Audrey 
Moving marks a significant time in your life, and in many cases, it can be fun and exciting. After all, it’s a significant milestone to move from your current residence to a better one. On the other hand, moving can get hectic if you don’t do everything right.
To avoid damaging your furniture and other belongings, you must prepare thoroughly for your move. This way, you can avoid common moving mistakes and make the entire process seamless. Lucky for you, there are plenty of tips on how to handle your furniture when moving. Below are tips on everything you need to know when packing furniture for moving:
1. Hire Professional Movers
One proven successful factor concerning the whole moving process is the experience and expertise of your movers. Their contribution is of high significance, so hiring the right people for the job is necessary. Note that there might be several moving firms in your neighborhood, but not all are professional movers. Working with the best guarantees that your furniture will be safe and sound throughout the process. Professional movers like the Big Boy Movers or similar ones have expert qualifications to move your furniture.
Expert moving companies have experienced and trained personnel, which is a bonus since you’re sure they’ll handle your furniture correctly. All factors considered, packing your furniture right is a solid strategy to transport them safely. Your movers must be present during packing, loading, and unloading. Again, you’ll need help assembling the disassembled furniture. Don’t hesitate to contact professional movers within your neighborhood, especially those that give free no-obligation quotes.
2. Take Measurements Of Your Furniture, Doors, And Hallways
A huge problem associated with moving furniture is the furniture not making it through one of the doorways. You’re torn between disassembling your furniture or removing the whole door and the frames during such times. You can avoid such difficult decisions by taking the measurements first.
You must measure your furniture, doors, and hallways. Take note of each of your furniture’s width, height, and length in this process. Remember, the hallways have corners; if you don’t estimate them well when moving, you’ll be stuck. Again, the door might be smaller than your furniture, making it harder to go through. In this case, you’ll need to reduce the furniture size.
Alternatively, you can try out different angles. The angles are handy when you don’t want to disassemble your furniture or the door. Furthermore, expert movers will know what to do in such situations.
3. Prepare Your Furniture
Preparing your furniture for the move is an essential step in packing. Moving furniture with its legs, bed frames, shelves, or glass tops becomes difficult. Therefore, you can disassemble such detachable parts. While at it, ensure you keep the loose parts safe so you don’t lose them. Smaller pieces like bolts and nuts can be packed in plastic bags and labeled for easy retrieval, while the legs and frames can be put into a box. Ensure you label the box so you can easily find them when unpacking.
Here are some handy tips to have in mind when disassembling your furniture:
- Use the manufacturer’s manual to dismantle furniture correctly.
- If you use bags to store the detached parts, tape them or use a ziplock bag to secure them safely. Make sure to label these bags
- Go easy with the drill to avoid the risk of stripping the screws.
- Dismantle your furniture a day before the moving day to save time.
- Use the right equipment during the disassembling process.
- Find disassembling points.
4. Gather The Right Packing Supplies
You must wrap your furniture like any other delicate pieces you’ll be moving. It helps reduce the damage that can be caused by spillage. Additionally, it reduces the risk of wear and tear. Use the right packing supplies for wrapping your items. Some of the common materials for wrapping furnishings include:
- Regular blankets
- Bubble wrap
- Shrink wrap
- Corrugated boxes
- Duct tape
- Sealable bags
- Special crating
Here are tips on what to use on each surface:
- Furniture bag: It’s ideal for protecting your leather couches. Avoid plastic wrap since leather needs to breathe.
- Packing paper: This is the best packing supply for your glass components. First, detach them carefully. Then, wrap the glass correctly and pay more attention to the corners. Ensure you fasten the paper with masking tape and apply layers of bubble wrap. Cover the top with corrugated cardboard sheets to avoid heavy objects falling and breaking them.
- Blankets: Cover your wooden furniture with the blankets to avoid damaging their finish.
Remember that different items require unique sorts of wrap when moving. For fragile objects, bubble wrap is the best, while plastic coverings are suitable for upholstery. Note that you can use blankets as a final protective layer. The added security is essential for protection.
Adhering to the safety measures used to wrap your furniture ensures they’re unscratched and unbroken. For wooden furniture, it helps you reduce the costs associated with changing the coat after you’ve moved into your new home. On the other hand, you’ll also evade the problem of dealing with breakages from fragile items.
5. Secure Cabinets And Drawers
Dressers and drawers can be bulky and heavy, making it hard for the movers to lift them. Bulky furniture can be the leading cause of accidents; accidents associated with lifting heavy and bulky things are severe. They can result in spine injuries that can be hard to treat.
As such, it’d be best to make them light before you move. For instance, remove the drawers and their contents. It helps decongest the whole dresser, making it easy to carry around. You can pack each drawer’s contents into corresponding boxes to make it easier to unpack later on.
If you plan to move by yourself, you can use tools like utility dollies and lifting straps to make the lifting easier. You can decide to purchase the tools or hire them from local storage companies. Instead of adding more expenses, you can hire moving companies already equipped with lifting tools.
On the other hand, the cabinet doors can fly open during the move. It’d be best to secure them with stretch wrap to prevent the doors from opening. If they have removable shelves, bundle them with kraft paper and secure them with duct tape.
6. Pack Pillows And Cushions Separately
When packing furniture, remove the couch cushions and pack them separately. This way, you’ll be able to protect them by wrapping them appropriately. Especially if you move during the rain, you don’t want to get them wet. Again, the rigorous impact of moving can easily damage them if they aren’t well protected. Remember, most cushions are made of ornate fabric. For such reasons, you can pack the cushions in a large moving box.
The same applies to pillows. Most people make packing mistakes by using all their pillows for cushioning. You can use the old pillows for this course but risk destroying your good ones. The disadvantage is that the pillows are soft and can be easily torn if your furniture has sharp edges. As such, you can sort them first and set the good ones aside for packing. Invest in high-quality material for wrapping your pillows. You can use plastic bags, vacuum bags, and cardboard boxes for storage after you’ve secured your pads with packing paper.
7. Take Care Of Furniture Corners
One risk associated with moving is injuries from furniture corners. You’d want to protect the movers and your family members from injuries. Thus, cushioning the corners is essential to reduce the risk of injuries. Also, the edges can rip off or tear your stuff during the move. To prevent wear and tear damage caused by the corners of your furniture, you can use cardboard for cushioning. Fold the cardboard to fit over the corners, and use movers’ wrap to secure them.
You can use protective gear, such as gloves, for your safety when handling furniture. They reduce the likelihood of something slipping from your hands and breaking your legs. Also, you can wear protective boots to avoid stubbing your toes or hurting your knees. Other tips on moving your furniture are:
- Move the heaviest furniture first.
- Clear pathways to avoid tripping while carrying boxes.
- Wrapping them correctly and covering the edges.
- Put them strategically by placing lighter boxes on top of heavier ones.
- Use a suitable material for packing.
- Use a rope to secure upholstered items.
- Place your square furniture against your box wall. It helps in cushioning.
Conclusion
Packing is a critical step in the moving process. You can’t skimp on details while packing furniture. It’s best to make it safe from damage during transportation. Pay attention to wrapping materials as highlighted above. Invest in quality packing supplies to make the process effective, and don’t forget to double-check the manufacturer’s instructions when re-assembling your furniture.
If it all proves too overwhelming for you, it’s a wise move to hire experienced movers to reduce the risk associated with breakages and damages. Experienced movers are highly resourceful during the packing process.
