When you’re moving, rooms like the kitchen usually get packed last. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to wait until the last minute to get everything squared away. There are plenty of things in your kitchen that can be boxed up and ready to go early in the moving process. Follow these five steps from the best professional movers to make packing your kitchen a breeze.

1. Throw Stuff Out First

Author Marie Kondo suggests in her book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” that people have trouble keeping tidy in part due to keeping things they no longer want. She also suggests that the throwing-away stage come before anything else. The same applies to moving. Great Guys Moving Company encourages customers to toss perishable items as well as old cleaners, sponges, and glass jars. This not only cuts down on clutter, but helps avoid spoilage and broken glass in the process.

2. Pack These Before You Move Anything Else

Do you have a roasting pan? What about tons of cookbooks? Maybe pie pans? Or holiday cookie cutters and decorations? Any item like this that is out of season can be packed and long before you pack any everyday items, like cutlery, plates, or glasses. The rule this mover suggests is, if you don’t need it in the next week or month, it’s probably safe to go ahead and pack.

3. Knives, Cutlery, and Gadgets

Packing these items requires special care to ensure that no one is injured by a stray knife edge and that gadgets stay intact during the move. To make sure all of your knives, cutlery, and other kitchen gadgets arrive in mint condition without harming anyone:

• Knives: Put knives in a butcher block and tape them in by the handles. This will keep them from sliding out and slicing through boxes during transport.
• Utensils: Stash the utensils in the utensil holder. Put tape over each slot to keep the silver in place, and cover the drawer utensil holder with cardboard. Then tape the whole thing up or wrap it in a few layers of saran wrap. About.com encourages movers to pack up the utensils in in your essentials box, since that is the box you’ll use last in your old home and first in the new one. Another option for silver is to bundle it all together, and then secure the bundle with a rubber band. Pack these bundles in the silverware container or a shoebox. In the latter case, make sure the lid is fastened on with tape and that any voids in the box are stuffed with padding.
• Gadgets: Finally, gadgets like corkscrews, hand-held can openers, and other items like this can be folded into a piece of cardboard that you cut in half. Place the item inside and them fold the “top” over like you’re packing the item in a cardboard taco. Tape it shut on all sides. Label each item on the outside of the cardboard. Put these inside larger boxes with newspaper between the pieces.

 4. Large Appliances

If you have the original instruction manual from the manufacturer, this is a great starting point for properly packing up your major appliances. Also gather any of the original boxes you may have kept as these will be useful for protecting these expensive appliances.

• Refrigerator: First take any frozen items out of the freezer and allow them to thaw. Do this at least a day ahead of your move. Unplug the refrigerator. Be prepared for the water that will appear as it thaws. Make sure the racks are secure. Also if you have your waterline hooked up to the fridge for ice cubes, make sure that’s undone before you attempt the move.
• Washer & Dryer: Empty appliances like the washer and dryer and dishwasher. The drum of the dryer will have to be secured. Make sure the doors are closed tightly. Put the owner’s manual on top of the appliance or on the door and tape it down so you have it.

5. Breakables

Items like glasses, mugs, and plates can be broken pretty easily if not packed correctly, so you’ll want to take some special care when wrapping these. Make sure the boxes you use are heavy-duty since these items can get heavy. Use sweaters and t-shirts for extra padding between items. You have to pack these items anyway, and doing so saves you the expense of buying bubble wrap or newsprint.

• Plates and Bowls: Wrap each plate and bowl in newspaper before you stack it in boxes. Always pack plates standing up with plenty of padding in between to prevent breakage.
• Glasses and Mugs: Livability suggests wrapping these in individual sheets of packing paper, starting at a corner and rolling diagonally, tucking the edges into the empty void of the glass as you go. For wine glasses, use a similar approach, but make sure these get stacked in the box standing up to prevent the fragile stems from breaking and use lots of extra padding.

It’s that time of year again…join millions of other Americans who are boxing up their homes this summer and moving. While moving is a time of fresh beginnings, it can also bring about a lot of stress and frustration. The best way to decrease some of the stress is to stay as organized as possible. At some point during the moving process, your house will probably look like a tornado, but there are a few things that you can do to make things run as smooth as possible.

