Avoiding the Pitfalls When Moving Furniture

When moving, it’s difficult to know whether or not your furniture will fit. Larger items like sofas and desks can take up more space than you predict. Best-case scenario, you might find yourself with a stuffed living room for a couple days before you can find a sufficient storage solution. The risk (if you could call it a risk) is that you’re damaging your furniture by squeezing it through a tight space, or not fitting through the doorway of your new place. This might not seem like a big deal, but on moving day the added stress of furniture fitting shouldn’t be on your mind. That’s why we here at Hendra have come up with some helpful tips for moving furniture.

Prioritize Planning

Knowing the layout of your new space is an important step in moving furniture. Talk to your new landlord or the previous owner to provide you with some rough estimates of doorways, room sizes, and so on. Certain pieces might provide some difficulty when passing through doors and windows. For this, I recommend dismantling these pieces. If you’re moving to or from an apartment, you’ll have to plan your route accordingly. Ask yourself where the trickier spots upon entry or exit will be and how many people you’ll need to help you out. Worried about a difficult fit? Take a tape measure to these difficult areas and check to see what you’ll need.

Consider Downsizing

Getting rid of furniture is a great alternative to putting it in storage if the item is of no particular value (personal or otherwise). Thrift outlets such as The Salvation Army and Value Village will take anything as long as it’s not completely destroyed or gross. You might even find some catharsis in the removal of some items in your life, so long as you’re not too ruthless in what you give away. Remember that mindset is important when purging your possessions. For more on this, read our recent post about downsizing when moving.

Equip Yourself with the Proper Tools

Dolly’s, furniture straps, and a roll of cellophane wrap will ensure that you and your things stay unscathed by the moving process. Wrap the corners of your wooden pieces with cellophane or an old tablecloth to keep it from getting scratched. When it comes to choosing the right dolly for your needs, look for one made for moving furniture. These are four wheeled carts that have a handle at the back. Be careful not to get the variety with no handle, as these are less useful in most instances. Moving straps can also be handy if you’re going up and down stairs with your things, but if possible it’s best to stick to the furniture dolly.

Tips For Heavy Furniture

Moving heavy furniture to fit into the floor plan of your new place can be the worst kind of hassle. The fact that it’s also the most expensive furniture that is also the heaviest doesn’t help either. Let’s hope you’ve forged some friendships with beefier peers because you might need help when taking these items on. It’s important to practice safe lifting techniques when moving these larger pieces. Lifting from your legs and keeping a rigid back can prevent injury. And be sure that your the route you’ll using isn’t cluttered with possible hazards. Clearing clutter and supplies while maintaining a non-hazardous driveway (free from ice or mud) can prevent accident. Hiring a professional to get this done could save you (and your back) a heap of trouble. However, it won’t make the organization of things any easier. Have a solid floor plan when unloading your things from the moving truck so you spend less time deciding on where things should go.

Having Trouble Making things Fit?

I’ll reiterate, can you take apart your furniture? I know that unless it has the Ikea logo slapped on the side you likely didn’t have a hand in putting it together. However, most things that can be taken apart can be put together just as easily. If you don’t feel comfortable taking apart your couches, bookshelves, desks, or sofa’s then consider storage as an option. Storage is a solution for those who don’t want to sell their ill-fitting chairs and tables. Hendra’s 17,000 square foot, temperature controlled facility is centrally located and is clean, secure, and affordable.

Need Help?

Professionals can offer you the necessary services needed to relocate large pieces of furniture. As we’ve seen here, there is no catch all trick to moving furniture. It’s tough on your back and if you’re moving into a smaller space, you might find yourself with a cluttered space. Hiring a moving company is a great way to keep your things unscathed throughout the moving process. Hendra’s professionals will take great care in the process of moving your furniture so request an estimate today.