The kitchen is where most moving damage happens, because dishes and glassware get packed in a hurry. Done right, it is straightforward, and everything shows up whole. The two rules that matter most: wrap each piece, and pack plates on their edge, not flat.
What you'll need
- Sturdy small-to-medium boxes (dish barrels are ideal)
- Packing paper or bubble wrap (newspaper ink can smudge)
- Packing tape and a marker
- Extra paper or towels for cushioning
Packing plates and bowls
- Line the bottom of the box with a few inches of crushed paper.
- Wrap each plate individually, then stack three or four and wrap them together.
- Stand the bundles on their edge, like records in a crate, not stacked flat.
- Fill every gap with paper so nothing shifts, and add a paper layer on top.
Packing glasses and stemware
- Wrap each glass, and gently stuff paper inside tall or delicate ones.
- Place glasses upright, heaviest on the bottom, lightest on top.
- Use a box with cell dividers for stemware if you have one.
- Cushion between layers so glasses never touch each other.
Finish the box right
- Keep dish boxes on the heavier side but liftable, and do not leave empty gaps.
- Tape the bottom well, since these boxes carry weight.
- Label every box "FRAGILE - KITCHEN" and mark which side is up.
Common mistakes
- Stacking plates flat, which cracks them under pressure.
- Leaving air gaps so contents rattle and shift in transit.
- Making the box so heavy it fails or hurts someone's back.
- Skipping the fragile label, so it ends up under something heavy.
When to hire movers
A full kitchen of china, stemware, and specialty pieces takes time and the right materials. If you would rather not risk it, our packing and unpacking service handles the fragile items with proper boxes and dividers, and can unpack them at the new place too.
Estimated time
A typical kitchen takes two to four hours to pack well. Rushing it is exactly how things break, so give it real time or hand it off.
Local note: If your move is in the Santa Clarita summer heat, load the fragile boxes last and unload them first so they spend less time in a hot truck.