Furniture is cumbersome and one of the most challenging items to move. While chairs and coffee tables are easy to carry, pieces like couches, full-sized beds, and large wardrobes will put your strength to the test. Instead of hauling the entire thing, you should know how to disassemble furniture during the move to make the process easier.
Before you start lifting furniture around, pause and plan how you will transport it. In most cases, disassembly is a wise choice since it makes the furniture easier to carry and more space-efficient to load into the truck.
At EQ Moving, our professional furniture movers are skilled in assembling and disassembling furniture of all types. But if you want to try it the DIY way, our guide below will be a good start. during the
Do I really need to take apart furniture for moving?
Depending on the size of your furniture, you may or may not need to disassemble it. Also, some large furniture may not be possible to take apart, which will require special handling during transport.
Here’s why some furniture pieces need to be disassembled before they are loaded onto the truck:
For easier transport. Large and bulky objects are difficult to transport. It’s because small protruding or moving parts are harder to secure. Aside from that, the furniture might be impossible to carry past staircases, doorways, and hallways.
For efficient use of space. Detaching some parts of your furniture allows movers to stack them closely together. This will save space in the truck so that you can load more items. Otherwise, you’ll have to rent multiple trucks, which is costly and unnecessary.
For your furniture’s safety. By disassembling the furniture, the parts prone to damage can be secured further. It will also reduce the risk of dents, scratches, or breakage during transport. This applies whether you’re moving in short or long distances.
The good news is that you don’t have to do furniture disassembly alone. You can hire professional furniture movers to handle the elbow grease.
How to disassemble furniture for your move
Every piece of furniture has unique parts and designs. This is why our general rule is to refer to the manufacturer’s guide to see which parts you can safely remove.
Aside from that, you can also keep the following tips in mind:
How to take apart a sofa for moving
Are you struggling to move your heavy and bulky sofa? Here’s what you can do:
- To disassemble a sofa for moving, you may need the help of another person. This is usually the case for large ones.
- Remove all the cushions that aren’t attached to the furniture. The same goes for loveseats, couches, and other upholstered items.
- Check if you can unscrew or detach the legs. If yes, use a screwdriver or power tool to disassemble these parts.
- For those with reclining features, check the manufacturer’s instructions on how to disassemble a couch for moving. Some models can be disassembled, while others can’t.
- Once you’ve detached all possible parts, wrap each in moving blankets. Label each one with the type of furniture and what part it is (for example: sofa right leg). This will make the assembly easier once you’re in your new place.
- When assembling the sofa back, make sure you do it in reverse order as you disassemble them.
How to disassemble a bed
Beds are challenging to move due to their size, especially if you have a California King to haul. To make it easier to take out of the house and load into the truck, you can detach a few parts. Here’s what you need to do:
- Remove all the pillows, sheets, blankets, and mattresses before disassembling the furniture.
- Check the headboard first, if there’s any, and see if you can detach it from the bed. Be careful because headboards can be very heavy.
- Next, remove the support beam at the center of the bed if you have one. You may need to use tools if the beam is attached with bolts or screws.
- Remove the legs carefully, and consider using a support like toe jacks or wedge to keep the bed steady as you work on the legs.
- If there are other parts, like a canopy, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions on how to disassemble it.
- Wrap smaller parts with moving blankets so they won’t get damaged on the truck. Also, you should stack it carefully inside the truck so it won’t slide around.
How to disassemble wardrobes and dressers
Dressers and wardrobes are tricky to move since they have many moving parts. Also, some are massive and won’t fit in the truck easily. In that case, you have to do some furniture disassembly to make the item more manageable. Here are some quick tips:
- Empty your dressers and wardrobe of every piece of clothing.
- Remove the drawers and wrap them individually in moving blankets or any soft material. Make sure you label it accordingly for easy assembly later.
- If your dresser has shelving, see if you can detach it. Also, keep the small pieces of hardware that secure these components. A small kitchen container is a good choice so you won’t miss anything.
- After that, remove any mirror or glass on the dresser. If it’s impossible to remove, just cover the part with moving blankets and put a label saying ‘mirror’, ‘glass’, or ‘fragile’.
- Lastly, detach the legs of the dresser, if possible, so that the bottom will be flat and steady on the truck.
How to disassemble tables and desks
Most desks can be transported without the need for disassembly. But for bulky ones with specialized designs, you may need to take some parts apart. Here’s a general guide you can follow:
- Remove any items on the table or attached to it.
- Look for fastened bolts and screws usually found on the part where the legs attach to the tabletop.
- As with other disassembled furniture, remove all the legs/supports and keep all the hardware that keeps them in place.
- If the table has a glass top, you need to reinforce it with more packing material.
- Label all the parts, and what side the legs are on so you can put them together faster later.
Tips and tricks for safe furniture disassembly
Taking a piece of furniture apart is not just time-consuming. It can also be dangerous if you don’t have the right tools and techniques.
For your safety, you should keep these points in mind:
Get the right tools. You should prepare a screwdriver, pliers, Allen wrench, hammer, or a power tool to remove bolts. These tools will help you save time and keep you safe from potential injuries. Above all, you must wear safety gloves before disassembling.
Prepare moving blankets. Unlike your other belongings that can be placed in a box, furniture pieces need moving blankets as protective wrapping. You can rent these from a moving company if you don’t have the budget to buy them.
Take pictures. Take photos of every part of your furniture you’re going to take apart. This will help with assembly later and allows you to check what’s missing.
Label each part. Once you’re done wrapping the disassembled part of your furniture, you must label it properly. Write down on a piece of paper what furniture it belongs to, what part it is, and on what side it goes. Tape this securely before loading the item to the truck.
Keep the hardware. When disassembling furniture, the rule is to keep everything detached from the main piece. This includes bolts, screws, nuts, wedges, etc.
Work in a well-lit environment. Make sure you have proper lighting before you start taking furniture apart. This way, you’ll see what you’re doing, and you won’t get injured.
Protect your walls and floors. When moving furniture, use sliders or put moving blankets on the floor. This will prevent scratches and damage that could cost you more in repairs.
Hire professional furniture disassembly to skip the hassle!
If you don’t have the time and energy to disassemble furniture for moving, call us at EQ Moving, and we will help you! We have a large team of movers with the tools and skills to secure your prized furniture, whether for short or long-distance moves.
Simply tell us what furniture you need to move, and we will bring all the necessary equipment. You can also avail of our full-service moving in NYC if you don’t want to lift any finger in transporting all your furniture and other belongings.
Aside from securing your furniture, we also offer packing services, so you don’t have to worry about anything. Once we disassemble your wardrobe, we can also pack all your clothes. The same goes for your bed sheets, pillows, mattress, couch covers, etc.
For us, no furniture is too large to move. Our NYC movers will take the stress off your chest so that you can focus on other important matters during your relocation.
Call us anytime for all your moving needs. We accept same-day and last-minute furniture disassembly requests, so you don’t have to do the heavy work!
