If you are reading this, I assume you have an upcoming move or are in need of moving furniture in the near future. Like any successful move, you will need to plan. To do that, simply answer these two questions: when and where. Where do you need to move the piece of furniture? When do you need it done by? Once you have these questions answered, you can move to the toughest question: How am I going to move my furniture? You may want to hire professionals to do it for you, or you may decide to do it yourself. If you choose the latter, here is the complete guide to moving furniture:
How to move a Dresser or Hutch
When moving a dresser (or anything with drawers) make sure to remove everything from the drawers first, and then remove the drawers. This will make the dresser light and easy to load in your moving truck. If you decide to keep items in the drawers, remove the drawers from the dresser and wrap the drawers with stretch wrap to keep items secure during your move. If you elect to keep the items and drawers in the dresser make sure you secure the drawers by wrapping the dresser with stretch wrap or rope. I also suggest placing the drawers toward the side of the truck or against another piece of furniture.
How to move a couch with a hide-a-bed or sofa bed
If you own a hide-a-bed couch you probably know how hard and heavy it is to move. What is the key thing when moving this type of couch? Carla, owner of C&C Moving (A Moving Helper) in San Antonio, says to “tie the bed, so, it doesn’t pop out when going downstairs or around a corner”
How to move a recliner
There are 2 steps for moving a recliner:
- Remove the back (if it comes off)
- Wrap the leg rest with a stretch wrap so it doesn’t pop out while you carry it.
How to move a TV
Our Moving Helper, Carla, told us that you should “place the TV in a personal vehicle with air conditioner, not in the back of your rental truck, where temps can reach over 100 degrees.” This can cause damage to the TV and ruin it. I also suggest using a TV box as it adds another level of protection so things don’t slide around and hit your TV.
How to move a fridge
Moving a fridge can be challenging, especially if you need the food up till your moving day. If you are able to, you should defrost your fridge prior to moving day. This will decrease the weight and ease of moving it. Steps to move a fridge:
- Defrost
- Unplug
- Tape or attach the cord to the back of the fridge
- Wrap or bungee cord the doors so they remain closed while loading
- Use an appliance dolly to load/unload
How to move a washer/dryer
I suggest putting a few blankets or pillows in the washer before you load it into your moving truck. This helps prevent the agitator from being damaged. It’s also a great place to store bulky linens. Once you unplug your washer and dryer and unhook your dryer vent, you will want to stretch wrap or tape them to the back of your washer and dryer. When ready to load, use the appliance dolly for easy loading.
How to move a glass or marble table
“Glass and marble tops are very fragile and need to be carried on their side because carrying flat is a lot of stress underweight and could result in cracking or breaking. They are structurally safe carried lengthwise on their side. Secure with ratchet straps or rope against the wall with blankets or mattresses.” – A helpful tip from Elias at Iron-Man Movers in Portland, OR.
How to move chairs
This might sound like a no-brainer, but chairs are made to stack opposite of each other to conserve space.
How to move a desk
Do you have an oddly shaped desk you are trying to move? Can you get it out the front door? If you do have an oddly shaped desk, I’m suggesting that you grab a screwdriver and take apart what you need to get it to the moving truck. If there are drawers or a keyboard tray – I suggest using tape or stretch wrap to make sure they don’t slide out during the loading process. If you have removable drawers – take them out. If there is stuff in those drawers – pack it or stretch wrap the drawers.
How to move a bed/mattress
Every time I move I forget to mark the holes where my bed-frame attaches. I suggest grabbing some masking tape or a marker and mark the proper holes for when you get to your new pad. This will eliminate the need to guess what hole the bed frame is supposed to be at.
For moving a mattress: I suggest buying a mattress bag. You paid a lot of money for that thing! Keep it safe from the elements during your move. Also if you need help with carrying it out of your place and your mattress doesn’t have handles – try using a sheet by placing the sheet on the ground and the mattress on its side and then grabbing the sheet as your handles.
How to move a piano
I have moved my piano a few times and the easiest has been when I hired a pro. That being said, using a dolly and ratchet straps worked fine too. I lifted one side, had someone place the dolly under the piano and then strapped it so it didn’t slide around and rolled it up to the truck ramp. My upright piano was couple hundred pounds so be aware to not hurt yourself. My piano also had peg legs in the front so I made sure to be aware they didn’t clip anything on the way out of the house or when being loaded onto the truck.
How to move a patio set
Patio sets are often forgotten until almost everything is loaded. I suggest you add this to your moving day checklist of items that need to be loaded and when you want them loaded. I always load my set when I am loading my kitchen table that way we can optimize space by placing on top of each other.
How to move a BBQ
“A few things go with moving BBQ’s. Always remove propane tanks if it’s going into the back of an enclosed box truck. Also, check if the BBQ had a greased pan (You do not want that spilling!), you need to make sure it’s empty or cleaned so it doesn’t spill all over.” ~Elias.
“Place cooking grill parts inside grill” ~Carla
I hope you find this article informative and helpful. If you need help with moving a certain kind of furniture and want some advice – Leave me a comment on what you have!