1. De-Clutter Ahead of Time

If there is time before you move, purging items will make moving easier. Less stuff is less stuff to move. Months before, plan to have multiple yard sales. You will get rid of unneeded items and make some extra cash to help with the move. Consider donating items that you are unable to get rid of during your yard sale and get a write off.

Given extra time, start to pack ahead of time. You can begin with out of season clothes and decorations. As the move comes closer, you can start to pack items that you can live without for a few weeks. Consider using vacuum seal bags that

2. Make a List and Check it Twice
   

Before you start the moving process, create or download a checklist of everything that needs done. Make sure you don’t forget things at your new house as well, like making sure the utilities are turned on before the moving truck arrives to unload. Putting the list on a clipboard will make it easy to check things off as they get done.

3. Pick a Color For Each Room

When packing begins, select a color of tape for each room. Duct tape comes in a huge variety of colors. Tape the box shut and label on each box a general idea of the contents. This makes unloading the truck very easy as you can direct the movers to put boxes in each room according to colors.

4. Make a First Day Essential Box

Once you are in the new home, the last thing you want to do is search for items that you need immediately. Don’t forget important needed items for your children such as nighttime loveys and pillows. Here are some typically needed items:

• Toilet paper
• Paper towels
• Garbage bags
• Disposable plates and utensils
• Phone chargers
• Cleaning supplies
• Sheets for each bed
• Bath towels

5. Pack Clothes in Garbage Bags

Instead of taking the clothes in the closet off the hangers, simply cover them with a garbage bag or put in hanging boxes. Once you reach the new home, rehanging clothes in their new space will be a breeze. Also, use cling wrap to cover dresser drawers instead of removing the clothes. Note, this will make furniture much heavier to lift, so Cheap Miami Movers suggests checking with your mover to make sure this is okay first.

6. Use Towels

Instead of packing all the towels separately, use them to pad fragile boxes, such as dishes. Place them in between dishes to stop them from breaking. Also, Ziploc bags are perfect for packing random items such as small toys, bathroom accessories and office supplies.

Moving can be a hard time for anyone. The best way to negate the stress is to stay as organized as possible. Keep your eye on the prize; your dream home awaits after a few tedious days or weeks.

Looking to make a move this summer? The busy time of year for moving companies is quickly approaching and if you want to work with the best movers that Texas has to offer, you need to book early. During the busy moving seasons (June, July, & August), a moving company’s schedule can fill up weeks in advance. It is not uncommon to have to schedule your movers more than one month in advance. As with most things related to moving, being prepared in advance is the key. The following list of moving companies should help you shorten your research time.

• American Relocation & Storage – amrelocation.com

Are you moving instruments? Valuable pieces of art? Appliances? It may not seem it at first, but all of these items require specialized packing and transportation to ensure their safe travel from Austin to their new home. At American Relocation, we are your one-stop-shop for all of your moving needs – no matter the size or scope of your relocation.  Each and every member of our moving team is trained and equipped to handle a variety of specialized moving services.  Look no further than our Austin’s specialized movers at American Relocation and Storage Systems.

• Einstein Moving Company – North Austin

Moving is a huge pain. It’s expensive, time-consuming, and stressful. You’ll have to pack up your entire life, say the heavy goodbyes to friends, transport all of your belongings, and then unpack everything again. All these considerations can take their toll on your mind, body, and finances. Fortunately, you don’t have to go through this alone. We, the experts from Einstein Moving Company, are more than happy to help. We’ve been taking care of the hassle of moving for Austinites and Texans for decades. Let us handle every step of the process for you- from packing and loading to unloading and unpacking. You take care of more personal matters. With our competitive prices and impeccable services, you’ll be guaranteed a smooth transition in no time.

• Wildcat Movers

Zane Ponsetti founded Wildcat Movers while attending Texas A&M University. He saw a need in the Bryan College Station community for a moving company that could provide quality professional moving services at affordable prices. Since 2007 we have maintained an exceptional reputation in Bryan College Station and have additionally expanded to serve other great locations in Texas.

Hiring a local Austin moving company can be a very expensive and stressful exercise. This can be a very difficult time in your life, when you already have a lot in your plate- packing up your things, sorting pending bills, etc. A good local moving company can make the transition process easy and smooth. However, […]