Need to pack up my Kitchen by Monday - Help!

[IDismyname]

I need to lay my hands on a large number of strong cardboard boxes at short notice - any ideas?

Builders are falling behind on outside work on our extension, so have decided to bring forward the internal works by a week.

I thought I had 2 weeks to do this - now I have 4 days :(

I just used lots of carrier bags and stacked carefully.

But you can buy boxes at storage centres or even Argos.

garden centre and supermarket after delivery day have been my best source

issue a plea on your local freecycle, plus supermarkets.

stack plates vertically.

and if you don't use it - get rid of it!

Thanks for the speedy replies!

Yes, I am going to get rid of some stuff as I go through it - good idea.

I'm going to keep out the following:

microwave
toaster
sandwich toaster
slow cooker
camping gas stove

I'm going to be kitchenless until Christmas :(

Supermarket fruit boxes are brilliant for this as they stack. They aren't very deep, but that will stop you overloading the boxes and making them too heavy to carry.

If you live near a self-storage place you can pick up a roll of bubble wrap or a pack of packing paper/tissue from them - they aren't cheap, but it'll be quick.

I like the big translucent plastic crates.

Builders are usually very dusty, so pack all clothes and fabrics in clear bags before putting them in boxes. Single-packed means dust will fall on them when you open the bag. recycling bags are good. You can even put them over clothes on hangers.

transparent wrapping or crates means you can see what's inside without labels.

If you put stuff in black bin bags you can be sure at least one will get thrown away.

Hide your vacuum cleaner, and hide its hose in a different place. Builders dust will ruin it. If you have to clean up, get a canister vac with a spare cartridge filer, and the huge paper bags. Otherwise it will quickly clog with dust. You can brush off cartridge filters, and when they are past that, wash out in water.

A cheap vac from Aldi will do, as long as the guarantee lasts longer than the building work. I have been quite happy with Titan stuff from Screwfix, though it is cheap and basic.

I got all the boxes I used for moving house from my local John Lewis. I just went to customer services and asked at the end of each day.

Or - do what PigletJohn says. PigletJohn knows everything. B&M sell big storage boxes for next to nothing. Always useful to have.

Ikea.
Its doable. I did in 2 days. I'll admit I wasn't pleasant to be around.

Thank you all for your replies. Feel v honoured to commanded the attention of the great PigletJohn in the process.

As I'm so short of time, I need to work out if its going to be best to call round local shops and greengrocers to pick up as many boxes as I can, or just go and purchase as many plastic ones as I can lay my hands on. I have a Wilkinsons not far away, so will go and raid them too.

I will probably end up with a mixture of both - but it won't be enough.

Good job DH and DS are away atm. At least I can concentrate on getting the job done.

Also thanks for clear bag suggestion and removal of hoover from kitchen area. I have a Henry which I know builders rather like :)

Definitely worth getting some plastic crates. I got mine via amazon prime so next day in similar circumstances to yours but if you are near a wilkos/office supplies place or diy shed you nip out and get them tomorrow morning. So worth while for kitchen every day stuff & medicines & important stuff that you can't lose track of. Cardboard boxes & fruit boxes good for stuff you are less likely to need before xmas - which comprises 85% of my home havong inventoried the boxes tonight. However I have packed the entire house so that be misleading compared to a kitchen!

Freecycle for boxes. I moved last week using boxes from freecycle and have just had 50 picked up again by someone else.

After a fruitless morning of phone calls to all sorts of local shops, and with all manner of excuses as to why they had no cardboard boxes, I went into our local farm shop as an almost last resort.

They told me that due to EU regulations they couldn't hand out boxes because of cross contamination of food!!! ... And that was why I couldn't get hold of any from anyone.
If that's actually true, then I'm voting for Ukip at the next election. What a load of bo@@ocks!

As I parked in the car park to go to Wilkinsons to buy plastic boxes, I spied Lidls who, when asked, had absolutely no problem with me cruising the store and picking up as many empty cardboard boxes as I wanted. The security guard even helped me take them to the car park

So the moral is, head for Lidl's. I managed to get 14 in my car.