If you’re anything like me, whenever you move to a new home, you’re excited to get your kitchen set up. But then after a while, you realize you haven’t got everything in the right spot. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t think RE-organizing my kitchen is nearly as fun! If you’re planning a move and want to get your kitchen right the first time, here are some tips.
1. Do the Kitchen First
 When you move, as soon as you have your furniture in, you should start setting up your kitchen first. It’s true that your kitchen is the heart of your home, and you’ll feel much more settled in if your dishes, fridge, and pantry are ready to go by the 2nd day.
2. Set Up in Two Phases
If you feel a little overwhelmed — which is pretty likely anytime you move — divide your kitchen setup into phases. Phase 1 involves most of your dishes. If you have a water and/or ice dispenser in your fridge, think about putting glasses near there (if you don’t, try near the sink). Plates and bowls are best kept near the dishwasher, so they can be put away quickly.
Phase 2 involves your pots, pans, and bakeware. If you can, keep all your cookware near the stove. Spices are best kept near your food prep area, but I always keep a salt and pepper shaker in a cupboard next to the stove, no matter where the rest of the spices are. You always need those nearby when cooking!
3. Create Zones
If possible, set up your kitchen in zones or stations. Recommended zones include food prep, cooking, cleaning, dishes, and consumables. But you might take this a step further and set up a zones for baking, coffee making, or kids’ dishes they can reach themselves. When setting up your kitchen, think of how you live and what zones make the most sense for YOU.
4. Prioritize
After your dishes, cookware, and other vital items are in place, you need to work in everything else where you can. This is where storage space in other parts of the house may come in handy. We have two large cupboards in the mud room, which is right next to the kitchen. Since our kitchen has no pantry, I use those for pantry space and overflow small appliances that I use less often. I would much rather do that than keep a bunch of stuff on my countertops. If you’re lucky enough to have a huge pantry, by all means keep small appliances or large pots in there if you need to.
