One of the biggest challenges of a move involves how you can protect your furniture during transit.
After all, when you arrive at your new place, you’d want your items to be damage-free.
Luckily, by observing the proper precautions, you can ensure the safety of your furniture throughout every stage of your move.
During your relocation, follow these essential steps:
1. Buy packing supplies
You’ll need more than just packing tape and boxes to protect your furniture.
Go to a nearby hardware shop or check with your removalist for the following supplies:
- Sofa and mattress covers
- Plastic wrap
- Sealable plastic bags
- Bubble wrap
- Corrugated cardboard sheets
2. Clean your furniture
Before you begin packing, take the time to clean and dust your furniture thoroughly.
Dust and other debris can cause scratches on your furniture during transit.
Cleaning your furniture will also prevent you bringing in dirt and dust into your new home.
3. Take apart furniture
If possible, dismantle your furniture from top to bottom.
Remove casters, knobs, pulls, legs and take the drawers out of the desks and drawers.
This will make it easier for you to pack and move your furniture while preventing damage caused by banging against door frames or walls.
When you dismantle, keep these things in mind:
- If available, always make use of an owner’s manual as a reference in dismantling furniture correctly.
- For furniture with plenty of pieces, use a marker and masking tape to note where every bit goes. You can also take reference photos to remember how the furniture looks before you took it apart.
- Go easy when using the drill to dismantle and reassemble. Lower the torque setting and make use of the right drill bit size to avoid the risk of stripping the screws.
4. Pack furniture properly
Now is the time to make use of the packing supplies you’ve gathered in step 2.
These items play a great role when it comes to moving your furniture safely. Once you start packing, use any of the following:
- Plastic sheets or bubble wrap – Use bubble wrap for delicate wood pieces and plastic wrap for upholstered items.
- Corrugated cardboard sheets – Use these to help prevent scratches and gouges in between wooden furniture pieces.
- Furniture blankets – Use these to be able to stack furniture on top of another and maximize space without scraping or scratching them.
- Mattress covers – These protect your mattresses from rips and tears, as well as water damage. Make sure to buy one for your mattress and another one for the box spring.
- Moving Pads – These are useful for loading and unloading large furniture items like a piano or bulky sofa bed.
- Straps – These prevent furniture from sliding back and forth inside the moving truck. They can also be used to lift heavy furniture as they fit comfortably around the shoulders.
It’s a risky decision to move furniture without the proper supplies.
Do what you can to preserve your furniture and consider hiring a reliable removalist to professionally handle the job.
They have the knowhow to ensure that your furniture stays intact and safe throughout the move.
5. Organize a moving strategy
If you plan to move large furniture, you should plan the moving route ahead of time.
Go around your house to think about where movers will pass, and then take note of any tricky corners.
You also need to measure the size of the furniture you intend to move to ensure that they can pass through corners and doorways without any problems.
Take into account that when you use blankets to wrap furniture, it will make the piece bulkier.
With this in mind, make sure that you have enough space to move things out.
6. Establish a placement plan
How you place your furniture items inside the moving truck is as crucial as how you pack them.
Take the time to establish a placement plan to make things simpler for you and your movers.
- Start by making a wall of boxes around the backend of the moving truck. Make sure the boxes are of the same size and are sealed tightly to prevent slipping. For this section, choose the heaviest boxes that don’t contain fragile items to add stability.
- If possible, don’t stack items on top of another especially those items made of leather. The weight can cause holes and make permanent gouges. If you do need to stack, choose to stack only lighter items to avoid placing extra pressure that can cause damage especially to items at the bottom.
Having the right information on how to move your furniture properly plays a major role in ensuring that your possessions remain in one piece.
If you think you can’t move furniture on your own, never hesitate to hire a moving company.
This will not only save you from added stress but also from back pain and other forms of injury as well.
AUTHOR BIO
Craig Jones is the Managing Director at Aussiemove, Australia’s largest independent moving alliance.
Craig is a respected member of the removalist network in Australia, having served in senior positions, including the President of the removal industries governing body, the Australian Furniture Removals Association (AFRA).
With 23 years of experience at Aussiemove, he has the skills and the highly trained team to move families safely and reliably, in Adelaide, across Australia and around the world.
