Hassle-free furniture shipping guide

 

Moving across the country takes a lot of planning and works to do. Most especially if you have lots of big and heavy furniture. Furniture shipping is undoubtedly the most crucial task when packing. You need to protect your belongings and precious furniture so that it will arrive in your new home the same condition before it left.

When packing furniture, you need to be tricky to protect it during the relocation because of its enormous size and weight. Aside from that, it is more complicated when you own fragile and delicate furniture items, right?  If you will not be able to pack them properly, your furniture is very much prone to dents, scratches, chips, and other types of damages.

So if you are not confident in handling the furniture shipping on your own, hiring top-rated furniture movers is the best option. But if you want to do the packing on your own beforehand, here are some of the Do's and Don'ts that you should keep in mind.

Do's when shipping furniture across the country

Here are the things that you should do to ensure that your valuable furniture will survive the relocation without a single scratch or damage.

1. Do make a detailed moving inventory. Also, do inspect your furniture for any sign of damage. By doing so, this checklist will help in deciding if you should ship all your furniture, sold it, give it to a friend, or donate it to a charity.

2. Do furniture fitting. Measure your large furniture and see if it will be able to pass safely through the hallways, doors, and corners of your new home.

3. Do clean your furniture item before packing them. Make sure that they are free from dirt or dust that may damage the delicate surface of your precious furniture.

4. Do prepare all the appropriate packing materials that you will need in your furniture shipping. Keep your packing supplies handy including stretch wraps, bubble wraps, protective sheets of cardboards, soft packing papers, blankets, and packing tapes.

5. Do clear out all the things that are inside your cabinets and drawers to make your furniture easier and safer. Also, remove all the glass elements of your furniture. Detach the glass doors, shelves, tabletops, etc.

6. Do disassemble your too-big furniture. If you found out in your pre-inspection that your large furniture will not fit in the doorways of your new home, consider furniture disassembly. This is where furniture shipping professionals are handy. They are knowledgeable in handling large furniture pieces are well as how to take the furniture apart for safe packing and transport.

7. Do place thick corrugated cardboard to protect your furniture corners. Also, use a shrink wrap to keep the cardboard fixed to your furniture pieces. Wrap the fragile components of your furniture in bubble wraps. It will give extra protection to the protruding parts or ornaments of your furniture.

8. Do guard the legs of your furniture. If it's possible to disassemble the legs of your tables, remove them and safely pack inside a cardboard box. But if this is not an option wrap it up with bubble wrap to avoid property damage during the move.

9. Do fasten any movable and non-removable elements like drawers, panels, and doors. Make sure that you use a stretch wrap or twine to keep them stay safely closed during the relocation.

10. Lastly, do cover all the exposed surfaces of your furniture items to keep them protected at all times. Wrap your sofa with thick furniture blankets for excellent protection. Afterward, tape those protective covering to avoid unwrapping during the journey.

Don'ts when preparing your furniture from shipping

There are proper ways to pack your furniture safely and securely. Here are the things that you shouldn't do when in furniture shipping.

1. Don't ship furniture that is too damaged and too old in your new home. Carefully evaluate your furniture item if it is still practical, convenient, and comfortable to use. Check if it has a sentimental value to your family. Does your furniture still in a good condition and can still serve you for the long run. Is it well-made from high-quality materials? Go through each furniture piece carefully and decide if it is worth it to bring along with you or buy a new one.

2. To avoid any delays when packing your furniture. Secure all the necessary packing materials first for completing the packing job successfully.

3. Don't pack and ship furniture across the country without cleaning them. The dust, dirt, and other abrasive particles that remain on the surface may damage your delicate furniture piece during the relocation.

4. Packing materials have their purpose and use. Don't use packing tapes and bubble wrap directly over the surface of your delicate furniture. But instead, use soft packing papers first as the initial layer of protection and followed by bubble wraps as the second protective layer.

5. Lastly, do not rush yourself in doing the moving task on your own. Assess carefully if you can manage all the jobs on your own or it is best to use a furniture shipping service. Here at Ship Smart Inc., we have a team of professional packers and movers that knows exactly what to do when it comes to shipping furniture.