While the stress and mess of moving houses are enough to put anyone on edge, the fact that our most valuable assets need to be transported doesn’t make the situation any better. Hiring a professional moving company like Mayflower will certainly help to ease some of this anxiety and ensure the best possible chance of damage-free furniture when you finally arrive at your swanky new home.
But every little helps and you can also play an important role in reducing the risk of scratches, rips and general breakages. So here are a couple of tips and tricks on how to ensure the safety of your furniture before the big move. Put some time into it right away and you won’t have to worry about your belongings when you already have a lot on your mind.
First: Invest in packing supplies
Anyone who thinks that some cardboard boxes, packing tape, and moving blankets will do are apparently not familiar with moving large wooden furniture or an expensive couch. You should certainly have these things up your sleeve, as well, but try to get ahold of a few more packing supplies to avoid those scratches and tears.
Bubble wrap is, of course, your best friend as well as sofa and mattress covers, plastic stretch wrap, and even corrugated cardboard sheets.
All of this will come in very handy when you’re preparing that bed, couch or bookshelf to be shipped off in the van as nobody will care as much about your furniture as you do. Remember that some may care a bit more than others, though, so fish around for quality movers before you make up your mind and have a look at www.shiply.com/vehicle-delivery/ if you need to transport vehicles as well.
Next: Prepare your furniture
Now that you have what you need to get started, you might want to start wrapping it up in plastic wrap right away? This is the most common mistake many home movers make and it may, sadly, result in unwrapping your belongings only to find a big fat scratch in the middle. Prepare your furniture by cleaning it thoroughly, first of all, remove everything of dust and debris, and remember to also remove all knobs and handles to reduce damage.
Not only will dirt and dust increase the chances of friction which, of course, may lead to scratches, but by cleaning it beforehand you’re also limiting the grime you bring with to your new home. Everything should be fresh and clean before you wrap it up, in other words. Read more on goodhousekeeping.com for some clever moving tips.
Learn how to wrap the furniture properly
You may choose to let a professional take care of the wrapping but it’s a good idea to know how to do it, nonetheless, so that you can hawk around and make sure it is done properly. Use bubble wrap to protect delicate wood pieces and try to use the corrugated cardboard sheets in between wooden pieces for extra protection.
Wrap anything glass in bubble wrap, paying special attention to the corners, and place them between the sheets of cardboard.
Now you should be quite proficient at taking care of your furniture even during long-distance moves. Have a chat with the movers about how they are placing the furniture in the van as well, even though they should be experienced enough to manage this.
