When relocating long distances, one of the essential things is to know how to pack furniture because it can get damaged and cost you a fortune. After a house and a car, household items are the third most expensive belongings that people buy in their lifetime. And if you consider that an average American moves around 12 times in a lifetime, you understand the importance of doing it efficiently.
Protecting and wrapping furniture for moving might be the last thing on your mind with all those tasks that need to be done. However, it should be done, especially if you want to avoid relocation stress. Another reason you should learn some tricks on how to protect precious pieces is that the average life of a sofa is 2,958 days. That’s about eight years. So besides preparing relocation essentials, make sure all of your belongings are safely wrapped and loaded into the truck. Here are things you need to know before you start packing.
Once you decide what the best time to move is, you need to start planning the whole relocation. The planning part is essential because that way, you’ll stay organized and on track with all tasks you have to complete. There’s no better way of accomplishing it than having a relocation checklist with everything you need to do.
If you’ve never moved before, add preparing household belongings to your relocation to-do list. It’s essential to be familiar with efficiently wrapping these items because you don’t want to buy new ones once professional movers unload them from the truck.
No matter if you’re relocating from an apartment to a house or vice versa, from a house to an apartment, downsizing is always a good idea. So before you start developing strategies for the packing process, first go through your entire inventory and decide what will be worth bringing to your new home with you. It’s a great solution if you’re looking for the cheapest way to move, because the fewer stuff you have to move, the price of your relocation will be lower. So not only will you save on relocation costs, but you won’t lose your time dealing with the stuff you don’t really want.
The benefits of relocation are many, as are the reasons for relocation. So if you got an amazing job opportunity or you just want to move your office, you’ll probably need some tips and tricks on how to wrap everything and move it safely. Luckily, relocation is the perfect way of getting rid of things you won’t need anymore. Since we spend around 33% of our lives in bed, it’s one of the pieces you need to make sure arrive safely at your future home. For all other things, start decluttering room by room and decide whether you should bring them with you.
Don’t despair if you don’t know what to do with all that stuff you won’t bring. You can always organize a garage sale or donate some things to a local charity or Goodwill. If you’re wondering where to donate household furnishings, explore some charity organizations that offer a free pickup.
When wondering what the best way to pack furniture for moving is, the first thing you need to get is the right equipment and materials for the wrapping process. While you’re going through your inventory and deciding what you’ll move to the new home, you’ll see what kind of supplies are needed. Keep in mind that some pieces require extra protection, so make sure you get as many materials as you can in the beginning.
Every efficient move requires a good plan. If you decided not to use the packing services that professional movers offer, you need to know what the best materials for your larger stuff are. Unlike wrapping up plates, which requires mostly packing paper and bubble wrap, your list of materials will be slightly different in this case. Let’s see which supplies are the best for this process:
No matter if you’re in a last-minute move or not, the essential thing is to organize your move. One of the steps in achieving this is most certainly getting the right equipment. Once you get it, you can move on to wrapping up the larger belongings. Some things are more robust than others and need to be disassembled because it’s the only way to have secure transport. One of the most common relocation mistakes one can make is precisely not disassembling larger belongings. That’s why, if you need help from professional cross country movers, they will do it instead.
However, if you decide to do the disassembling part on your own, make sure you do it before the relocation day. It’s essential because when the professional movers come, not only will it be crowded, but in all chaos, you can easily forget to do it. So, if you’re wondering when to start wrapping up for the move, the answer would be at least two weeks before the relocation day.
To secure and protect bigger stuff, make sure you find the official product manual. If you can’t find it, odds are that it can be found online. Once you finish with the disassembling and protecting part, place the screws and other smaller things into a ziplock bag and put a label on it.
When wrapping up an object that has more than one piece, you probably have to disassemble it. This means you’ll clean it more easily than you would if it was in one piece. So, grab all the cleaning materials you have, and before you protect each piece with plastic covers and tape, ensure there are no pests or dust. After you’re done with this task, ensure you add some cleaning materials to your new apartment checklist.
Watch out for more delicate surfaces and don’t work with abrasive cleaning materials. One gentle wipe with a soft mop should suffice. Watch the video below to learn some of the best secrets for cleaning wooden objects.
After all the preparations, we got to the actual wrapping up part. If you followed all the steps above, this part will be a breeze since you have everything needed for the process. So, for the bigger objects, it’s best to place blankets on the ground and ensure they are wrapped up from all sides. To seal everything, put one or more layers on top. This method will go best for couches, sofas, and mattresses. For other stuff, you need to add an extra layer of protection.
For some, wooden objects can be a nightmare when it comes to securing them for the move. Not only are these objects very delicate, but they are often very pricey, so you need to do everything to ensure they arrive at your new destination unscratched.
If your wooden object can be disassembled, then you most certainly should do it. Separate the legs and cover them with a soft material. Remove and secure drawers and ensure the handles are protected as well. Last but not least, an important step is to watch out for the edges. Protecting the exposed edges is something you need to think about and ensure the soft material you put on them is sealed.
You protected all the larger stuff you want to move, and you think the job here is done. Think twice because you still have to load everything into a truck. Here are some tips on how to safely load everything without even a tiny possibility for breaking:
Once you finish with all the tasks for this relocation, from putting on paper all the things people most commonly forget when relocating to designating an essential bag for the relocation day, you have to learn some tips on safely moving heavier stuff without hurting yourself. The best way to do it is by calling family and friends to assist you or getting a professional helping hand. Imagine lifting a couch or closet on your own. It’s better not to take that risk, so get a relocation dolly and all have all the heavier stuff loaded with this unforgettable helper.
Achieving a stress-free move isn’t always the easiest thing to do. However, it’s more than possible with the right help and efficient movers that will take care of all the long-distance moving services. That’s why, if you are having some trouble with figuring out how to secure your larger objects, letting professionals do it is the best choice. Not only will they deal with the tedious tasks like wrapping up, but they will also provide you with a reliable auto transport quote if you opt to relocate your vehicle, as well.
