Furniture moving equipment essentials

Furniture Packing And Moving Supplies

The overall success of a move ultimately depends on the moving and packing equipment you have. Having the right equipment when moving is what will determine whether your precious possessions will arrive in one piece or not at your new destination. When moving furniture, it is vital to ensure that you use the proper techniques and packing materials. You also don't want to be missing any equipment and tools on the day of the move.

You won't necessarily have to worry about this if you decide to hire a moving company to help with the move. However, if you’re conducting a move on your own, then you'll want to ensure that you have all the equipment ready for an easy and safe move.

Are you wondering what furniture moving equipment you need to have when you're moving without professional assistance? This article is just for you because we have provided a detailed list of must-have moving tools and equipment to make your move more efficient, easy, and safe. Let’s look at the packing and moving supplies you need.

Moving Van

This is the most important and most crucial moving equipment you need to transport your furniture to your new home. Moving short distances, especially within the same city, is enough reason to want to try the move on your own. However, you may require the assistance of a few good friends.

There are three options for you to choose from when securing a moving van for your move:

Rent a Truck

Before consulting truck rentals, you need to know the size of the truck you'll need for your move. The trucks are available in different sizes. Whether it's a cargo van, a 4-5 metre truck, a 6-7 metre truck, a 3-3.5 metre truck, or a pickup truck you need, you can get it from a truck rental.

Borrow from a Friend

It will be a plus if you have a friend that owns a truck. You can use it for your move, rather than spending on hiring from a rental service.

Use Your Own Vehicle

Suppose you own a cargo van or a pickup truck. This is a great advantage, and you won't need to rent a vehicle or borrow from a friend. It will also save you precious energy and money in the long haul.

There are so many other options that you can explore. The aim is to cut down expenses while ensuring that you get all the equipment you need for your move. Also, always remember the importance of selecting the right vehicle size, especially if you’re renting it.

Moving Dolly

This is another fundamental piece of equipment that you'll need to make your move stress-free. It can increase the efficiency of your move, but you'll need to use it properly.

Most professional moving companies use this equipment, which is why you should consider getting a moving dolly for your move. Here are just some other reasons why you should get a moving dolly for your move:

• It reduces the risk of accidents.
• Saves time.
• Prevents injuries while lifting heavy items.

In general, there are two separate types of moving dollies. You can either choose one or both for your furniture move. It all depends on your needs:

Utility Dolly

This type of dolly is sometimes referred to as a hand truck. It has an L shape and is equipped with ergonomic handles, straps, and rubber tires. You can move heavy items like electrical appliances, furniture pieces, moving boxes, and more with the utility dolly.

Utility dollies usually have different carrying capacities, but a high-quality one can generally lift 272Kg.

Furniture Dolly

The furniture dolly is larger and has four swivel wheels and a flat base. It is perfect for moving large and heavy furniture pieces like bookcases and couches. When using this dolly, you’ll need people to help you secure the load to the wheeled platform. In general, most furniture dollies can move up to 454Kg.

Furniture Sliders

This comprises hard rubber and plastic, and they are designed to make it a lot easier to move heavy furniture. Using furniture sliders will also help prevent damages like dents and scratches on floors. You can easily slide your furniture through different rooms with a furniture slider. Furniture sliders will protect your furniture, your floor, and your back.

It helps to make self-move seamless. When you place an item of furniture on the slider, the only thing you need to do is push gently, and your furniture will move like it is floating. When getting a furniture slider, it is crucial to ensure that it is suitable for your flooring. The different types of flooring are laminate floors, concrete floors, wood floors, linoleum, ceramic tiles, and carpets.

Therefore, you need to be sure that the slider is perfect for your flooring. Fortunately, today, furniture sliders are designed to be versatile, and most sliders can be used on different floor types.

Moving Blankets And Pads

This is another piece of equipment you should consider getting if you want to have a problem-free move. Moving blankets and pads are usually designed with durable non-woven fabric. When moving, you can use them to wrap and protect furniture, appliances, and other household items, just like you could use bubble wrap.

