Tips for Moving Your Furniture to a New House

Moving to a new home can be exciting. It often feels like the beginning of a new chapter and a fresh start to get organized and decorate how you’ve always wanted. Anyone who has moved though would probably agree that the moving process itself is no walk in the park.

Whether you’re moving across the country or just down the street, packing, loading, transporting, and unloading your belongings safely is a lot of work. Especially when it comes to large and bulky items, like most of your furniture, the process can get tricky. The good news is, we have some helpful essential tips for moving your furniture to your next house safely and efficiently!

Start with a moving plan.

Getting organized before you start moving will make the process as efficient as possible and easier on you. First, you’ll want to take an inventory list of what you have, so you don’t lose track of anything when things get chaotic. Then, determine which furniture pieces are going where and what to load and unload first. This will allow you to pack them in an order that streamlines the unloading and unpacking process.

Get the supplies you’ll need to pack and move.

Having the right equipment will ensure your safety and keep your furniture protected throughout your move. For furniture packing, you will need bubble and plastic wrap, furniture covers, tape, and moving blankets. For furniture loading and unloading, you will need moving straps, furniture sliders, and dollies for heavy and awkward items.

Disassemble whatever you can.

If you can safely dismantle a piece of furniture, you should absolutely do so ahead of moving. Disassembled pieces will be much easier to pack, physically move through doors and tight spaces, and keep protected in transit. Things like couch cushions, dresser drawers, sectional pieces, bedframes, table legs and tops, and shelves should all be removed and packed separately. Dismantle your furniture one piece at a time and put all of the hardware (screws, nuts, bolts, etc.) in a labeled Ziploc bag. You can keep these bags in their own separate box or tape them to the underside of the corresponding furniture.

Wrap furniture properly.

Once your furniture has been disassembled, it’s time to wrap the pieces to protect them from damage during the moving process. Fragile and expensive pieces should be wrapped completely. For larger, more durable pieces, you can probably get away with just wrapping the edges.

Use your plastic or bubble wrap to cover furniture and secure it with tape. Be careful not to place tape directly on your furniture pieces though, keep it on the wrapping instead. Moving blankets, old sheets, and flattened cardboard can also be used to protect heavier-duty pieces, as well as the walls when you move them.

Load heavy pieces onto the truck first.

Packing heavier furniture into the back of your moving truck will help keep the vehicle balanced and be more practical for unloading. Push square and rectangular heavy pieces to the back first, then heavy awkwardly-shaped pieces next. Then, fill the front space with smaller boxes. Items like couches, dressers, mattresses, and appliances should be among the first to be loaded. Be sure to lift your heavy furniture carefully, so you don’t end up hurting yourself. Lift with your legs, bending at the knees, and not your back. Keep the item close to your body to help you balance as you move.

Organize as you unload.

Unpacking and getting settled after a tiresome move will be much easier if you sort your furniture as you unload it. Put each piece in the room where you’ll be setting it up to get most of the heavy moving out of the way first. As you go, refer to the inventory list you made. Follow along and check off items as you unload and place them in (or near) their final destination.

A move can be a good opportunity to evaluate which furniture you want to keep, and what is due for an upgrade. At Conway Furniture, we offer a vast selection of high-quality furniture for every room in the house! Whether you’re replacing staple furniture, like a couch or bed, or just want a few new accents or supplemental pieces to fill out your new space, you’ll find everything you need at Conway. Our experts will even deliver and set up new furniture in southwest Ontario homes for free.

Browse our furniture collections online or make an appointment to stop by our showroom today!