When relocating to another country, you want to ensure your belongings stay protected during the trip. Whether you are doing everything yourself or have professional packers, you will still have to know how to prepare your items for the move. Therefore, we want to show you how to pack furniture with ease.
You’ve already researched what the best countries to live in are and if there are worthwhile jobs for Americans in Europe. However, you still have to figure out how to move to another country and relocate all of your items successfully. We will share advice on how to correctly transport your tables, dressers, sofas, and chairs. Follow our specific guidelines, and you won’t experience any relocation stress, which is important since you are relocating during the coronavirus pandemic.
Why Is It Vital to Know How to Pack Furniture?
Whether you are relocating to New York or trying to move to Canada, you will require furnishings in your new home. There are certain instructions to follow when boxing up your belongings because tables, chairs, and sofas are made out of different materials and fabrics. Things made of wood can easily get gouged, and upholstery can get ripped.
Therefore, you have to know the correct wrapping and boxing-up process for each item. Also, some of your things are heavier than others, so you should know specific techniques on how you can lift and move any item and how to dismantle some pieces that can be taken apart. If you prepare for your relocation weeks in advance, you will move efficiently and effortlessly.
What Packing Supplies and Materials Do You Need?
There are some essential supplies and materials that you must have on your moving abroad checklist. You won’t be able to protect your belongings from damage if you only stock up on regular-sized cardboard boxes and duct tape. Think about investing a little bit more in your move and getting:
- Corrugated cardboard sheets,
- Sofa and mattress covers,
- Bubble wrap,
- Plastic stretch wrap,
- Sealable plastic bag,
- Duct tape.
Check your local hardware store for all the supplies on this list. Of course, you can always find some other way to obtain these materials. You can always save money by asking your friends and family if they have some spare materials from their recent moves, or you can check the Craigslist website, where you can find a plethora of materials for free.
An Essential Supply When Packing Furniture is Plastic Wrap
If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on your materials or supplies or are relocating on a low budget, you can always find a way to get some materials, such as cardboard sheets and bubble wrap, for free. But think about investing in a new high-quality stretch wrap. This easy-to-use material is an essential part of your boxing-up process. You can wind this material around any couch or table, and it will protect it from dirt and secure it so it doesn’t get scratched or damaged. Also, it doesn’t leave any sticky or messy residue when unpacking your belongings after the relocation.
First Declutter Your Home and Sort Out Your Belongings
You don’t want to spend unnecessary time and money preparing some old and worn-out belongings for the move. It will only create additional tasks if you box up cupboards that don’t have any handles or couches with broken springs. Before you prepare your furnishings for the move, make sure to declutter your home.
Also, some pieces you haven’t used in a long time and that have been collecting dust in the attic should also not be on the relocation checklist. You should decide what should be packed when moving overseas and what can be recycled or donated. Evaluate everything and consider if there are good enough reasons to move some belongings. You want to have only the most essential items in your new home.
How to Prepare Furniture For Moving
If you’ve been wondering, what is the easiest way to transport furniture, there is a simple solution to preparing all of your couches, beds and chairs for the move. You should start by cleaning everything thoroughly. You want to remove dust and debris, which can scratch hard surfaces when wrapping and boxing everything up. A wise tip would be to simply use a little bit of water and dishwashing soap for wiping all the delicate wooden surfaces. For couches and armchairs, using a vacuum cleaner would be the best. Doing this will ensure that you don’t bring any dirt or debris into your new home when you start unpacking.
Don’t Forget to Disassemble All of Your Items
Your international moving will be more stressful if you don’t dismantle some of your belongings. Start with simple tasks like removing castors, knobs, and pulls from some pieces. Your dressers will become earlier to move if you take the drawers out. For some other pieces, you will need your toolbox and more effort. A wise thing to do would be to remove all the legs from the tables. Also, take out cushions and remove the legs from the couches.
If you’ve been thinking about what to do with your king-size bed, you should take the mattress out of bed and try to take apart bed frames if you can. Another wise hack for the disassembling process is to use the owner’s manual you got when you purchased the item. In this way, you will probably make fewer mistakes.
