2 weeks before: Pack the pantry first — non-perishables you won't need before move day. Canned goods, dry pasta, baking supplies. These are heavy; use small boxes (25 lbs max). Donate or eat anything that won't survive the move or that you're indifferent about.
3 days before: Small appliances (toaster, coffee grinder, stand mixer). Wrap in packing paper, pad with crumpled paper inside the box, and tape the cord to the appliance before wrapping. Pots and pans stack with paper between each; lids wrap separately and pack in the pot box.
2 days before: Dishes and glassware — the careful work. Plates go in dish-pack boxes on edge (vertical), never flat — vertical plates distribute impact without transferring it to the plate. Paper between each plate. Glassware gets individual paper wraps; stems get extra paper or small bubble-wrap tubes. Glasses in boxes with dividers if available.
Day before: What's left — cleaning supplies, spice rack (seal with tape or rubber band, pack in Ziploc bags), dish soap, miscellaneous drawer. The coffee maker goes last so it can run the next morning.
Never exceed 30 lbs for any box — kitchen weight accumulates fast. Cast iron (pans, Dutch ovens) goes in the smallest boxes you have. A single Dutch oven can be its own box. Liquids (oils, vinegars) go in Ziploc bags inside their box to contain leaks. Glass bottles get individual paper wraps even if the bottle is nearly full.
One coffee mug and the coffee maker. One plate, one glass, one set of utensils. The dish soap. These go in a "first day" box in your personal vehicle — the first box you unpack in the new kitchen.
If this sounds like a lot of work, it is — kitchen packing is the most time-intensive room in any home. Our packing crews handle it at $40/hour. Call (213) 676-9460.
A typical LA kitchen takes 3–5 hours to pack properly: 1 hour for dishes and glassware, 1 hour for pots and small appliances, 1 hour for pantry, and 30–60 minutes for the miscellaneous drawer, spice rack, and cleaning supplies. If you hire packers ($40/hour), a 2-person team typically finishes a kitchen in 1.5–2 hours.
Per kitchen: 10–15 medium boxes, 5–8 small boxes (for heavy items like cast iron), 2 large boxes (for pots), 2 dish-pack boxes (double-wall reinforced), 3–4 rolls of packing tape, 2–3 bundles of newsprint or packing paper, 2 rolls of bubble wrap (for glassware stems and appliances), and permanent markers.
Hazardous materials: propane canisters, certain cleaning chemicals, and anything flammable cannot legally go on a moving truck. Opened food that will expire during the move. Anything temperature-sensitive (oils, condiments, some wine) that can't handle 130°F+ truck temperatures. The best approach: eat down the pantry 2 weeks before moving.
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