Moving Tips on How to Keep Furniture Protected during your move
Stock up on materials
One of the most important steps to protecting your furniture for a move is stocking up on the right supplies. Simply loading it into the truck as-is will leave them vulnerable to a slew of potential damages. Purchase the following items at your local hardware store or online to have on hand so everything will be protected as needed:
Shopping List:
Bubble wrap
Heavy duty blankets
Shrink wrap/clingfilm
Mattress covers
Sealable plastic bags
Packing tape
Boxes plastic
Boxes card
newspaper
dolly/sack barrow
Prepare your furniture
Before you start packing it up, it’s good to take the time to clean and dust your furniture. Any debris left behind could potentially damage your furniture during the move. Vacuum underneath the cushions of sofas and chairs, get rid of pet hair from fabric and check for any damages prior to moving so you know the condition of your furniture.
Disassemble what you can
Any furniture that can be disassembled should be, because smaller pieces are much easier to protect and move, especially when going through doorways. If available, check the owner’s manual for the proper way to dismantle certain pieces. Most pieces are self-explanatory, like dining room tables, from which the legs should be removed and wrapped up separately.
Keep all hardware and small pieces in sealable plastic bags that are clearly labeled. If there is a lot of hardware for one piece of furniture, it might be good to label each spot on it with a piece of packing tape that will correspond with the hardware. Make sure it’s easy and clear how to put the furniture back together so you don’t have a headache to deal with once you move in!
Wrap it up
All furniture should be wrapped up appropriately according to what it is made of. Mattresses should be stored in special mattress bags and upholstered furniture should be shrink wrapped. If you don’t have any shrink wrap handy, then heavy duty blankets (such as specially made moving blankets) work well, too, but be sure to secure them tightly so the blankets don’t shift or come off during the move. Don’t use sheets or thin blankets – they will tear and get damaged easily. We recommend wrapping wood furniture in bubble wrap or blankets to protect it from dents and scratches.
Secure it in the truck
Before you start loading things into the truck, put together a plan for how everything will fit in the best. The largest pieces should always go in first, but make sure they fit together well and fill in any empty spots, so nothing will shift around once the truck is in motion. You may even consider tying up anything that isn’t completely secure.
How to Safely Pack a Moving Truck
Get the Right Supplies
Every part of the moving process goes much smoother when you have the right supplies at your disposal. When it comes to packing a moving truck, we recommend the following items to help you protect your belongings and transfer them safely:
Dolly – A dolly is great for transporting large, heavy items from your house to the truck quickly and easily. You can even roll it up the ramp into the truck.
Plastic Wrap and Blankets – Plastic wrap and blankets are musts to keep your furniture safe from dirt, rips, and damage.
Packing Tape – Packing tape works better than duct tape on cardboard and plastic. It will also help secure the padding to your furniture.
Straps, Ties or Rope – Some items are likely to move around during the journey, so have these supplies on hand to secure anything that could shift once the truck gets moving or hits a bump.
Tarp, Blankets or Plastic Wrap – You can line the floor of the truck with one of these items to keep the bottom of your furniture safe from dirt and damages caused by the rough surface. (We’ve outfitted all our Megan’s Moving trucks with carpet flooring to protect your belongings.)
Protect Your Furniture
As we mentioned in the supplies section, certain supplies are highly recommended to keep your furniture safe. We always wrap furniture in plastic wrap and blankets to protect them from the inevitable bumps along the way. It is so easy for furniture to be torn and dirtied during a move, so put in the extra effort to protect it as much as possible. You’ll be glad you did.
Invest in Moving Boxes
Boxes made specifically for moving have a lot of benefits. Not only are they a lot sturdier than boxes you’ll find for free at grocery stores and the like, but they are also made to be perfectly uniform so they can stack easily. It is much easier to pack a truck when the boxes are made the same way.
Largest Items Go First
Put your largest items – appliances, sofas, beds, bookcases, etc – into the truck first with the appliances at the back (which should also always be kept in their upright positions). Then, put all the heavy boxes on the bottom and stack the lighter ones on top of them. Use straps to hold in anything that could shift once the truck starts moving. Don’t take anything for granted; if there is any gap whatsoever, you should assume things will slip and bang against something else.
Distribute Weight Evenly
Pay close attention to how you are dividing the weight in the truck. If all the heavy items are on one side, then the tires on that side will be under too much strain and the truck could be at risk for toppling over when you take a corner or swerve just enough to shift it. Distribute everything evenly to avoid these issues.
Disassemble What You Can
Any large furniture you have that can be disassembled should be to make it fit into the truck more efficiently. Removing the legs from a table, for example, will make packing it into the truck much simpler. It can then go into the truck on its side and give you plenty of room to stack things around it without the legs being at risk for damages.
Take a Moment to Plan
Take inventory of everything you have that needs to go into the truck and devise a plan before you start loading it. This will allow you to trial and error before you do the work, so you have an idea of what you are working with and what will and won’t work. You’ll likely still have to change a few things around once you start loading everything in, but you’ll be way ahead of the game.
