Learning how to pack furniture before relocating to your new Chicago home will save you a ton of problems. Considering the size and weight of these things, it’s not surprising that they are often very hard to handle. More importantly, they can easily cause a painful injury if you’re not careful enough. To prevent any potentially uncomfortable situations, check out how you can properly secure these belongings for the move.
Learning How to Pack Furniture Is No Easy Task
Packing furniture and other large items has to be one of the most challenging things to do before relocating. While relocation hacks might help you with boxing up electronics or even some fragile belongings, there’s no way around lifting a heavy couch. That’s precisely why you should always look for assistance when dealing with these objects. Besides allowing you to move efficiently, calling up a few friends or hiring professional movers in Chicago will reduce the risk of suffering a painful injury. Still, if you’re unsure what needs to be done, this guide will take you through all the necessary steps.
Decide Which Pieces You Want to Move to the New Place
Before you start wrapping anything, it’s important to comb through your entire inventory carefully. This will help you decide what to do with each piece you own. But how do you choose what to keep and what to throw away? If something is too old, unnecessary, or doesn’t go with your personal esthetics, keeping it is probably not worth it.
This is especially true for couples who plan to move in together, as there’s no reason to own two sets of everything. On that note, if you’re planning to relocate a piano or any other large item, consider whether they can fit in the new home. Before deciding how to proceed, don’t forget to measure each problematic piece and all the doorways, hallways, and other tight places.
Deal With All the Items You Don’t Want to Move
Not having to move everything will reduce your overall relocation expenses, especially when hiring a professional moving company in Chicago. However, you still need to decide what to do with all the items you are not relocating. Furnishings cost a lot, so you don’t want to just throw them out in the trash. If you’re unsure what to do, organizing a yard sale or posting some ads online is a great way to get rid of most of these. In fact, selling a valuable piece can earn you quite a bit of money on the side.
If you still have some stuff left, try donating it to one of the local charities. You won’t even have to leave the house, as The Salvation Army, Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity, and Chicago Furniture Bank all allow you to schedule a pickup. Lastly, if you’re about to move in with your girlfriend or boyfriend, just place all these belongings in storage. If things end up not working out, you won’t have to rebuy everything.
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Free QuoteGet All the Supplies You Need for Packing
You can’t learn how to protect furniture when moving without getting all the necessary supplies and equipment first. Fortunately, most of the things you need are very easy to find. They can either be bought at one of the better local supply stores or rented from professional Chicago moving companies. If you’re not sure what to get, add the following supplies to your shopping list:
- Corrugated cardboard,
- Blankets,
- Bubble wrap,
- Plastic shrink wrap,
- Foam padding,
- Plastic covers,
- Strong tape,
- Labeling kit.
You Will Also Need Some Additional Tools and Equipment
Besides the common packaging materials we mentioned, you will also need to get some additional tools and equipment. For starters, if you don’t already have a toolbox around the house, you should get a screwdriver, wrench, and a tape measure. Considering how hard it can be to move some larger objects around, getting a dolly will make your life significantly easier.
If you don’t want to ruin the floors when pushing these things, don’t forget the sliders or glides. On the other hand, adjustable lifting straps will allow you to carry some heavier objects without putting too much stress on your back. Ropes are also needed to keep the pieces in place once they are loaded onto the truck. Last but not least, you will need a ramp to get everything up and down the stairs.
Dismantle the Furniture Before You Wrap It
How do you professionally pack furniture? According to moving companies in Chicago, IL, you will have to disassemble it before you start wrapping. If the item is particularly heavy, detaching some of its components will make it lighter and easier to handle. Dressers might be great for packing clothes, but it’s much easier to move when you take the drawers out. Knobs, handles, legs, and other components easily get stuck on things, so it’s often better to remove them when possible.
Disassembling is not easy, so don’t be afraid to use the manual that comes with the object. However, if you’re still unsure what to do even after reading it, better leave the item as is than risk breaking something in the process. Also, be careful when dealing with things you got from IKEA. They are often not very durable, so much that even professional Chicago movers avoid disassembling them. If you have a Malm bed frame from IKEA, the video below will tell you what to look after when taking it apart.
