Disassembling and Packing Furniture: Tips for DIY Moving

Relocating involves numerous details,  and the question of how to move furniture inevitably stands out when planning a move.  Disassembling and reassembling furniture are usually among the most challenging aspects, so our moving company includes this service free of charge, you are just paying the hourly rate. 

However, if you choose a DIY move vs hiring professional movers, understanding the standards and best practices can make a significant difference. Disassembling furniture on your own takes extra time and effort during local move or interstate move. Here’s a guide on how to dismantle different types of furniture. 

Decide What Really Needs to be Disassembled 

If you choose to move yourself instead of a professional moving company,  you will need to disassemble some of the large furniture pieces.  It’s not necessary to disassemble all furniture, as this can add unnecessary complications and stress. 

Evaluate which pieces are the largest and especially those that may not fit through doorways, such as beds, sofas, and wardrobes. Small furniture items like chairs, nightstands, or coffee tables don’t need disassembly, proper packaging and stacking in the truck is sufficient.

Packing Supplies and Preparation

Successful furniture moving starts with proper preparation. Gather essential tools like screwdrivers, drills, and allen wrenches, along with packing supplies such as moving pads and floor protection, tape,  bubble wrap, cardboard,  tape, and stretch film. This ensures you’re ready to disassemble any piece of furniture safely. 

Protect Your Property and Furniture

One of the important parts of the process is ensuring the safety of both your furniture and the premises during the work. It’s especially crucial  to protect the interior, floors and areas like doorways, narrow halls, and sharp corners are high-risk zones for scratches and dents. Properly covering furniture and using floor protectors can prevent damage to both your items and the property.

Case and Hardwood Furniture Disassembly

Follow these steps if hardwood furniture needs disassembling

• Start by emptying all items from dressers, wardrobes, and desks.
• Make sure to protect the floor with special floor protection or blankets, you don’t need any scratches. 
• Take out shelves, wrap them in stretch wrap and moving blankets. 
• If there are glass elements,  carefully remove them, wrap in moving blankets or bubble wrap, and in cardboard for extra protection. 
• Next, detach any removable parts, including legs and wheels.
• If the furniture is not too heavy, we recommend not to take off the doors from cabinets or wardrobes,  and drawers  from dressers. This will protect the furniture structurally. 
• Make sure to protect doors and drawers from opening  with moving pads or scratch wrap with  tape over it to prevent them from opening during transportation. 
• Collect and label all hardware, storing screws and other small parts in a labeled bag attached to the furniture piece, ensuring easy reassembly.

How to Pack and Disassemble a Couch for Moving?

For upholstered furniture like sofas and armchairs, follow general principles based on the type of sofa. Start by understanding the sofa’s mechanism and its disassembly part. You might find how to assemble and transport the piece in the official instructions on the web site of the producer. 

• Remove all soft components like cushions and armrests first, wrapping them in moving pads or special protective bags or stretch film.
• To avoid any unexpected extensions during transportation, firmly fasten the folding mechanisms of sleeper sofas.
• If the furniture has legs that can be unscrewed, do so; if not, wrap them in cardboard for protection. 
• If there is a mattress, it is recommended to be detached and packed in a mattress bag. 
• For leather furniture, always use soft moving pads and even special protective sprays , particularly in colder climates, to prevent damage.

Professional Tips and Potential Mistakes 

• Avoid dismantling glued or vintage furniture! Professional assistance will be needed to prevent damage.
• Invest in quality packing supplies like soft moving pads, tape and stretch wrap. It is crucial for the protection of your items during the move.
• When disassembling and reassembling furniture, avoid using excessive force, which can lead to damage.
• Protect your property, especially the floors. Use special rubber runners or pads. Especially important if you’re moving into a newly renovated space, take care of narrow halls, door jambs, and sharp turns.
• Inspect the furniture’s hardware; some fasteners may need to be replaced after disassembly as they are supposed for single use. 
• Clearly label every piece and multiple components of your furniture to streamline the reassembly process.
• Use hard body trucks or vans for transportation and make sure to stack the furniture inside the truck in the right way and secure it with special tie-down ratchet straps to prevent shifts during the move.

Following our tips will help you to make a damage-free disassembly. But if you’re not confident in doing it yourself, it’s best to seek professional help and hire movers.  We come with all the tools and packing materials needed, and we can also move your furniture to its new home and reassemble it back.  Furniture disassembly is a routine task for our company. This won’t take much time, doesn’t require your participation, and, importantly, we’re responsible for our services. 

Along with full moving service we  offer labor-only movers who are skilled in handling furniture with care. We provide moving help with disassembling and packing your furniture for a long distance relocation or local move in Boston, loading your rented truck or POD, or unloading at your new location. Our furniture movers are ready to ensure the safe disassembling and stacking of your belongings, making the moving process as smooth as possible. Trust us to handle the heavy lifting and difficult tasks, saving you time.

Move easily, let us take care of everything!