Tips on Moving Furniture
During the vast majority of household and office moving, the most challenging thing to deal with is physically moving your furniture. Often, these are the largest items in your home. Beds, sofas, entertainment centers, and pool tables can be challenging at best. Following those are the items that need more care such as fragile antiques, specialty lighting and custom built items.
First and foremost, you do not have to move these items yourself. Let the professional movers at The Liberty Group do it for you! However, if you choose to do the heavy lifting and moving on your own, here are some tips on moving furniture:
Furniture Disassembly
Fortunately, much of the furniture we have in our homes and offices today can be partially to totally disassembled for moving. Table legs can fold down or be detached; bed frames are easily broken-down into smaller components, and many couches and entertainment centers are manufactured as sectionals. When you take the time to dissemble these units, you will make it much easier on yourself and those assisting you with your relocation.
Carefully Bag and Label Hardware
The most important part of disassembly is keeping track of your hardware. The last thing you want is the hardware to go missing before you have the opportunity to re-assemble your furniture. Place all these small items such as screws, bolts, shelf pins, etc in a clear properly labeled sealable bag. Take photos as you disassemble to refer back to. Also, include notes in the bag clearly identifying what parts go where. You can tape the bag inside a drawer that piece of furniture may have but we advise not to tape it to an exterior surface where it may be torn off and lost or damaged. Keep in mind that affixing these bags to INTERIOR surfaces such as drawers will also help to avoid the marring other finished surfaces during transport. You can pack the bag of hardware in a box for the room the furniture will be moved to and label that box clearly as “open first” and the room location.
Use Quality Moving Equipment
Most tool rental locations will have furniture moving dollies and hand trucks available for rent. Don’t trust that old dolly you picked up at a yard sale or found after 20 years in your shed. Old dollies are notorious for having numerous issues from dry rot and leaking tires to straps that are in very poor condition. Do yourself a favor; Take the time and rent the right piece of equipment for the items you’re moving. Keep in mind if you hire The Liberty Group, not only will you avoid renting and returning the right equipment, you can sit back and watch our team of movers complete the task for you!
Wrap Your Furniture in Protection
When we say wrap your furniture, we are not saying use grandma’s wool blanket or bubble wrap (which can damage furniture surfaces when stored long term but is ok for smaller items stored for a short time). If you truly want to protect your furniture surfaces from scratches, dents, and blemishes, use quality, thick moving blankets. These heavy-duty blankets will protect your most cherished furniture and can be secured with rope or tape to prevent blankets from shifting during transport.
Take it Easy!
Being in a hurry can cause accidents. Walls can get damaged, floors can get scratched, or even worse – someone could be seriously injured. When you’re moving, you utilize muscles that are not used to being stressed. Back and ankle strains are the most common injuries that occur during DIY moves. Stairs are a challenge for some even if they are not carrying one side of a couch or mattress. Be sure to openly communicate with your move helpers. Stressing over timelines can only lead to accidents and or injury – take it easy and give yourself a large enough moving timeframe.
Considering hiring a mover?
When you’re looking for a name you trust, look to The Liberty Group! With over a century of continuous operation, we take our business and your needs seriously. As dedicated moving-service professionals, we understand the importance of being associated with national moving service companies. That’s why The Liberty Group is a local affiliate for United Van Lines and Mayflower Transit. As one of the moving company leaders in the United States, United Van Lines and Mayflower Transit counts on us to deliver services that meet their own national standards for moving, logistics and storage. Contact us today at 800-524-0567 or visit us online to schedule a free consultation.