These blankets have double lock-stitched quilts, and they are made from well-padded and thick material. This will help protect fragile items and ensure that they are not dented or scratched when moving. The blankets also protect materials from moisture and dirt, which is an added advantage.

This is one of the most straightforward pieces of equipment to use. You only need to wrap the blankets around the item you want to move and use a stretch wrap, cord, or tape to hold the blanket in place. Moving blankets are versatile, and you can use them on almost every piece of item, furniture, tool, or essential equipment.

Moving Ropes And Straps

All the equipment mentioned above is essential, but to further increase the safety of your move, you’ll need moving ropes and straps. This is to help secure furniture and other items on the moving dolly, in the truck, and also as you move them around. You’ll also need ropes and straps when you are not using a moving dolly.

There are a few different kinds of straps that you can use. Here's an overview of the different types:

Rope and Twine

These are perfect for all securing and fixing purposes. You can get strong ropes and twines to make your move easier and safer.

Ratchet Straps

These are great for holding heavy items during transportation. Instability during movement can damage your possessions, but with ratchet straps, you can improve the stability of these items in the moving vehicle.

Elastic Straps

You can use this strap to secure items on the moving dolly or for large items during the move. The elastic straps usually have strong nylon covers, which offers more protection. Also, the straps have strong hooks which are resistant to scratch.

Forearm Forklift

With this, two people can lift heavy items, but they will need to ensure that they use appropriate lifting techniques to prevent injuries or accidents.

Shoulder Dolly

This is another lifting system for two people. It features a moving strap and two harnesses. When appropriately used, heavy items feel lighter, and the move becomes a lot easier.

Overall, the importance of moving ropes and straps cannot be overemphasised, and if you want your move to be stress-free and safe, you might want to consider getting them.

Toolbox

In addition to having all the equipment above, you’ll also need to ensure that you have all the tools you’ll need to increase the efficiency of your move. With a toolbox, you can have easy access to critical tools and instruments for your move.

Are you wondering what these items are? Here’s a list of the tools for your move day:

Hammer

You can never be too sure of what you’ll need and what you won’t need, which is why it’s best to ensure that everything is available. Hammers will come in handy when you want to hang framed art on your wall.

Pliers

You’ll need this tool when you want to disassemble furniture pieces or if you want to do a wiring job.

Screwdrivers

This is a handy tool to get, especially if you plan to disassemble and reassemble furniture. You’ll also need screwdrivers for electrical jobs.

Utility Knife

You’ll need this tool for the unpacking job. This works better than scissors and will make your job easier.

Scissors

Even though the utility knife does a better job, scissors are also essential tools to include on your move day. With this, you can perform different packing and unpacking tasks, especially those that will require constant cutting.

Flashlight

Ensure that you have at least one flashlight on the day of the move.

Measuring Tape

This is a must-have tool, as you’ll need it to take measurements and also increase move precision.

You need all these items in your toolbox. What's more, there are different portable tool boxes available to buy, and they are not expensive.

Protective Gloves

Ensuring your safety and that of your furniture during a move should be your utmost priority. You might not see protective gloves as vital equipment for your move. However, these protective gloves will help you prevent injuries and accidents.

Remember that you’ll be lifting items with different shapes and weights, and as such, excellent protection on your hands wouldn’t be a bad idea. With a quality protective glove, you can protect your hands, wrists, and fingers from cuts, scratches, or scrapes when moving furniture pieces. The gloves will also give you a firmer grip on the items you hold.

These gloves are made from durable materials like leather, which is why they offer excellent protection and improve grip on surfaces.