Don’t forget to pack all the small, fragile items like screws and hardware for each piece in a sealable bag so you don’t lose anything because you will need them all when assembling your belongings in the new home.
Here is a helpful video on how to disassemble your couch efficiently.
How Do You Pack Wood Furniture For Moving?
When deciding how to pack furniture when moving, you have to be aware of different methods you have to consider for different types of pieces. There are materials and supplies that you should avoid using when boxing up your tables, chairs, and dressers. Take extra precautions when relocating your wooden pieces because the smallest mistakes can lead to scratches and bumps. Finally, when you have obtained the proper equipment and cleaned your belongings, you can start with the boxing-up process.
How to Protect Your Table?
You want to invest in shipping overseas, but you don’t know if there are some rules to correctly wrapping furniture for moving? Well, when it comes to your table, you should be cautious. Wood is very delicate and porous, so you should avoid covering it in bubble wrap because the surface can get damaged. If you have unscrewed the legs from your table, the best thing you can do is cover every inch of the table, including the edges, with blankets.
If you want the blankets to stay in place, you can use tape to secure everything. The legs can also be covered in protective material and taped together. When you load the table into the truck, place it on the floor or use rope or straps to secure it against the wall of the truck.
What to Do With Dining Room Chairs?
When relocating across the world, you might also be thinking about taking your whole dining room set, so you will need to box up your chairs, too. Some of these chairs are also made of wood, so you don’t want to use bubble wrap directly on the chair’s surface. Make sure you remove all the legs if they are detachable. Use paper or tags for marking each leg so you know to what specific chair it belongs. Cover the chairs with a relocation blanket and secure everything in place with either plastic wrapping material or duct tape.
How Do You Pack Heavy Furniture?
The task of relocating some of the heavier objects in your home may pose a challenge for some. But, with good organization and plan, you can quickly move your large belongings, too. Those things that cannot be taken apart, you have to measure. You want to calculate if the objects can fit through doorways or go down the staircase. When you figure out how you can take the belongings out of the house, make sure to clear the path. There shouldn’t be any empty boxes or old belongings scattered around the house when relocating large items.
How to Store Your Sofa?
You are preparing for your life overseas, and you want to know how to box up your sofa? The process isn’t that complicated. First, evaluate if anything can be taken apart, such as cushions and legs. You should loosen the screws and the bolts. Sofas are usually upholstered, so they require more care than other objects. You should cover the cushions and pillows with materials such as plastic wrapping material. The whole sofa should be protected with blankets and also duct tape.
For relocating the couch, you have two options you can choose from. Either buy a four-wheel dolly or sliders which can be placed under the feet of the couch. With sliders, you would be able to move the couch with ease as well as protect your floor.
How to Prepare a Dresser for the Move?
If your dresser is too heavy to move, you can take out the drawers, which will make it lighter. Remove any parts that can be detached. Some dressers have mirrors or glass shelving, so you can tape an “X” over it so that it doesn’t break. You can cover the whole dresser with protective material or simply use a blanket. You can also use the protective material over the blanket to prevent anything from shifting during the move. When you finish the process, you can lift the dresser and place it on the four-wheel dolly if you want to move it easily.
Get Help From Your Movers
If you have any dilemmas or problems with the question of how to pack furniture for moving, your overseas moving company will be able to help you. Movers can offer you packing services so you will have more time for other tasks that need to be done. Movers can organize your belongings into categories and load everything into a truck without any hiccups. If you have any questions about wrapping furniture, they will be able to give you additional tips. With your mover’s help, you will have more time to think about how you will live in another country and also how you can adjust to a new country.
Consider Investing in Overseas Vehicle Shipping
You might want to relocate some of your belongings in your car, but this is not recommended. If you want to ensure that your vehicle and your belongings stay safe and protected during the whole move, you should consider overseas vehicle shipping. Contact an overseas shipping company and get more information on what are the benefits of shipping a car overseas.
To Wrap It All Up
If you’ve been asking yourself – how do you pack furniture for cargo, our tips offer you all the necessary details you might need when preparing for the move. Don’t forget to get all the necessary supplies and materials, which will ensure your belongings stay intact in transit. Also, you can always count on your international moving company that can provide advice and information about all the things you might have difficulties with.
