Key Considerations When Disassembling Furniture for a Move

 

Once you’ve got to grips with your packing and you’ve organised your movers, you may be wondering if you need to disassemble your furniture for the move. This is something well worth considering ahead of your move so that you don’t get caught out on the day itself. Certain items of furniture such as beds can’t be moved easily without deconstruction. So, how do you know what to take apart and what to leave fully built?

 

To disassemble or not to disassemble? That is the question

1. Consider if your item will go through the door whole. If you’ve already got the item in through the doorway then the chances are it will be fine to move fully assembled.
2. Even if the item will fit through the door, will transporting it assembled damage it? For example, the bed frame may fit through the door but transporting it this way could warp the frame.
3. Is an item excessively heavy when fully assembled? If you or the removals company you’re using will really struggle to lift the item then it may need to be carried in smaller parts.
4. Does the item need to be completely taken apart of can you just make some small adjustments to ensure the item fits through the door frame? For example, you may be able to remove large sofa cushions to make the sofa more transportable. Yay!
5. Ask your removals company what they need to be disassembled prior to the move. You should be able to give them enough information over the phone but they can also visit your property to assess your items.

 

How can you ensure the disassembly goes smoothly?

 

Dig out your instructions

Hopefully you’ll find your furniture assembly instructions when packing for your move. Keep these together somewhere safe so that you can start at the end and work backwards. This will reduce the chances of damage to your precious furniture! If you can’t find your instructions then search for the item online or contact the manufacturer. Experienced movers may be able to take standard items apart without too much difficulty; however, if you’re doing the disassembly yourself then it’s always recommended that you use the instructions.

 

Arm yourself well for the task at hand

You’ll need a few DIY basics if you’re disassembling your furniture yourself. Ensure you have a few different types of screw driver, Allen keys and a hammer before you start. Any tools required should be listed on your assembly instruction booklets and most can be acquired quite cheaply from your local hardware store. If you have a power tool then this can speed up the process significantly! However, if you’re not experienced with a power tool then manual methods may be best.

 

Keep parts together!

When you’ve got hundreds of screws lying around and you’re mid move, you run the risk of loosing something important! You can easily keep small parts together using a food bag per item. Label these clearly to save yourself time the other end. You can tape larger items such as bed slats together with masking tape and write on the masking tape to avoid any mishaps. Phew!

 

How to disassemble a standard bed frame

• Taking a bed apart requires two people. Before you begin deconstructing your bed frame, take all bedding and mattress off the bed (the mattress is often heavy so don’t attempt this alone). Move these out of the way and give yourself ample space to work. If you are using a removals service, they will use a cover for your mattress when transporting it.
• Remove any slats from the bed and use masking tape to keep these together for the move. Removing these will allow you to get to the screws holding the bed together more easily.Remove any slats from the bed and use masking tape to keep these together for the move. Removing these will allow you to get to the screws holding the bed together more easily.
• There may also be diagonal beams that were supporting the slats so these will need to be removed before you can take the headboard and footboard off the bed.
• Start by unscrewing the headboard and footboard, holding the side of the frame steady as you remove the footboard first and then the headboard – so that the side boards aren’t bent.
• Remember to keep any screws together in a food bag!

 

How to disassemble a sofa

• Start by removing cushions and any other soft furnishings on the sofa so that you’re left with just the main frame.
• Unscrew the legs from the sofa frame – depending on the design you may need to use a screw-driver to remove any screws holding them in place.
• Use a flathead screwdriver and pliers to remove the staples that hold the upholstered material in place. Ensure that you roll this back far enough to expose the fixtures attaching the arms to the base.
• Depending on the type of screw used, use the correct tool to remove the arms. Removing the arms may be enough to get the sofa through the door!
• If you require further deconstruction, then locate the bracket holding the back of the sofa to the main frame and unscrew this.

 

LOVE the disassembly process

We LOVE making moves less stressful so we’ll disassemble and reassemble three items of furniture as standard as part of your move – so you can focus on the important things like getting the kettle on for your first cup of tea in the new place! There’s nothing better than having a comfy bed ready to slip into at the end of a tiring day.