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You can find some of your most expensive possessions in the kitchen.
Your cooker, fridge, wine cooler, blender, oven, food processors and mixers, and coffee machines cost a lot individually.
Your porcelain dinnerware, cookware, bakeware, and wine glasses may be expensive, too, or family heirlooms.
Collectively, all these items can amount to thousands of dollars, putting them among your most valuable, expensive possessions.
Because of this reason, leaving some or all of your kitchen essentials behind when you move abroad can be a tough decision to make.
Even if you are embarking on a long-distance move, you don’t have to leave all your valuable kitchen items behind.
With the right preparation, packing tips, and the right household shifting services, you can safely bring your prized cooking, baking, and dining possessions with you when you move.
By doing so, you can save money on your kitchen needs and keep some of your ‘sentimental’ items, after your big move.
How to Prepare Your Kitchen for an Overseas Move
To ensure the safe transport of your prized kitchen possessions during your move, take note of the following tips:
1. Choose the Items You Want to Take with You
Although it is possible to bring all your kitchen items with you when you move, doing so won’t be a smart idea.
After all, you still have plenty of other things you need to take with you when you relocate.
Moreover, taking all your kitchen items when you move can cause your shipping bill to balloon out of proportion.
As such, before your move, choose the items you want to bring and cull out the ones you can leave behind.
A good rule of thumb to follow when sorting your possessions is getting rid of any item you haven’t used for the last six months.
Once you have chosen which items you can leave, you can decide which ones to sell, give away, and donate.
2. Prepare All Packing Essentials
Since many of your kitchen items are fragile and at risk of getting broken while in transit, you need to have plenty of good-quality packing materials to keep them protected at all times.
Your packing essentials should include:
- Heavy-duty boxes in various sizes with flaps that can be completely closed
- Packing paper
- Bubble wraps
- Packing tape
- Felt tip markers
- Plastic cling wraps
Use the plastic cling wraps to keep items stacked together and prevent them from shifting around.
Also, consider getting specialty dividers designed for packing and stacking fragile or oddly shaped items like wine and champagne glasses.
Try to get as many boxes and other packing essentials as your budget allows so you don’t need to go out when you run out of supplies.
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3. Pack Pots and Pans Carefully
Although pots and pans are made of tough materials, it doesn’t mean you should pack them haphazardly.
You still need to avoid the temptation of packing all of them into one large box.
Here are some tips and tricks for packing your pots and pans correctly:
- Use medium-sized boxes for your cookware.
- Create a barrier between each pot and pan using packing paper.
- Wrap all handles with packing paper tightly to ensure they are padded safely.
- Use packing paper or bubble wrap to cover glass pans and lids and roasting pans thoroughly and tape them securely in place.
- After filling each box, place packing paper or dish towels into gaps to prevent the items from shifting during transit.
- Make sure you write down what pots and pans are inside each box and how many they are when labeling the box.
4. Be Extra Careful in Packing Dishes and Glassware
If you already put a lot of effort into packing your expensive pots and pans, you have to work doubly hard when you get to your dishes and glassware.
This is because these items are more prone to breaking when they have bumped around.
Below are some helpful tips for packing your dishes and glassware:
- Consider getting dish and glassware pack kits, which come with specially designed boxes, dividers, and foam pouches.
- If you are using regular packing boxes, place one or two old blankets or a couple of layers of bubble wrap at the bottom for an extra layer of protection.
- Wrap each dish individually and pack these on their sides when placing them in the box.
- Place a piece of thin cardboard between every three dishes as an extra buffer.
- Fill all gaps with packing paper or dish towels.
When packing bowls, never place them in the same boxes as the dishes. Stack them upright and wrap each pile in plastic cling wrap.
Before putting the stacks of bowls in the box, place an old thick blanket or two layers of bubble wrap on the bottom for an additional layer of protection.
Once done, take note of the contents and label each box appropriately.
5. Use a Cell Box for Stemware
If your stemware is one of your most valuable and expensive possessions and you simply can’t leave them behind, the best way to ensure these are safe while in transit is to pack them in a cell box.
These specially designed boxes are part of cell kits that you can get from your moving company and hardware stores.
Make sure you use all the contents of this kit to protect your wine and champagne glasses. These include foam pouches and dividers.
Also, wrap all glasses carefully with bubble wrap or packing paper. Additionally, stuff crumpled paper inside each stemware.
Aside from labeling each box with its content, make sure to write ‘FRAGILE in big bold letters on them.
6. Provide Silverware and Knives with Additional Protection
Packing spoons, forks, and knives may not be as time-consuming as the other items, but you still need to devote a few hours to this task.
Use a rubber band to hold spoons, forks, and butter knives together. Next, put as many bundles as possible in a resealable bag for easy transport.
If you have the original boxes of your knives, use those to pack your cutlery. In case you didn’t keep those, wrap each knife separately in packing paper then in a dish towel or any small piece of cloth.
Next, secure a rubber band around each knife and wrap it tightly with plastic cling wrap.
You can then place all the cutlery inside one box or in another carton with other kitchen items that still have extra space. Remember to pack the knives lying down to avoid accidents.
Again, label the box properly before sealing it.
7. Prepare to Allot More Time Packing Your Small Kitchen Appliances
Having an oven, toaster, blender, and coffee maker in your new home will help make your transition faster and easier and help you save some money.
Because of this, spending the time to pack your small kitchen appliances for shipping will be worth it.
Use your appliances’ original boxes and packaging if you have those. If not, get medium-sized packing cartons for them.
Once you’re ready to pack, follow these tips:
- Ensure each device is clean and dry before wrapping it.
- Remove small, detachable parts.
- Wrap all fragile parts in bubble wrap and double-wrap them with packing paper.
- Put the larger parts of the device in the box first and stack the smaller, lighter pieces on top.
Kitchen items can be among the most challenging items to pack during your move.
If you don’t have the time to handle this task, work with a relocation partner that provides packing assistance and other services that can ensure the success of your long-distance move.
Author Bio:
Praful Gupta is the Business Head for Asset Mobility at Writer Relocations, India’s premier mobility services company that handles all types of moves: International & Domestic Relocations, Office Relocations, Commercial Move Management Services, Hospitality Logistics, Fine Arts Logistics, Orientation Services, and Storage Solutions. Headquartered in Mumbai, Writer Relocations has a presence in 7 countries and operates in more than 190 countries.
