Moving Furniture - Coastal Furniture Delivery & Moving

moving When you’re gearing up for a move and choosing the do-it-yourself (DIY) route instead of hiring professional moving companies, you might be wondering how to best tackle the preparation and movement of your furniture. While it’s easy to pack smaller items like clothes, handling larger furniture pieces requires extra care.

Without proper planning, furniture can get damaged during the move – upholstery may tear, glass furniture might shatter, and wooden items could end up scratched. Preparing your furniture correctly is the key to preventing damage even before you reach your new home.

Getting Furniture Ready

As you gear up to pack your furniture for the move, equipping yourself with the right tools and learning a few techniques can simplify and secure the process.

Essential Packing Supplies

Beyond the usual cardboard boxes, packing tape, and bubble wrap, there are other supplies tailor-made for moving furniture. You can find many of these items at local hardware stores or online. Some moving companies also offer rental options for these supplies, potentially saving you some bucks.

For moving larger furniture, be sure to have these supplies at hand:

Moving blankets
Bubble wrap
Covers for sofas and mattresses
Stretch wrap made of plastic
Strong corrugated cardboard sheets
Furniture pads

Cleaning Your Furniture

Before you pack, take the time to give your furniture a thorough cleaning and dusting. Dust and debris can cause scratches during the move. Moreover, cleaning your furniture before the move ensures that you don’t carry unnecessary dirt into your new space.

Disassembling Furniture

Whenever possible, consider dismantling your furniture. This makes moving it easier, reduces the risk of damage during transportation, and simplifies the packing process. Do note that this is a time-consuming step, so allocate enough time for it.

Items you might want to disassemble include:

Tables: Remove legs and tops if feasible.
Bed Frames: Take apart the entire bed frame, including the headboard and footboard.
Dressers and Desks: Remove knobs and removable pieces.
Couches and Chairs: Detach cushions and legs.

Packing Your Furniture

As you take things apart, keep a keen eye on small pieces. Use sealable plastic bags to store screws, hardware, and other small items from each furniture piece. Label these bags with a permanent marker and tape them to prevent any hardware from going missing during the move.

For fragile items, like glass tabletops, lamps, and ceramics, use newspaper, towels, or even bed sheets as padding. This not only protects them but also optimizes your packing materials by allowing you to transport more items with fewer boxes.

Proper Wrapping Techniques

The cornerstone of protecting and preparing your furniture for the move is investing time in wrapping each piece appropriately. Bubble wrap is perfect for safeguarding delicate items such as glass tabletops, lamps, and ceramics. On the other hand, plastic wrap offers ideal protection for upholstered pieces like couches and mattresses.

When dealing with wooden furniture, it’s best to avoid using bubble wrap or any plastic directly on the wood, as they can potentially harm the surface. Instead, insert a moving blanket or furniture pad in between before applying the plastic wrap.

Moving Furniture Safely

With your furniture primed for the move, it’s time to make your home moving day-ready. Having a well-thought-out plan in place will help you handle larger furniture pieces with ease and safety. Coastal Furniture Delivery & Moving can help you with this.

Measuring Your Spaces

Before embarking on the move, having a plan can save you time and effort. While you may disassemble certain pieces, sofas, cabinets, and dressers remain sizeable items. Measure both your furniture and the doorways and hallways to ensure a smooth moving process.

Determine whether you need to remove door frames or wall base moldings to facilitate the furniture’s movement. If you don’t want to go through all the hassle, you can always hire local movers to help you.

Clearing Pathways

A few days prior to your move, clear all paths leading to the front door. Remove any clutter from doorways and entrances. Prop doors open and use door stoppers to keep them that way throughout the move. This strategy simplifies moving furniture out of your home while protecting items from collisions.

Equipping Yourself with the Right Tools

While smaller furniture items can often be moved without specialized tools, heavier pieces like sofas, cabinets, and dressers may require extra assistance. Renting a dolly or hand truck can significantly ease (and enhance the safety of) moving these items. Other helpful tools include moving straps and a skid board. Movers in Myrtle Beach can also take care of all these things for you.

Using Furniture Gliders

If your home has hardwood or tile floors, consider placing gliders under your furniture to prevent scratching. Beyond dedicated gliders, items like towels or cardboard can facilitate furniture movement while safeguarding your floors.

Selecting the Ideal Moving Truck

For a DIY move, finding the right moving truck is essential. Look for trucks or moving containers equipped with tie-downs and a ramp. Tie-downs keep your furniture secure during transit, preventing it from shifting or falling. A ramp makes loading and unloading heavy items much more manageable.

Final Tips for Preparing and Moving Furniture

Taking on a DIY move can feel overwhelming, but the more you plan ahead, the smoother it will go. With the right materials, the practice of disassembling large pieces before packing, and extra protection for fragile items, moving furniture becomes a less daunting task.

Here are some tips to keep in mind as you prepare for your move:

Don’t attempt to move heavy furniture on your own. While it might sound obvious, many people still try to lift heavy items alone. Seek help from friends, family, or consider hiring labor-only movers.
Consider getting moving insurance. DIY moves lack the traditional protections offered by moving companies. Accidents can happen, so explore different valuation coverage and moving insurance options to safeguard your belongings.
Load heavy furniture first. Begin by loading the heaviest items onto the truck. This balanced distribution of weight makes driving the truck easier. Also, place the heavier items against the truck’s walls to facilitate loading and unloading.
If the idea of moving all your furniture yourself feels overwhelming, you might want to consider enlisting the help of professional moving companies.
Creating a moving budget can help you assess whether hiring assistance is feasible for you. Now, at least, you’re equipped to save some money by having your furniture ready for the movers when they arrive.