One of the trickiest parts of moving house is relocating your large furniture. Whilst bedding, photo albums and books can be collated in neat little boxes, your king-size bed or bookshelf is not quite so straightforward. If you’re soon to be moving house then you’ve probably found yourself staring at that oversized sofa, wondering how you’re ever going to get it out the door without tearing down your walls and causing a colossal argument.
Thankfully, there are a few measures that can be taken to keep your furniture intact so that everything makes it out the front door in one piece. From navigating tight corners to dismantling furnishings safely, here are our top expert tips to keep your belongings safe and sound in transit.
Furniture Donation
Whether upgrading to a new recliner or opting for a smaller bed frame when downsizing, the first step in furniture moving is to get rid of anything that won’t be coming with you. One of the best ways to do this in Australia is through furniture donation, which is completely free and also extremely convenient, as they often offer pick-up services for your furniture. Charities such as Vinnies accept most furniture donations unless potentially ripped or damaged in some way, so make sure to call and speak with them beforehand to check if your furniture can be picked up and taken off your hands. Donating furniture is not only the perfect solution to getting rid of old items you don’t need but also gives them the chance to be loved again in a new home.
Preparing Furniture
Now, for anything that you intend to bring with you. Understanding how to prepare your furniture properly is the key to keeping it safe while it’s in transit. To start, dismantle any furniture that can be taken apart such as beds, vanities and some sofas so that items take up less space and have less risk of breakage. Whilst undergoing this process, you can also save your future self the eye-wateringly painful confusion of reassembling without guidance by making number or colour code bags for nuts and bolts that come from disassembling. Furthermore, if couch cushions can be removed, keep these and other soft furnishings separate as these will require different wrapping from hard furnishings.
Wrap, Strap, Protect
One of the biggest areas people fall short when it comes to furniture moving is lack of proper equipment. Like trying to climb Everest in a pair of thongs and board shorts, moving furniture without proper equipment is a disaster waiting to happen. While skipping the cost of quality tools might seem tempting at first, it's a shortcut that leads to nowhere good. A lack of equipment can lead to not only damaged furniture but can also cause damage to the rest of the house simultaneously. Therefore, to avoid breakages of any kind the basic items you will need to move furniture are as follows:
- Moving blankets - for large/ hard furniture
- Dolly carts
- Furniture sliders - to stop floor scratches
- Lifting straps
- Ratchet Straps
- Plastic wrap - soft furnishings
- Furniture sleeves
A simple way to think about it is that for soft furnishings like mattresses, your main concern is damage such as scratches or markings. Therefore, plastic wrap or furniture sleeves are the perfect solution for this as they protect the surface layer of the item. For hard furnishings your main objective is to try and protect the items from breaking or causing damage, therefore you want to wrap these items in high-quality moving blankets to cushion the furniture pieces.
Top tip: Plastic wrap is also great for securing sliding doors or cupboards so that nothing smacks together whilst inside the truck.
Give Your Back a Break
This is not the world weight-lifting championships and you certainly will not be winning a medal for lifting that sofa without assistance so give your back a break and use the proper moving equipment. Both dolly carts and lifting straps are essential pieces of equipment that are used to lift heavy items like furniture. Make sure to do proper research on how to use these items, before moving anything of substantial weight, as they only work if loaded and unloaded correctly.
There is no honour in being bed-bound for weeks because you thought you could move an entire couch alone. So, if you follow just one rule - always use high-quality equipment and protective clothing to keep your body safe at all times.
Hire Professional Furniture Removalists
Alternatively, you can take all the strain out of moving furniture and let the professionals do the heavy lifting for you. If you're worried about damaging your belongings or worse yourself, furniture removalists are the perfect solution for all your moving needs. Not only are removalists experts in coordinating the relocation of furniture but they also have all the equipment that you would otherwise need to purchase yourself.
Whilst many believe they are cutting down costs by going it alone, hiring a furniture removal company can in fact save you money. Whilst you are paying for their service, reputable removals companies bring their own protective supplies, as well as understanding the proper techniques to avoid causing damage and prevent you from spending even more money.
Additionally, if you decide to work with removalists who are AFRA-accredited, then it means that they can provide you with full insurance so that if anything does get damaged it will all be covered anyway.
So, how do furniture movers work?
If you are potentially considering calling in the big guns it's important to do thorough research and pick a reliable removals company that can be trusted. Once you've found your guys, they will arrange a call with you and run through everything that needs to be packed up and moved to organise a quote. In this phone call, they will also assess what sort of belongings need relocating so that the correct equipment and number of removalists are organised for the job. Then, on moving day, furniture removalists can not only safely transit your belongings for you but they can also pack down any furniture needed, saving you from the dreaded task of doing it yourself.
Who to Trust
At Holloway Removals & Storage, we take care of the whole moving process, from carefully moving furniture to packing and unpacking boxes, as well as giving you our complete support and reassurance along the way. Our impressive reputation and AFRA accreditation are proof that you can trust our professional removalists to keep your belongings, walls and sanity safe during your next house move.