Keep All Detached Parts in Separate Bags
Components will quickly get mixed up once you start taking things apart. Screws and bolts can get lost fairly quickly, so you’ll need to place them in sealable plastic bags as soon as they are detached. Leaving a sticky note that says which item these parts belong to will also help you avoid potential mix-ups once you start unpacking after relocating. Larger components like legs should also be marked with masking tape or sticky notes.
Learn How to Prepare Furniture for Moving Correctly
While these belongings can be very sturdy, you should still secure them from any damage that may potentially occur during the relocation. Think about it. One wrong move and you can easily drop the thing you’re carrying, possibly causing irreparable damage. Once all the preparations are complete, wrap the item with blankets or bubble wrap. To keep everything in place, cover the object with plastic shrink wrap or tape it in a few strategic spots.
If you plan to keep something in storage, adding some plastic covers on top of all the other layers will protect the item from moisture and all sorts of pests. Finally, remember to label all the objects correctly. If you’ve hired a mover in Chicago, IL, to assist you, this will tell the crew where to unload each item once everything is delivered to your new home.
How Do You Wrap Wood Furniture for Moving?
Wooden pieces like desks, wardrobes, and tables might seem sturdy, but they can easily get scratched or dented if not appropriately secured. This is particularly true for exposed surfaces like edges and corners, so you’ll want to use extra padding materials to keep them intact. If you can’t get professional corner protectors, reinforcing the item with corrugated cardboard will also do the trick. Some local movers in Chicago also suggest you avoid placing any plastic directly on the wood surfaces, so remember to cover the item with blankets before adding any.
How Do You Pack Furniture That’s Fragile?
Although most of your inventory won’t need any special treatment, pieces with fragile components will always require extra protection. Coffee tables, mirrors, and other things made out of glass can easily break even when you’re extra careful, so you’ll want to detach and secure all the delicate parts separately. Similar to packing glasses and other more fragile belongings, using a ton of padding is the key to your success.
If you have to protect a large glass piece, start by taping a large X over its entire surface. In case an accident occurs, this will significantly reduce the chance of it shattering completely. Adding thick layers of cardboard, bubble wrap, blankets, and some corner protectors will also do a lot to keep the thing intact. Just make sure it can’t move once it’s loaded onto the truck.
Find a Way to Move All the Items Safely
While wrapping furniture for moving might not be as tricky as boxing up a TV, remember that this is only a part of the process. You still have to move each item from the room it was packed in all the way to the truck, which will require a lot of hard labor. Considering these are also some of the heaviest belongings you can own, the task carries a considerable risk of injury. If you want to move safely, make sure to:
- Use proper lifting techniques – Not knowing how to lift an item off the ground is the first thing that will get you in trouble and potentially cause a severe injury. You should be in a squatting position or at least with your knees slightly bent while the back remains straight and at a slight angle. Once you have a firm grasp of the object, try to lift it with your entire body while avoiding unnecessary movements. Just remember that if something feels too heavy to pick up, it probably is.
- Apply appropriate tools and equipment – As you can see, there’s a reason why all the supplies we mentioned need to be on your packing list. Unless you’re carrying a lighter piece like a chair, always use the dolly to move the objects around. The adjustable straps will also allow you to pick and carry things that would otherwise be too heavy to handle. Lastly, it’s almost impossible to move a heavy piece up and down the stairs without setting a ramp.
- Prepare the surrounding – Never try to move something large or heavy until you’ve made sure nothing can get in your way. No matter how well you might know your place, having obstacles in the path will extend the process and expose you to a much higher risk of injury. Nothing should be distracting you either, so if you’re relocating with pets or have small children, we highly recommend you find a sitter for them for the day.
What Is the Best Way to Pack Furniture for Moving? Hiring the Best Movers in Chicago Do It for You
As you can see, it takes a lot of work and careful planning to move these belongings from your old Chicago home to the new one. Considering most of these objects are usually taken apart and packed about a week before the relocation, someone who has to move in a hurry won’t have enough time to do everything correctly. This makes it very easy to damage the objects or even suffer a severe injury from mishandling them. That’s why it’s often best to hire a professional to do everything for you.
If you’re looking to get some high-quality moving services in Chicago, there’s no one better to help you than Legit Movers. Our movers and packers in Chicago will ensure all your belongings are properly packed and ready for transport before you know it. You can quickly get a free quote whether you’re planning a residential relocation or a large commercial move. All you have to do is contact us, and our support team will get back to you in no time.