So you're moving, huh? Congratulations! While moving itself is stressful, the prospects of a new place are usually always exciting. It's a fresh start - a chance to reorganize and redecorate! But where do you start?
So you're moving, huh? Congratulations! While moving itself is stressful, the prospects of a new place are usually always exciting. It's a fresh start - a chance to reorganize and redecorate! But where do you start?
I'll tell you: You start before you move in - especially in the kitchen. Here are five things to take care of before you unpack that first kitchen box.
1. If you want to paint, paint now: If you know you want to paint the kitchen, it's best to do it before you get settled into your new-kitchen-new-cooking grove. Even better? Hire someone to paint for you. Painting is so time-consuming, and a really good job makes all the difference. So save yourself the headache, and consider it a good investment in your new kitchen!
2. Deep-clean the cabinets, drawers, and refrigerator: You know when you don't want to have to clean your new kitchen? Right when you're ready to unpack the dozen or so kitchen boxes stacked up in the middle of the room. Get the cleaning done ahead of time so you can jump in and get things set up the way you want.
Doing the cleaning ahead of time also ensures you give your kitchen the deep cleaning it deserves. You're more likely to skimp and settle for a quick wipe-down when you're anxious to get everything put away, but unless you know exactly what's been in those cabinets before, you'd be wise to take your time and scrub everything thoroughly!
3. Check that all the appliances and outlets work: If they don't, contact the landlord or hire an electrician immediately to make repairs. It's easier for them to pull out appliances or dig into the wiring when they don't have to maneuver around boxes. And you don't want to discover that the fridge is broken at 11 p.m. after a long, stressful day of moving.
4. Measure cabinets and drawers for organizers: Take the opportunity while your cabinets are still empty to measure the interior space for shelf and drawer organizers. You may discover you finally have a cabinet roomy enough for that pull-out drawer you've been lugging around (as I did), or that you'll need to get a wire shelf or two for the cabinet by the dishwasher to really fit all your plates and bowls.
5. Plan out where things will go: The final thing to do before you officially move into your kitchen is to think about where everything will go. Take a look at your kitchen and divide it into work zones. Think about where you'll store your cookware, whether there's enough room in the cabinets or if you'll want to hang a pot rack. Assign storage tasks to your drawers and plan out your cupboards. Put Post-It notes on everything if you want! That way whoever gets the lovely task of unpacking the kitchen boxes will know exactly where you want things to go.
I'll tell you: You start before you move in - especially in the kitchen. Here are five things to take care of before you unpack that first kitchen box.
1. If you want to paint, paint now: If you know you want to paint the kitchen, it's best to do it before you get settled into your new-kitchen-new-cooking grove. Even better? Hire someone to paint for you. Painting is so time-consuming, and a really good job makes all the difference. So save yourself the headache, and consider it a good investment in your new kitchen!
2. Deep-clean the cabinets, drawers, and refrigerator: You know when you don't want to have to clean your new kitchen? Right when you're ready to unpack the dozen or so kitchen boxes stacked up in the middle of the room. Get the cleaning done ahead of time so you can jump in and get things set up the way you want.
Doing the cleaning ahead of time also ensures you give your kitchen the deep cleaning it deserves. You're more likely to skimp and settle for a quick wipe-down when you're anxious to get everything put away, but unless you know exactly what's been in those cabinets before, you'd be wise to take your time and scrub everything thoroughly!
3. Check that all the appliances and outlets work: If they don't, contact the landlord or hire an electrician immediately to make repairs. It's easier for them to pull out appliances or dig into the wiring when they don't have to maneuver around boxes. And you don't want to discover that the fridge is broken at 11 p.m. after a long, stressful day of moving.
4. Measure cabinets and drawers for organizers: Take the opportunity while your cabinets are still empty to measure the interior space for shelf and drawer organizers. You may discover you finally have a cabinet roomy enough for that pull-out drawer you've been lugging around (as I did), or that you'll need to get a wire shelf or two for the cabinet by the dishwasher to really fit all your plates and bowls.
5. Plan out where things will go: The final thing to do before you officially move into your kitchen is to think about where everything will go. Take a look at your kitchen and divide it into work zones. Think about where you'll store your cookware, whether there's enough room in the cabinets or if you'll want to hang a pot rack. Assign storage tasks to your drawers and plan out your cupboards. Put Post-It notes on everything if you want! That way whoever gets the lovely task of unpacking the kitchen boxes will know exactly where you want things to go.