How to Pack Bulky Items When Moving House

Moving house can be an exciting time filled with anticipation, but it can also be a daunting task. There is a lot to organise and a lot to pack. Smaller household items are easy to pack in boxes and move about, but what about those big, bulky items like mattresses and furniture? How do you pack them so they arrive at their destination undamaged?

No matter the reason for your move or how far away you are relocating, the more organised you are for each stage of the process, the easier everything will be. With this in mind, here’s a guide for packing and protecting those large, oversized or bulky household items so your move isn’t filled with stress but rather success. Let’s look at some common bulky household items and some hot tips for getting the job done.

Always start with a plan

Having a plan is imperative if you want everything to run smoothly on moving day. Not only should you create a plan for the entire move, but you should also break down that plan into a variety of sections, with one section focused on what to do for packing and moving large, awkward and bulky furniture and other household items.

Start creating your moving plan as early as possible. Unless the move is a last-minute decision, then you’ll likely have at least a month or more before the moving date to map out a plan. Part of your plan should include a checklist of things to do for each stage of the plan. This checklist is your moving “to-do” list. For the section devoted to packing and moving bulky items, write down everything you can think of. Chances are you won’t think of everything right away and will add to this list over time.

You’ll also want to consider prioritising what items are most important and start packing those first.

Disassemble furniture if possible

Any furniture or other large and bulky items that can be dismantled prior to the move should be disassembled and then reassembled on the other end. Even if items cannot be totally disassembled, there may still be removable parts that will make the item easier to pack and render it lighter and less bulky to move come moving day.

For example, some kitchen appliances will have removable shelves or drawers, such as the refrigerator. Removing the doors on some appliances is also advisable, particularly if those doors are fragile and contain glass. For ensemble beds, you can take the legs off so the base is easier to manoeuvre through doorways and into the truck. Removing the legs also negates the chance of a leg catching on a door frame or other items in the house. Slat beds can be completely disassembled for easy packing and carrying. Remove cushions from couches and chairs, and also remove the legs, if possible.

Furniture items such as entertainment units, bookshelves, wardrobes, tables, desks and other similar items can usually be disassembled.  You should take photos of items before taking them apart, just so you have a visual reference to make reassembly easier. It’s even better if you still have the assembly instructions.

Gather the right packing materials

Before attempting to move these bulky household items, you’ll need to gather the right packing materials to protect items when carried and while in transit. Furniture should not be placed inside the moving truck without first covering it in some form of protective wrapping. Compile an inventory of your large, awkward, odd-shaped and bulky items. Once that’s done, consider what you’ll need to wrap each item and keep it from harm. For instance, you can wrap a couch in blankets, securing the blanket by wrapping packing tape around it. Things like large floor lamps you can wrap with bubble wrap. Purchase packing materials from a hardware store or online. Here are some things you need in your packing inventory:

• Mattress covers
• Blankets
• Bubble wrap
• Foam padding
• Cardboard
• Packing tape
• Plastic wrap
• Large garbage bags
• Moving Boxes
• Filling materials

Tips for packing furniture

The majority of bulky items in any household are going to be various pieces of furniture. By now you would have disassembled or flat-packed everything that you can, so it’s time to start wrapping and packing your furniture in preparation for the move.

Some of the most effective items you can use to protect a variety of furniture pieces while in transit are blankets and furniture pads. You could use old blankets you already have on hand or you can rent or purchase special moving blankets from a removalist company. Starting from one end, wrap the piece of furniture until it’s entirely covered. Then secure the blanket in place with packing tape. Depending on the size of the furniture, you might need more than one blanket to cover it.

Items like table and chair legs can also be wrapped in blankets or furniture pads. The same applies to slat beds that have been disassembled. If you can’t remove the legs, for example, on your dining chairs, carefully wrap each leg with padding and plastic wrap for protection.

Couch cushions and covers can also be protected with plastic wrap. Remove the cushions and wrap them individually, and then carefully wrap the entire couch. Protect the corners of desks and dressers by placing cardboard around them and then securing everything in place with plastic wrap. Alternatively, you can secure the cardboard with packing tape. For any bulky items that have non-removable fragile pieces, carefully wrap them in bubble wrap.

How to prepare a fridge for moving day

Before you start packing your fridge for the big move, you should remove all the loose items inside it, such as shelves, drawers, ice cube trays and so on. Turn the fridge off well beforehand to give it time to totally thaw and dry out. Gather the shelves together and wrap them with plastic wrap. Use bubble wrap for any shelves made of glass.

Now it’s time to wrap the fridge itself to guarantee protection against bumps or scrapes while being carried, loaded, transported and unloaded. If you have the original box, great, but if not, cover all the sides and top with cardboard, and then either use tape to hold it together or wrap the entire fridge in plastic wrap.

How to pack a bed for relocation

If it’s an ensemble bed, take the mattress off and protect it with a layer of plastic wrap. This also ensures the mattress remains dry should it rain on moving day. Now, remove the legs from the base and place them in a bag and label it. With this done, you can proceed to wrap the base in plastic wrap as well, or you could also use blankets held in place with packing tape to guarantee protection.

Adlam Transport is here to help

Based in Perth, Adlam Transport is your local expert removalist team. We do both local and interstate removals. If you don’t have the time or the inclination to pack your household items and bulky furniture, we can do it for you. In fact, we can take care of every aspect of the move. Contact us today for more information or to get a quote.