When you change residences, you might think to handle your own furniture removal by simply renting a truck and getting your friends to pitch in; this is certainly an affordable way to move your items, but it's not always the safest. Note a few common mistakes that homeowners make when handling their own furniture removal so you know to avoid these yourself, and ensure your items arrive at your new home safely and in good condition.
1. Using furniture to hold other items in the truck
Your furniture is probably not strong enough to hold other furniture items or many heavy boxes, and especially not for a long drive to another town. Stacking items like boxes on top of other pieces can easily cause legs to buckle, or ruin springs in a couch or armchair. Remember, too, that hitting bumps in the road while driving can cause boxes and other such stacked items to bounce up and down, which means they'll actually slam onto the items on which they're stacked, also increasing the risk of damage. Be very cautious about stacking items on top of furniture, even if the pieces seem durable, to avoid this risk.
2. Stacking items on their side
To fit tables and chairs in a truck, you might stack them on their side so you can slide items between them. However, this leaves the legs vulnerable to breakage if anything should fall onto those legs or bump them from the side. It's best to put the feet of furniture on the ground and ensure the legs are not going to be bumped or otherwise suffer an impact, so there is less risk of them actually snapping right off.
3. Using the wrong materials to wrap items
Wrapping your furniture can keep it free of scratches and other damage when in transit, but not if you use scratchy materials for the wrap itself! Don't assume that your household blankets are a good choice for wrapping a dining room table or other wood items, as its heavy fibres may scratch the coating of the wood or otherwise cause damage. A household blanket may also not be thick enough to actually absorb the impact of something bumping up against that piece or protect it from the impact of another piece falling onto it, so that your table or other wood item gets dented or dinged when you hit a bump in the road. Always use actual furniture wrap pieces or blankets instead, for maximum protection of your items.
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