Most furniture damage doesn’t happen on the road. It happens in the hallway of the old house, when a bare wardrobe meets a doorframe and somebody says it’ll be fine. A bit of prep in each room stops that. This guide walks through the house in the order I’d tackle it, including the pieces headed for furniture storage Perth side if the new place can’t take them yet.
Start with the kit and the route
1. Gather what you need
You don’t need much, but you need it before you start. Moving blankets, stretch film, packing tape, zip bags, a marker, cardboard corners, felt pads and a tape measure cover most of it.
My view: buy more stretch film than you think you need. It holds drawers and doors shut, bundles loose parts and costs very little.
2. Measure the path out and in
Measure your biggest pieces, then the front door, the corridors and any tight corners at both ends. A sofa that fits the room can still fail at the doorway. If it won’t go through, find out now whether the legs, arms or back can come off.
Apartment lifts and building rules
Many buildings make you book the lift in advance, and some ask for a deposit or limit moving hours. Ring the building manager early. A lift booked for the wrong day can cost you the whole move.
3. Plan each room in advance
Give each room a coloured sticker, and put one on every box and every piece of furniture. It sounds fussy. At 5pm on moving day, with the truck half-loaded, it isn’t.
Living room
1. Sofas and armchairs
Vacuum them, take off the cushions and unscrew the legs if they come off. Wrap each piece in a moving blanket and tape the blanket to itself, not the upholstery. Plastic wrap straight onto leather or fabric traps moisture, and that’s how mould starts.
Carry sofas on their end or side if the doorway demands it, but never on a lean that strains the frame.
2. TV units and shelving
Empty everything. Take out glass shelves and wrap them separately, then tape any fixed shelves so they can’t slide. Photograph the back of the TV and its cables before you unplug anything, and the setup will take ten minutes at the other end instead of an hour.
3. Glass, mirrors and lamps
Glass table tops and mirrors stand on their long edge with cardboard on both sides, never flat under a load. Lamp bases get wrapped, shades go in their own box, and bulbs come out.
Is it worth wrapping a cheap mirror? Sometimes the cardboard costs more than the mirror. Use your judgement.
Dining room and kitchen furniture
1. Tables
Take the legs off if they unscrew, and tape the bolts in a zip bag to the underside of the top. Wrap the top in a blanket and carry it on its edge. Leaning a timber top at an angle for hours is how it bends.
2. Chairs
Wrap the legs and tape the arms. Don’t stack chairs seat to seat without padding, because the legs scratch the seats. Pad the contact points, and carry them upright.
3. Sideboards and cabinets
Empty the contents, even if the movers say they can stay. Heavy crockery inside a cabinet is how drawers break. Remove glass shelves, tape doors shut with stretch film and not tape on the finish, and put a blanket around the outside.
Whether to dismantle a heavy old cabinet or move it whole is a question I haven’t got a clean answer for. A solid one that has survived forty years might not survive being taken apart.
Bedrooms
1. Beds and frames
Take the frame apart, tape the bolts in a labelled bag to the headboard and wrap the rails together. Photograph the way it fits before you begin. Slatted bases get bundled and taped.
2. Mattresses
Put each mattress in a breathable bag, and carry it flat or upright. Don’t fold it. A folded mattress can break its springs or crack its foam.
Cots and kids’ furniture
Cots come apart with a handful of bolts, and losing them is a real problem. Bag them, label the bag and tape it to the frame. Check the manufacturer’s assembly guide before you take anything apart.
3. Wardrobes and drawers
Take out anything heavy. Light clothes can stay in drawers if you tape them shut, but test it first: if the drawer is hard to slide, empty it. Remove mirrored doors, wrap them in blankets and stand them on their edge.
Home office and spare rooms
1. Desks
Remove drawers, wrap them and tape the screws to the desk. Take photos of the cable setup and label each cord. Monitor stands and add-on shelves come off.
2. Filing cabinets
Empty them, because a full one is far heavier than it looks. Lock them or tape the drawers shut. Documents travel in a box that stays with you.
3. Office chairs
Wrap the wheels with stretch film so they don’t roll away or scratch the truck. Remove the base if it detaches.
What goes into storage
1. Decide what earns a place
A unit has rent, plus moving the furniture in, plus moving it out, plus any fees. Compare that total against the cost of replacing each piece. A solid timber table is worth the rent. A cheap bookcase usually isn’t.
If you’re comparing furniture storage Perth options for a few weeks, ask for the total over your exact dates, not the monthly rate on the website.
2. Choose the right unit
Ask for the door width and the ceiling height before you book. Check the access hours, whether the unit is drive-up or lift-access, the notice period and whether the final month is billed in full. Look at the cost of a lock, an admin fee and the insurance terms too.
Many facilities won’t insure what’s inside your unit unless you buy their cover. Check your home contents policy first, since some cover goods in storage and some don’t.
Heat and Perth summers
A steel unit with no insulation gets hotter than the air outside, and that’s hard on leather, veneer and glue. For solid timber, leather and antiques, a climate-controlled or internal unit is worth paying for. For pine shelves and plastic chairs, it isn’t. Good Perth furniture storage protects the pieces that need it and skips the rest.
3. Load it properly
Put pallets or planks under everything, because winter rain finds low spots. Heavy pieces go at the back, lighter ones near the door, with a narrow aisle down the middle. Nothing heavy on a timber or glass top. Photograph the loaded unit and tape a list inside the door.
Moving day
1. Protect the house
Lay floor runners, pad the corners of doorframes and ask the crew to lift, not drag. Most scuffs on walls and floors come from rushing.
2. Load in the right order
Heavy, solid pieces go in first and lighter ones on top. Mattresses stand upright against the side, and glass and mirrors go in last against a padded wall. Furniture travels on its side or upright, depending on how it was made to bear weight.
3. Do a last walk-through
Check every cupboard, the garage, the roof space and the shed. Take photos of each room for the bond inspection.
Conclusion
Prepping furniture is repetitive work, and that’s the point. Take it apart where you can, wrap it so it can breathe, empty what’s heavy and photograph how everything fits. For anything headed to storage, clean and dry it first, raise it off the floor and match the unit to the piece. Good furniture storage Perth households rely on is dry, shaded and booked on clear terms. The rest is patience, and a roll of stretch film.
FAQs
1. What’s the best way to wrap furniture for a move?
Use moving blankets, taped to themselves, with cardboard on corners and glass. Avoid plastic wrap straight onto timber or leather, because it traps moisture.
2. Should I take furniture apart before moving?
Where it’s designed to come apart, yes. Bag and label the screws and tape the bag to the piece. Check the manufacturer’s guide for anything you’re unsure about.
3. How do I prepare furniture for furniture storage Perth units?
Clean it, let it dry fully, take apart what you can, wrap it in breathable covers and keep it off the floor. Leave a few centimetres from the walls so air can move.
4. Is Perth furniture storage worth it for a short gap?
For a gap under a couple of weeks and a small load, a garage may be enough. For longer gaps or a full house, a unit is usually worth it. Compare the total cost for your exact dates.
5. Can I leave clothes in drawers when moving?
Light clothes can stay if the drawers slide easily and you tape them shut. Empty anything heavy, because full drawers can break the runners.
