Keeping my bedroom neat

Mistakes to Avoid When Preparing Your Household Items for a Move

19 May 2016 by Vincent Howell

It can be good to call for professional removalists to help you move, especially if you have a large number of furniture pieces that may be too cumbersome for you to manage on your own. A removalist may give you instructions on how to prepare certain pieces for your move, but it's good to think of what you can do in advance to get everything ready and to ensure nothing gets damaged. Note a few common mistakes you want to avoid when you're getting ready for a move.

1. Furniture pieces are not storage containers

Unless you have the lightest of clothing in the drawers, you probably want to empty all your dressers of everything inside. You also need to avoid thinking of your furniture pieces as storage containers when you move; never put anything in the drawers, especially not heavy items like books. These can cause the bottom of the drawers to bend or pop out or even to crack and break. A furniture removalist may even recommend that you remove the drawers themselves to keep them from potentially sliding around and putting pressure on the tracks and causing damage.

2. Tape and cords

Taping or otherwise securing drawers and doors of furniture pieces can protect them from sliding around or coming out and getting broken if you're leaving your pieces intact, but you need to exercise caution with the type of tape or cords you might use. Duct tape can pull the finish off furniture and even cause some wood pieces to splinter. Painter's tape may be less strong, but it won't typically harm the finish of furniture. If you're going to use cords, be mindful of how any attachments might also damage furniture pieces; keep hooks to cords away from the glass window of an oven door or dresser drawer handles that might come loose.

3. Avoid ink and dyes

Newspaper may be a cheap packing material, but the ink on paper can easily transfer to your dishes, clothes, and furniture items. You also want to avoid putting fabrics next to each other during a move, as their dyes can also transfer. Don't stack drapes on top of upholstered furniture in the truck, as they may stain both fabrics, especially if your furniture was never treated with any type of fabric sealant or stain repellent. It's good to even avoid allowing fabric to rub up against wood, as the stains used on wood can rub off on those clothes, drapes, and linens. Keep anything with ink or dyes away from your items during shipping to protect their color and finish.

Talk to your removalists for more advice to help your furniture removal go smoothly.

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