for a move, answered plainly.
Start at least one to two weeks before your move date. In week one, pack non-essentials such as glassware, seasonal cookware and gadgets you rarely use. In week two, pack your everyday items like plates, pots and mugs, leaving the kettle and a few basics until the very last day.
You'll need small and medium double-walled boxes, dish pack boxes for crockery and glasses, packing paper (not newspaper), bubble wrap for fragile items, packing tape, a marker for labelling, and small zip-lock bags for cables and loose parts. Kitchens use more packing paper than most people expect, so buy more than you think you need.
For a small flat kitchen, allow half a day. For an average family kitchen in a 3 or 4 bedroom home, allow a full day or more if you're working alone. Professional packing crews typically work around three times faster, so a job that takes a homeowner all day might take an experienced team just two or three hours.
Pack plates vertically, standing upright like records, rather than flat. Wrap each plate individually in packing paper, line the base of the box with bubble wrap, and fill any gaps with scrunched paper so nothing shifts in transit. Keep boxes under 20kg and mark them clearly as fragile.
Set aside one OPEN FIRST box or bag for your essentials: the kettle, tea, coffee, mugs, a few plates, cutlery, toilet paper, hand soap, towels, phone chargers, medications and any important documents. Keep this with you rather than in the van.
It depends on your time, budget and the size of your kitchen. Packing yourself saves money but takes significantly longer and there's more risk of breakages if fragile items aren't packed correctly. Professional packers are trained, fast, and bring all the materials with them. For larger moves or if you're short on time, a professional packing service is often worth the investment.