How to Keep Your Furniture Safe While Moving: Checklist That Actually Works

Relocating to a new place comes with plenty of challenges, and moving furniture is one of its more daunting tasks. Not only are these things bulky and heavy; they can also cause injury when mishandled.

Taking proper precautions is the key to ensuring that even the most delicate piece reaches its final destination in prime condition.

Whether you decide to move your furniture yourself or entrust the job to an experienced moving company, these useful tips can help warrant their safety as they travel to your next home.

Track your belongings

The best way of tracking your belongings is by keeping a detailed inventory of all the items, both big and small, that go into the moving truck. You can also create labels for every box and wrapped piece to save time from figuring out what’s inside. Also, consider making a separate list for large items that have to be dismantled and taken apart, so you don’t miss any of them.

While you may think last-minute packing and loading is the easier way to go, doing an inventory actually makes the whole process faster and less of a headache. By staying organized, you’re less likely to lose and forget things.

Take measurements

One of the trickiest things about moving is not knowing whether your stuff will fit through the door or not. And it’s not just doors that you have to worry about – there are hallways, staircases, elevators, etc.

Before you start lifting furniture, measure them and the spaces they’ll have to go through first. By the way, don’t forget that you’re moving, so it’s not just the size of the doorways and hallways of your current house that you have to calculate but that of your new home as well.

Assess the pieces

Assessing your furniture is an essential step in the moving process. Obviously, not all your furniture will make the cut. You have to leave some of them behind. The first question you have to ask yourself then is: is it worth it? If the pieces are too old or worn out, or you’d just store and not use them when you get to your new place, then maybe you’re better off letting them go.

One more thing you need to assess is the current condition of your individual furniture pieces. Some of them may have pre-existing damage that’s worth noting or, better yet, photographed. It’s also important to determine the worth, condition, and make-up of the pieces to pack and protect them accordingly. Expensive, fragile furniture may require professional packing.

Disassemble what you can

Take apart large and bulky pieces of furniture if possible. Dismantling them does not only make them easier to transport but protects them from damage as well. Because they won’t require as much clearance to move around compared to when they were still intact, there’s also a lesser risk of scratching and bumping walls, door frames, and other furniture while moving them around.

Clean before you pack

You don’t want to carry the dirt from your old place to your new one, do you? Cleaning your furniture before packing protects it from any coarse particles that may scratch and damage the surface as they’re carried and moved around. Anyway, it doesn’t take much effort to vacuum or run a damp cloth across the surface of your furniture before wrapping them.

Invest in proper packing materials

If you want to protect your furniture in the best way possible when moving, you’ll have to use the right packing materials for the job. Some of them are costly enough to be called an investment, but they’ll do what they’re supposed to, which is keeping your precious pieces safe.

Moving blankets – Moving blankets are the top choice when it comes to protecting wood and leather furniture during the move. These soft but thick blankets are specifically designed for a double purpose: to shield delicate pieces from even the slightest harm and safeguard the most damage-susceptible areas of your home.

The thing with moving blankets, however, is that they’re not exactly what you can call “affordable.” If buying or renting moving blankets is out of your budget, you can use some of your ordinary spare sheets instead.

Bubble and shrink wrap – Another widely used packing material is bubble wrap. It’s the perfect choice for protecting almost anything, but mostly highly fragile and breakable stuff like vases, jars, and glass panels. Shrink wrap, on the other hand, keeps dust away from your furniture. It’s best for wrapping pieces with moveable parts like drawers, nightstands, and vanities, as they’re very effective in keeping this furniture shut and in place during the haul.

Budget-friendly alternatives – For those looking for inexpensive means of protecting their furniture, everyday household materials like corrugated cardboards and sealable plastic bags are your best bets! Corrugated boards are perfects for covering and safeguarding large glass and wooden surfaces such as mirrors and table tops. Also, sealable plastic bags come in handy for storing the smaller elements of your furniture like screws and fasteners.

Ensure safe transport

Securing your furniture properly inside the moving truck lessens the possibility of any damage as they get from point A to point B. For extra protection, line the floor of the vehicle with moving blankets or cardboard to serve as padding in case some items topple over during the transit.

Strategically arrange your furniture by putting heavy boxes on the back end of the truck and place regularly-shaped furniture against them for stability. Move in the mattresses in an upright position and set flat, fragile pieces in between them. Remember not to put any heavy and breakable items on top, as they may fall and break while you’re on the road.

Unpack with care

When it’s finally time to unload the truck, be careful when lifting and opening the doors as some items may have shifted during the transport. Use proper equipment such as lifting straps and dollies when moving heavy objects to avoid damages and injuries.
Lastly, plan where each piece of furniture lands beforehand. That way, you won’t have to move them around a lot, thus minimizing the possibilities of damaging them.

The suggestions listed above are just some of the many things that you can do to safeguard your possessions as you transfer them from one home to another. Suffice to say, it takes time and advanced planning to keep your furniture safe while moving. When in doubt, don’t hesitate to call in help. There are plenty of reliable moving companies out there that can assist you in packing your stuff and keeping them safe throughout the moving process.

About The Author

Art Lopez is the founder and owner of A&C Brothers Moving & Storage, a Phoenix moving company that helps residents from all over Arizona take the stress out of local and interstate moving.