Even before you start packing for a move, you need to prepare a room. This is especially true in the kitchen, home to a host of small items.
Organizing first, before diving into the packing for residential moving in Portland, can save you time. It means sorting everything in the kitchen, so you don’t pack and move unnecessary items. This will simplify both local and long-distance moving.
Get Ready to Organize Your Kitchen for a Move
The first step to organizing is sorting through your utensils, pans, cookware and dishware. Do you keep it? Throw it? Donate it? Sell it?
Whether to keep it or leave it is usually an easy decision for appliances, pots and pans and your tableware. For example, if your new home in has appliances, you don’t need the old ones
What about small containers? Spices are a good example. Many are expensive, and your collection probably took years to complete. Replacing your collection would cost a lot. It makes sense to pack them.
Another consideration is where you are moving. If your move is local, from one Portland neighborhood to another, there are lots of shops where you can buy replacements for kitchen items. But, if you’re moving to a small town on the Oregon coast, for example, buying new things could mean ordering online and paying hefty shipping costs.
Toss It? Sell It? Donate It?
How do you decide what to do with items you won’t be packing? Lay out all the things you are leaving. Ask friends and family members to choose what they want.
Is an item in bad shape? Trash it or recycle it. Thrift shops don’t want goods that they can’t sell.
Do you enjoy arranging garage sales? After friends and family do their selecting, organize a garage sale or sell items on Craigslist.
What Do You Do With Food?
Just before the move, ask neighbors if they want the food in your refrigerator and freezer. Even if you are relocating locally, it can take a significant investment of time and energy to pack up frozen, refrigerated and fresh food. If no one wants this food, throw it away.
You can donate nonperishable items in unopened containers. Master Movers is part of Move for Hunger, a program that gives to food banks. Pack food before we arrive at your home for an estimate. We’ll load the items in our truck and take it to the Oregon Food Bank.
What About Cleaning Supplies?
Most people collect a variety of cleaning supplies over time. Look under the sink in almost any kitchen to find opened containers that are years old. Because they aren’t sealed, they will spill if you try to pack them. Offer them to neighbors or dispose of them safely. Check with your garbage and recycling utility for instructions.
Have Questions About Moving in Portland?
After you finish organizing your home for a move, we’ll pack up everything in the house. Whether you’re relocating across town or to the other side of the country, we’re the Portland moving company you can trust.
Contact Master Movers for a free moving estimate.