How to Wrap Furniture for Safe Moving and Storage

Whether you are handling the move yourself or hiring professional movers, furniture pieces need to be handled carefully when moving.  Plus, there’s a lot of preparation that goes along with wrapping furniture and personal belongings.

Here’s the ‘wrap’ on what you’ll need…

Moving blankets – your safe moving and storage solution

Remember, even though movers care that your belongings are kept safe during moving and storage, they still won’t have that sentimental attachment that you do for things like precious artwork and valuable furniture pieces.

That’s why, it really is up to you to ensure that heavy-duty moving blankets and tape is used to wrap your furniture, especially if you’re heading Interstate.

Of course you can expect movers to show up with moving blankets that you won’t be charged for. But if you take initiative with adequately wrapping your fragile items and furniture with protective blankets beforehand you’re likely to guarantee no harm will come to your belongings.

There are different types of moving blankets but generally they’re either quilted or non-quilted – and have different uses respectively:

• For long distance moving where interstate movers charge by weight, you should consider buying storage pads that are fairly lightweight.
• Thicker blankets are handy for wrapping heavy solid wood furniture and leather couches.
• Moving blankets with woven outer fabric are more durable and recommended for frequent movers.
• Non-woven moving/storage pads aren’t quite as long lasting across multiple long distance moves.
• You can use felt and burlap instead of non-quilted blankets, especially if your primary concern is preventing furniture from rubbing against each other.

If you are unsure which of these are best suited to safe moving and storage of your furniture, you can ask your moving company and they’ll guide you in the right direction or you can find the best checklist to for a great start on how to move interstate.

Cushion it – How to protect fragile items for safe moving and storage

Another option is cushioning material to wrap furniture or more delicate items. Learn how to pack plates and glasses for a more informative move. The most popular and reliable options are bubble wrap and blank newsprint.

Plastic covers are also great for cushioning your furniture and artwork pieces. These include shrink wrap, plastic mattress covers, and plastic sofa or chair covers.

Shrink wrap is widely used and preferred because it helps keep a load on a pallet as one unit.

When you use shrink wrap, at least you can have the peace of mind that smaller items come apart or go missing during the shipment. Moreover, they are perfect for wrapping furniture with drawers or hinged doors that might swing open.

Although movers might charge you a bit more for wrapping furniture with shrink wrap (mostly because it is time-consuming), it’s definitely worth it.

The only thing to be aware of is shrink wrap that’s left on too long can trap moisture – and end up damaging your furniture.  The way to avoid this happening is to unpack your goods as soon as possible once arrived on the other side.

Also make sure the cushioning material you use doesn’t have colors that might bleed into upholstery and discolour your goods when you wrap furniture.

Get your moving crew in on the act!

Definitely cover details of safe moving and storage with your moving crew leader or foreman – especially when it comes to any furniture items that require special treatment.

The objective of most professional movers is to ensure that your furniture has been wrapped and packaged well so they can move goods efficiently and without damage.

Whilst your professional movers care that your goods are kept safe during transit, it may be that you are still the best person to pay attention to finer details – particularly around your more fragile items.

It’s worth noting that most damage occurs while packing, loading, and unloading of your belongings. So, apart from making sure you’re doing what you can to adequately wrap your furniture for safe-keeping, you should take care to find out about moving procedures your professional movers will be following.

Aside from being knowledgeable of wrapping, you should also be aware of how much it will cost you for every move. WA Removal’s removal cost and price guide will lead you to the right path.

Oh, and if you’re not sure where to get hold of packaging materials – WA Removals can help.  We supply a range of packaging to help you with your move.  Just pop us a message at info@waremovals.com.au or give us a call on 1300 984 228.