How Can I Protect My Furniture During a Move?

About 33% of renters move every year, and one of the trickiest parts during a move is keeping your furniture safe from dings, scratches, and (even worse) major damage. Glass can be scratched or break, wood can be gouged, and upholstery can be stained and torn without the proper precautions. It’s essential to plan ahead to make sure all of your furniture arrives at your new location damage-free. That said, here are a few ways you can make sure that your furniture stays safe, secure, and protected during your move.

Use the right packing supplies

The best way to protect your furniture during your move is to make sure that you have the right packing supplies ahead of time and the right amount. It’s typically recommended to get more packing supplies than you think you’ll need. Your packing supplies will need to consist of:

Bubble wrap
Cardboard sheets (corrugated)
Plastic bags (sealable)
Saran wrap
Mattress covers
Sofa covers

Bubble wrap will be your absolute best friend when moving your furniture because it helps to keep the more fragile parts protected. Mattress and sofa covers are also crucial to protect fabric and upholstery from rips, scratches, and stains. Remember that mattresses, couches, and chairs can be heavy and a protective cover ensures that no dirt or grime gets where it shouldn’t.

Prepare your furniture for moving ahead of time

If your furniture can be dismantled, it’s recommended to do it ahead of time before you begin wrapping your furniture. Dismantling your furniture will make it easier to move larger pieces without worrying about potential damage. If the owner’s manual for your furniture is available, make sure to follow it and use sealable baggies to hold the hardware you need to reassemble the furniture later at your new home. Tape the bag shut for additional security and label each bag with a permanent marker so you know which bag belongs to which piece of furniture.

What’s more, you can wrap more fragile pieces of the furniture securely when they’re detached from the rest of the piece. For instance, if your couch has wooden legs and you’re worried about them being scratched or gouged during the move, but the legs can be removed, you can take the couch apart and bubble wrap the legs securely to ensure their safety while covering the sofa with a protector.

Wrap your furniture

Speaking of wrapping pieces of your furniture, it’s important to make sure you’re wrapping correctly. Bubble wrap is best used to protect wood while saran wrap is best used to protect upholstery. While wrapping wooden pieces, use corrugated cardboard sheets for an additional layer of protection to prevent scratches. Bubble wrap is also great for protecting mirrors and glass. For the best possible protection, use painter’s tape to create a large “X” on the glass or mirror and then wrap the item completely with bubble wrap before placing the item between two sheets of large cardboard. This will help to significantly reduce the risk of the glass or mirror shattering or breaking while it’s being moved.

Hire the professionals

It’s important to make sure that you’re wrapping your furniture with care before your big move whether you plan on moving yourself, with friends and family, or you plan on hiring professional movers. However, it’s a good idea to hire a residential moving service if you’re worried about your furniture being damaged. Professional moving services have experience not only moving furniture in a way to ensure that it doesn’t get damaged but also wrapping furniture correctly for protection.

Additionally, they have the experience assembling wrapped furniture carefully in a moving truck to prevent any unfortunate mishaps. This last point is especially important as many DIY movers are unsure of how to place their furniture in their moving trucks to prevent boxes or important pieces from falling or sliding into each other. Professional movers can set up the moving truck correctly for the best security possible.

Are you relocating and need moving professionals to help make your move easier? We’ve got you covered. Craig Van Lines has the professional moving assistance to help keep your furniture and other belongings damage-free during your move. To learn more about our moving services, contact Craig Van Lines for moving help today.