How to Pack Your Furniture for Moving

You absolutely adore your vintage wooden dresser and your 10-seater leather couch, but that admiration might begin to wane when you have to relocate these beloved pieces during your next big move. But just because your furniture is especially large or cumbersome doesn’t mean it has to be a headache when switching homes. It’s simply a matter of figuring out what to do with your furniture when moving it. 

Because it’s so important to know how to move furniture without damaging it (or injuring yourself in the process), we’ve created a guide to help you navigate your next moving endeavor. Our guide covers everything from what supplies you need to how to cover furniture when moving. Follow our advice below, and you’ll be all set to move your furniture, no matter how big or small. 

Get the Right Packing Supplies

If you want to know how to pack furniture for moving, you’re going to need to start with the right packing supplies. You’ll need plastic wrap, bubble wrap, and moving blankets to protect your belongings. Also, stock up on moving tape, markers, and plastic baggies to help you label and keep all the parts together. 

Next, grab your toolbox. If you’re disassembling any parts (which we’ll cover in the next step), you may need a screwdriver or other tools. It’s also a good idea to have a measuring tape on hand to ensure your furniture can fit through the doorways and hallways. Finally, track down some cleaning supplies like a duster, glass cleaner, and surface cleaner, so you can wipe down and clean your furniture before packing it away. 

Disassemble What You Can

When preparing your furniture for moving, look into what you can disassemble to make the items lighter and less unwieldy. But before you grab the screwdriver and start removing pieces, take photos of all your furniture so that you remember where each piece goes. Also, label your parts and place any spare pieces like nuts and bolts in a baggie. This will take the guesswork out of remembering where each piece goes when it comes to reassembling. 

Next, assess your furniture and see what looks like it can be taken apart. When in doubt, consult your owner’s manual to determine what you can remove without compromising the item. For instance, can you remove the legs on your couch? Does the glass piece detach from your coffee table? What about the drawers in your dresser—can you take them out to lighten the load? 

You might be surprised at just how much you can disassemble to make moving your furniture easier than ever!

Wrap Furniture With Plastic and Moving Blankets

You’ve probably heard it’s a good idea to wrap your items, but how exactly do you wrap furniture for moving? Start by cleaning your furniture, ridding it of any dirt and dust. Then, turn to your plastic wrap. Plastic or shrink wrap is great for protecting your furniture and keeping all the parts together. 

If you’re trying to figure out how to wrap a couch for moving, for instance, stretch the plastic around the body of the couch several times. You may need an extra pair of hands as this can be tricky to do on your own. If the couch has sharp corners, place some cardboard over them and place the plastic wrap on top for extra protection. If you’re wrapping furniture like desks or dressers, you can use this plastic to keep items like shelves or drawers from falling out, too. 

Once you’ve wrapped your furniture with plastic wrap, move on to the blankets. If you’re wondering how to wrap your furniture in blankets, it’s really quite easy. Drape the moving blanket over the furniture and use tape to secure it down. You can also tape moving blankets onto your walls and door frames to avoid nicks and dings. These blankets offer double duty as they can also help protect your furniture should it rain or snow during your move. 

You can also enlist the help of bubble wrap when moving fragile items like mirrors or glass. Wrap a layer or two of bubble wrap in between the item and the plastic wrap to give it extra padding. 

Utilize Moving Equipment

You’re not impressing anyone by single-handedly balancing your couch on your shoulders or dragging your armoire out the door on your own. You’re only hurting yourself—literally. If you don’t know how to properly move your furniture, you could wind up injuring yourself and damaging your belongings in the process. 

Instead, take advantage of moving equipment that can take the load off of your back, arms, and legs. Round up a few friends or family members to help you prop your furniture onto a dolly or hand truck. Be sure to have someone spotting, too, in case something shifts or falls. Use this moving equipment to move your furniture from Point A to Point B with ease. This will make the moving process smoother and quicker. 

Rent a Moving Truck With a Ramp and Tie-Downs

Now that your furniture is all prepped and ready to go, it’s time to transport it. We recommend renting a truck with a ramp to relocate your belongings. If you go this route, contact the moving truck company in advance to ensure there is a vehicle available on your moving day. 

Once you have a truck, use the moving equipment mentioned above to roll your furniture onto the ramp and into the moving truck. Next, use tie-downs to help keep your items in place and prevent them from rolling around or knocking against each other. After you’ve properly secured your furniture in the moving truck, you’re all set to transport it to your next destination. 

Look into Storage Options

Now that you know how to pack your furniture for moving, you might need to find a temporary home for it. Maybe you’ve moved out of your old place, but your new home isn’t ready for you to move in yet. Or perhaps you bought some new furniture but still need a place to keep your old furniture until you can sell it. Whatever the case, a storage unit can come in handy when you need a place to store your belongings. 

Here at Stor-It, we feature more than 16 storage facilities across Southern Idaho. We offer all kinds of storage unit sizes to ensure you find the right fit for your belongings. Contact us today to learn more!