It can be easy to damage your furniture when moving into your new apartment — things can be handled roughly and get bumped, scratched, or fall over. But there are ways to protect your furniture when moving. Here are some tips for keeping your furniture safe during the moving process.
Use the right tools for the job
You may think that moving furniture is nothing more than lifting a piece up and putting it where you want it, but it’s surprisingly easy to damage your belongings doing just that. You can bump a piece of furniture, drop it or scrape it as you’re moving it.
There’s no guarantee that your furniture will arrive at your new apartment completely blemish-free, but you can minimize the risks of damage by using the proper furniture moving tools:
- Furniture pads are very thick blankets that you put over your furniture to protect pieces from being nicked. Use these especially if you plan to stack boxes or other items on top of your furniture during the move.
- Straps and bungee cords should be used to keep furniture in place while on the truck so items don’t move or fall over.
- Bubble wrap is especially important for furniture with glass or other fragile elements.
- Shrink wrap can be used on furniture to guard against dirt, water and grime. It can also help minimize scratching.
- Dollies and hand trucks should be used to roll your furniture around. Hand-carrying a piece of furniture increases the likelihood that it will be dropped or make contact with a wall or other items, leading to damage.
Tricks for moving furniture
Even if you wrap your furniture carefully, it can still become damaged during transport. There are some other steps you can take to not only help your furniture make it to your new destination relatively unscathed, but also make moving furniture a lot easier.
- Take larger pieces apart: If you can remove the legs to your kitchen table, do so. Disassembling a larger piece makes moving it much easier than if you tried to move it in one piece. Just remember to keep all the parts together.
- Tape off drawers and doors: This will prevent them from coming open during the move and banging into something or someone, or falling to the ground.
- Use furniture gliders: These small round gliders can be bought at retailers such as Lowes or Home Depot, and make sliding furniture across the floor so simple it can usually be done by one person.
- Empty it out: It’s tempting to leave drawers full, but it’s best to empty them prior to moving furniture. The furniture will be lighter and easier to control.
- Pack smart: Make sure that everything is secure in the truck to keep items from shifting and getting damaged in transit.
- Hire someone to move you: Professional movers are trained to handle items that are heavy or difficult to move.
Lastly, get insurance for your move. With the right moving insurance, any damage done during the move should be covered.