How to Disassemble Furniture for a Move in 6 Steps
Do yourself a favor and disassemble your furniture before moving day
- Measuring tape
- Screwdriver
- Hammer
- Pliers
- Wrench
- Resealable bags
- Labels
- Tape
- Bubble wrap
- Moving boxes
Don’t forget to add “take apart your furniture” to your pre-moving to-do list. Unless you hire a full-service moving company, you’ll be responsible for taking apart furniture that you want to move to a new home.
Even if you haven’t kept all of your furniture manuals to look back on, breaking down furniture isn’t as daunting as it seems. With some prep work and plenty of label stickers, you can disassemble furniture for a move, pack like a pro, and your prized possessions should arrive at your new address in perfect condition.
Prepping to Disassemble Furniture
Before you start pulling apart your sofa and breaking down bookshelves, you’ll need to gather supplies and note which pieces you’ll need to disassemble and what you can transport as-is. As long as the item can fit through doorways and into the moving truck, you likely won’t need to take it apart.
Find any remaining furniture manuals to help guide you in taking it apart. You can also search for online manuals or tutorials for assistance. Also, grab a box of resealable bags as well as labels and markers, so you can store away nails or bolts and pack the furniture pieces together for easier unpacking.
How to Disassemble Furniture in 6 Steps
Follow this step-by-step guide for successful furniture disassembly.
Measure Furniture, Doorways, Hallways, and Moving Vehicles
Unless a piece of furniture has several fragile elements, like a china cabinet with mirrored doors or glass shelves, it is usually easiest to move it in one piece. So before you disassemble furniture for a move, narrow down what you need to take apart first.
Measure doorways, hallways, and other exits as well as the moving truck. Then, measure larger furniture pieces to determine whether they’ll fit through in one piece or not. Plan to disassemble fragile furnishings and larger pieces that won’t fit through your entry and exit points.
Empty the Furniture
Now that you’ve narrowed down which items need to come apart, remove any loose items from drawers and pack those away before taking apart a piece of furniture. For couches, take off the cushions and pillows and pack those separately. For beds, you should take off the sheets, blankets, and pillows to pack, and remove the mattress before taking apart the bed frame.
Remove Fragile or Moving Pieces
Photo: ela bracho / iStock / Getty ImagesFragile furniture parts, like mirrors, or moving pieces, like doors, can break during a move if they aren’t packed away or handled carefully.
Mirrors and glass pieces: Remove mirrors or glass pieces of furniture and wrap them carefully in blankets and bubble wrap and label them as “fragile”.
Drawers: Drawers can easily slide out during transportation, causing them to fall, chip, or break. Remove them and pack them separately for easier and safer transportation.
Doors: Unscrew hinges to remove doors. Wrap them in blankets or bubble wrap to protect them from breakage.
Remove Furniture Legs
If necessary, remove the furniture legs from sofas, dressers, tables, or other furniture items. Make sure to keep the legs together, labeled, and packed with the furniture item. This step will alleviate any confusion when it’s time to put everything back together.
Disassemble the Frame
Once the legs and moving parts are out of the way, you can either transport the now-lighter frame for smaller furniture items or disassemble the frames of larger items to fit them through doorways and into the moving truck. Use handy tools like a screwdriver, hammer, pliers, or a wrench to disassemble the furniture with ease.
If you have the furniture manuals, follow them in reverse to take apart the frame. If you are dealing with furniture with pieces that are glued together, it’s best to leave those items to a pro to prevent permanent damage.
Pack and Move Furniture
Photo: Rawpixel / iStock / Getty ImagesWhether you pack up furnishings whole or disassemble them into pieces, you should pack them carefully. Use packing materials like furniture blankets, bubble wrap, and packing paper to minimize the risk of dings, dents, and scratches. Keep resealable bags of the nails, screws, bolts, and other items from each furniture piece packed with the furniture, and label everything for easy assembly when you get to your new home.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire Movers?
Hiring movers costs an average of $880 to $2,570 for local moves and $2,700 to $10,000 for long-distance moves. Distance is a primary cost factor here, but so is the overall size, complexity of the move, and accessibility of the properties. In other words, small apartments are easier and cheaper to move from than large homes.
DIY Furniture Disassembly vs. Hiring a Pro
While it’s possible to disassemble most furniture pieces on your own, you may want to consider hiring a professional to help you break down high-value, antique, or very large items. It’s best to hire a moving company if you need to disassemble more delicate furnishings, like the hutch that has been in your family for generations or a piece of furniture that has been glued together.
You can save about $25 to $50 per hour on the cost to hire a moving company by disassembling furniture yourself, and these savings can add up if you need to take apart simple furnishings like bookshelves or desks. Many moving companies also charge an additional fee to disassemble furnishings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can disassemble most furniture with the proper tools and experience. Beds, tables, bookshelves, and chairs are all items that can be disassembled. Be sure to keep track of parts like screws and hardware by labeling them with the disassembled items. Avoid disassembling delicate or antique items in case they become too damaged to reassemble.
Not all furniture needs to be disassembled. Smaller items or pieces that are easily transportable might not require disassembly. You only need to worry about assembling large pieces, like a sofa, in order to fit through existing door frames and hallways. Before you disassemble anything, take measurements of your furniture and talk to your moving company about what should be taken apart prior to moving.
To move a couch, you can partially disassemble it by detaching the legs, sectional pieces, or back from the rest of the couch. If available, follow the manufacturer’s instructions, which will clearly outline what parts of the couch can be taken apart.
Most traditional furniture items, like bed frames, take 15 to 30 minutes to disassemble, depending on the design and size. Some large and intricate items, like a wardrobe, could take an hour or more. To save time, always check the assembly manual for proper disassembly steps.
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