Disassembling Furniture For Moving: Top Tips

When moving house, furniture disassembly and furniture removals can be tedious. Not only do you have to carry all your furniture out of the old house, but you also have to take apart furniture for easy transportation carefully.

This guide is aimed at helping readers effectively prepare furniture for house removals. We’ll guide you on safely removing furniture from each room in the house and proper furniture disassembly techniques so your furniture arrives safely at its destination. Ticking furniture disassembly off your moving checklist ensures that you are set and ready for the big relocation.

Why Should I Disassemble Furniture Before Moving?

Whether moving furniture interstate or locally, disassembling furniture should be a crucial part of your move. Taking apart furniture before transportation reduces the risks of damage and makes it easier to fit through doorways and hallways, ultimately making it easier to manoeuvre them throughout the home you are departing from and into your new home.

In addition, if certain pieces of furniture are not disassembled before moving, they can cause damage during transportation. For example, heavy and bulky furniture may cause dents in walls or floors due to size and weight or sharp edges. Disassembling them into more manageable pieces can help prevent this from happening.

Lastly, disassembling furniture can save money. By taking the time to take apart furniture before your move, you should be able to fit more items in the back of a van or truck, which could reduce the total cost of your move.

When it comes to furniture disassembly, the following should be taken into consideration:

• Assess which pieces of furniture should be disassembled. Of course, not all items should be taken apart, but those that are bulky or consist of multiple parts should be dismantled.
• Prepare tools and materials such as screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, and labels for keeping track of different parts.
• Take pictures during the process to help you put the furniture back together at the new home.
• Use bubble wrap for extra protection on individual pieces.
• Keep all screws in a separate container, so they don’t get lost during transportation.

How To Disassemble Furniture?

Take your time with the shortcut — proper preparation is critical. Instead, spend a few minutes mapping out your plans, and you’ll save yourself time (and stress) later on.

Prepare Ziplock Bags

Ziplock bags are an excellent tool for disassembling furniture. It may seem like an extra step, but it can save you from unnecessary stress. Use clear bags, separate screws and other pieces for different furniture to prevent them from getting lost or mixed up in the move.

Put all screws and bolts into a plastic bag labelled with what type of furniture they came from, so they will be easier to find when reassembling the furniture. This is especially important if you keep your disassembled furniture stored away until your new house is ready.

Identify Which Pieces Need To Be Disassembled

Stack chairs and appropriate boxes under the dining table are clever tips to reduce stress on a moving day. Before disassembling furniture, identify which pieces need to be taken apart.

Once you’ve identified these pieces of furniture, use caution when disassembling them. Take your time and ensure all parts are organised for easy reassembly in the new home.

Measure Furniture To Ensure It Fits Into The Truck

Before disassembling furniture, you should measure the pieces to ensure they fit into the truck. This is especially important if you’re moving interstate and need to plan for multiple trips. Be sure to record the measurements of all parts in a notebook or on your phone to know where everything goes when it comes time to move.

By adequately measuring furniture and taking apart large pieces, you can ensure that everything fits safely and securely in the back of your truck, so you don’t arrive at your destination with damaged items. In addition, disassembling furniture before moving around the house makes the house removal process an easy task.

Gather The Right Tools

When it comes to furniture disassembly, having the right tools is essential. Standard tools include screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, and hammers. Having these ready will ensure you save time running back and forth to fetch them.

It’s also important to have labels handy when taking apart pieces of furniture — they will help you keep track of which screws go with which parts when reassembling in the new house. Additionally, if you are using movers, ensure they are aware of any dismantled items so they can load them properly onto their trucks. You can also opt for our packing and unpacking services.

Follow Disassembling Instructions

If you have the original instructions for your furniture, refer to them regularly during the process. If you don’t have the original instructions, they can likely be found online by searching for the brand and model number.

Following these instructions will help ensure that all pieces are put back together correctly when it comes time to reassemble in your new home.

Always remember to take your time when disassembling furniture. While taking it apart can seem tedious, this extra effort pays off when everything goes as planned on a moving day. With simple preparation and planning, you’ll be ready for a smooth transition into your new house.

Locate Disassembling Points

Focus on the prime disassembling points of furniture and fiddly parts. Often, this is as simple as unscrewing four screws from the desktop to separate it from the base. Ensure that you have all the necessary tools and instructions handy before starting so you don’t have to stop in the middle or search for missing components. Making sure everything is ready beforehand will save you time and keep you stress-free.

Once pieces have been dismantled, treat them with care — some items may be delicate or contain sharp edges. To prevent injuries or damages during transit, use tape to secure any protruding corners or edges while wrapping furniture in moving blankets or bubble wrap.

List of Furniture That Needs To Be Disassembled

Hazardous items like breakables and particular furniture can be challenging when moving, but strategic disassembly presents an easy solution. Of course, there will always be variations, but typically folks have movable pieces such as:

1. Beds – Bed frames can be time-consuming to disassemble, especially when multiple pieces are involved. If you have a captain’s bed frame with drawers included, remove them without needing to take apart any other parts. On the other side, however, taking apart metal frames is made easier due to their structure, allowing them to break down into smaller and more easily transportable sections.
2. Desks are generally small enough to fit through doorways, but you want to avoid the drawers and slide the keyboard tray popping out when moving. While you can use tape to keep the drawers and tray from moving, it’s easier just to remove them.
3. Wardrobe & Dressers –  Even if you have a smaller dresser, removing any drawers, shelves, or other unattached elements is a good idea. For wardrobes with mirrors, make sure you dismantle the mirror and pack it in bubble wrap to keep the glass from shattering.
4. Tables – Dismantling a table is an effortless task. Unscrew the legs from the top. Securing them with tape is an excellent way to keep all pieces together.
5. IKEA Items –  IKEA items are usually easy to assemble and dismantle, as they are intended to be lightweight and easy to move. Individual parts can be taken apart and placed in small boxes for moving.

Moving day doesn’t have to be a headache! Make the process smoother by pre-packaging all screws, nuts, and other small pieces in plastic bags. Attach them directly to your furniture – this will help keep everything together when ready for reassembly at your new home. Don’t leave anything behind. 

Make your move smoother and more efficient by starting to plan. Generally, it takes a weekend if you are taking care of just a few items, but depending on how much there is to do, provide a timeline for each item. 

Try to get assistance by hiring a professional removalist that can handle your furniture with care and you can also include a vacate cleaning for a reassuring and stress-free experience!

Disassembling With Removalists

To ensure that you move your furniture safely and efficiently, it’s best to take the time to disassemble each piece. Every type of furniture has unique requirements for successful dismantling—and if yours is missing a manual or instructions, don’t wait any longer! Instead, enlist the help of professional movers who can tackle this job quickly and efficiently.

At Relocations WA, we offer an optional add-on furniture disassembly service. Contact us today for a free quote.