Moving Supply Checklist

A moving supply checklist will keep you on top of things during your move. Here are some supply checklists that will come in handy:

Packing Supplies

Here are the items you should ensure you have before you start packing:

• Trash bags
• Plastic bags
• Labels
• Razor knife
• Mattress bags
• Packing paper
• Moving and packing tape‍
• Markers
• Moving boxes of different sizes

Moving Supplies

Here are the items you should ensure you have during the move, especially if you are doing the job yourself:

• Strong helpers
• Tie downs and rope
• Stretch wrap
• Moving dolly (two-wheeled and four-wheeled dollies)
• Furniture blankets
• Furniture sliders

Rules To Follow

Rules for Packing Items

In addition to getting all the materials mentioned above, you’ll also want to ensure that you pack your items the right way. Having these items and following the rules below will make your move stress-free and successful. The rules are as follows:

• Give yourself enough time - People are often in a hurry to pack their items. Take time to load all your materials, and this can be done daily until you’re done.
• Create a packing station - This can be your kitchen or dining room. With a packing station, you can pack your items more efficiently.
• Avoid creating very heavy boxes - Place light items in larger boxes and heavier items in smaller boxes. You wouldn’t want to have trouble when moving the boxes after packing them.
• Use quality boxes - In addition to ensuring that the boxes are of good quality, you might want to ensure that they have similar sizes. This is to make it easier to arrange in the truck.
• Cushion fragile items with packing paper - Use packing paper for cushioning when placing fragile items in boxes.

Rules for Moving Day

Here are some rules for moving day to help you save time:

• Manage your kids and pets - You wouldn’t want your kids or pets in the way as you move items. Consider hiring a babysitter or a pet sitter on the move day.
• Clear pathways - Ensure that there’s nothing obstructing pathways, both indoors and outdoors. Pack everything into boxes and get them ready for transport.
• Keep track of all your items - It is safer to move all your precious possessions yourself. This includes cash, jewellery, and expensive electronics. Small things can easily go missing, and you wouldn't want this to happen.
• Take pictures of your furniture's condition - Snap a few photos of every item before packing and moving them. With that, you can have evidence to show the moving company that it was in good condition before the move.
• Be there with the movers - Always be with the movers on the move day.‍‍

You have a few other responsibilities on the moving day, but these are the key things to ensure.

Buying Affordable Moving And Packing Supplies

There are so many places you can buy packing and moving supplies, with the most common being Amazon and stores like Lowe’s, Uhaul, or Home Depot. However, if you’re on a budget, these options might not be the best for you. There are several other places you can get affordable moving and packing supplies.

Here are a few places you might want to check:

Craigslist

Craigslist is a wonderful place to get boxes and other moving and packing supplies. All you need to do is check early enough to collect as many boxes as you can. When doing this, you'll need to ensure that the boxes are of good quality and the ideal size for the items you’ll place in them. You can get boxes that have been used only once on Craigslist.

Facebook Marketplace

This is another excellent place to get moving and packing supplies. Many people have boxes they want to dispose of, and they will gladly give you if you ask. Whether you are looking for boxes or packing materials, you can rest assured that you’ll get affordable ones on Facebook Marketplace.

Walmart

You can get moving boxes from Walmart. However, you might have to pay a bit more for the boxes than the other options we have mentioned above. One unique thing about the boxes from Walmart is that some of them come with handles which makes them a tonne easier to carry.

Electronic, Furniture, and Department Stores

These stores usually have so many cardboard boxes, and these boxes are recycled daily. To get boxes from these stores, you’ll need to speak to their manager. Even though you are likely to get boxes from these stores, it won’t be easy to get boxes of uniform sizes, and moving with irregularly shaped boxes may make things harder.

Ask a Moving Company

In some cases, you can get boxes from moving companies. However, you might need to use these companies before they can give you the boxes to use. This shouldn’t be an issue if you plan to hire a moving company for the job.

Move Day Doesn't Have To Be Stress Day

Even though moving can be hard, if you plan ahead, the whole process will be hassle-free. Planning involves getting all the packing and moving supplies you need. We have described the essential materials above and places where you can get these materials at affordable rates. If you have any doubts or you would like to hire a moving company to handle your move, conduct a google search for local furniture removalists. You can rest assured that you'll get answers to all your questions.