Moving house is a stressful and often time-consuming ordeal, and even more so when you have large, fragile items to move.
From glass dining room tables to massive bookcases, it can feel like these bulky yet delicate items are impossible to move in one piece.
The good news: you don’t have to do everything by yourself when there are ways to make moving these large and fragile items much easier.
Here are some tips to protect your heavy-set furniture during the move.
1) Protect your glassware
The key to protecting your china during a move is bubble wrap. But there are techniques you’ll have to consider as well.
While it might be tempting to stick the plates and teacups in one wrap and be done with it, this can actually cause more damage than good.
Not only does wrapping plates and cups too tightly make it difficult to move, but it also causes your fragile glassware to shatter at the tiniest pressure.
Instead, opt for a few single layers of loose bubbles for dishes and plates. This allows you to pack the items in the same place without them bumping or rubbing against together.
2) Cover furniture with tape
While bubble wrap does a great job at protecting your china, it doesn’t work too well with the grandfather clock or wooden coffee table.
Instead of using multiple layers of bubble wrap to cushion their corners, opt for soft material such as towels or blankets that can later be thrown in the wash. After getting these items secured and ready to ship, use duct or masking tape to properly secure the furniture in place and prevent loose movements.
3) Hire removalists to move your items
From juggling calls with utility companies to updating addresses in relevant offices, you’ll be doing much more than bringing your furniture from one place to the next.
This is why it can be a lot less stressful to simply hire removalists who have the right equipment and expertise to handle your heavy, fragile items.
Not only do they have experience moving large sets of house furniture, but you’ll also save time and stress by letting them take care of some of the more technical aspects of the move.
Need to find a removalist company but don’t know where to start? Use Muval to find furniture removalists in Australia.
4) Wrap the legs of your furniture in plastic
Many people don’t think to wrap furniture’s legs when moving, but this little step can go a long way when it comes to protecting your delicate items.
When wrapping your larger pieces of furniture in bubble wrap or protective towels, make sure to also cover the bottom two feet with additional layers for added safety.
The reason you should consider this is because the legs are the most likely part of furniture to break, especially if there is any added weight on top.
Wrapping your legs will not only prevent them from getting damaged, but also makes it easier for removalists to move them into storage or onto a truck without having to worry about their stability.
5) Dismantle large furniture if possible
Although it can be a big hassle to take apart large furniture, taking these extra steps in the moving process will help to protect your items during transit.
For example, removing the legs from dressers or nightstands will allow you to move them much easier when spread to a flatter surface.
This also helps to reduce the risk of them breaking as you pull them from place to place.
In addition, taking apart pieces such as bed frames will not only make them easier to move but it’ll also help protect your mattress from being punctured by screws or sharp corners. Just be sure to have the tools to assemble them back into place.
6) Consider binning old furniture
Does your old table have too many scratches? Are your kitchen appliances rusting? Consider donating or binning them.
You’re by no means indebted to keep your old furniture around, especially when it’s no longer in good condition.
Whether you take a few minutes to advertise them on Facebook Marketplace or give them away for free, someone out there will appreciate your old furniture as much as you once did.
Selling online can even open the doors for you to barter with other individuals, giving you more options to style your new home.
7) Measure everything
It’ll be a shame if you’ve brought some large furniture to your new home’s lawn—only for it to not make it past the front door.
To avoid any setbacks, use a measuring tape to check the width and height of each of your furniture pieces before you bring it over.
This is especially important if your furniture cannot be disassembled as you’ll need to make sure they fit in both the house and the room they’ll settle in.
By doing this, you’ll avoid any unnecessary headaches during the move and allow you to get settled in much more quickly.