How to Protect Furniture When Moving: Complete Guide

When moving house your primary goal is to get your items to your new home safe and sound – and to achieve that goal, you need to provide your belongings with effective protection.

Most of your items will be easy enough to protect – all you will need to do is pack them in sturdy boxes. Some things, however, will require a lot of packing care – and specialized packing materials – in order to survive the move intact. Unsurprisingly, furniture pieces are among these things.

Large and heavy, furniture items are very difficult to protect during a house move. To complicate matters even further, furniture is also often rather delicate despite its sturdy look and feel – from polished wood surfaces to fine leather upholsteries, many furniture elements are quite vulnerable to damage.

Without proper planning, proper care, and proper equipment, your furniture could easily end up scratched or dented – or even broken – before it arrives at your new place.

To prevent such unfortunate scenarios, you need to protect your furniture really well. Fortunately, there are a number of good ways to do so.

Read on to find out how to best protect furniture when moving.

How to protect furniture during a move

Naturally, the best way to protect furniture when moving is to create a protective layer around the pieces so no damage can come to them.

Doing so won’t be overly difficult (all you have to do is cover your furniture with protective materials) but you need to take some precautions – and make some preparations – to provide the best possible protection to your pieces.

1. Get appropriate protective materials

To keep your furniture safe during the move, you will need plenty of protective materials:

• Furniture blankets – Thick and soft, moving blankets will protect your furniture in case of impact and will prevent scuffs, scratches, scrapes, dents, and even breakages. The padded coverings will cushion the piece and will keep it safe in case it is accidentally dropped or bumped against something while being taken in or out of the home – or in case it topples over or comes in contact with another item in the moving truck. The protective pads will also keep dust and dirt away from the furniture;
• Plastic wrap – Stretch wrap will help you secure the furniture blankets, so they don’t fall off during the move and leave your furniture exposed to damage, and will provide excellent protection against dust, dirt, and moisture;
• Bubble wrap – Bubble wrap is your best bet when it comes to protecting protruding furniture parts and delicate furniture elements;
• Cardboard sheets – Cardboard provides a great way to protect glass furniture elements (glass tabletops, glass doors, etc.), as well as furniture corners and edges;
• Packing tape and masking tape – Tape will be needed to keep the protective coverings in place.

Instead of professional wrapping materials, you can use any old blankets, sheets, or large towels you have at home to cover your furniture during the move.

It will allow you to save on packing expenses but such alternative protective materials will not provide as good protection to your pieces as specialized furniture protectors for moving.

2. Empty and clean the furniture

Your furniture will be safer during the move if it is empty and clean.

An empty piece will be at a smaller risk of damage as it will be lighter and easier to lift and carry – and there will be no risk of its contents falling off during the move and causing damage to the furniture.

So, you need to remove all items from your furniture when preparing it for moving and pack them separately, according to their specific packing requirements.

Cleaning the furniture before the move may seem like a waste of time (you will certainly want to thoroughly clean the pieces after the relocation) but dust and dirt can scratch fine furniture surfaces or settle into the upholstery and cause permanent stains.

Therefore, it is important to remove any dust and debris from the furniture before packing it for moving – dust wood furniture and vacuum upholsteries.

It may even be a good idea to wipe down all furniture surfaces but you need to make sure that the furniture is completely dry before covering it in protective materials (trapped moisture can result in mold growth or cause discoloration, swelling, warping, rotting, etc.).

3. Disassemble the furniture

One of the best ways to protect large furniture when moving is to partially disassemble the pieces, so they become lighter and more compact – and, therefore, safer and easier to pack and move.

• Take out furniture drawers and pack them for moving (See also: How to move drawers);
• Remove detachable furniture elements – shelves, doors, etc. Wrap the pieces in furniture blankets and plastic wrap and label them so you know which furniture item they belong to;
• Remove protruding furniture parts that can be safely removed – legs, armrests, handles, knobs, ornaments, etc. Put smaller items in sealable plastic bags (tape each bag to the corresponding furniture) and wrap larger parts in protective materials;
• Remove glass elements (when possible) – glass tabletops, glass shelves, glass doors, mirrors, etc. Wrap them in packing paper, then in bubble wrap (secure the wrappings with tape). If the glass element is small enough to fit in a box, pack it in a sturdy box with plenty of cushioning inside. If the glass piece is too large, wrap it securely in moving blankets. (See also: How to pack fragile items for moving)

Consider completely taking apart any large pieces that can be safely disassembled – beds, bookcases, wardrobes, etc.

• Consult the furniture instruction manuals to avoid mistakes when dismantling the pieces;
• Take pictures during the disassembly process and mark the dismantled pieces (use masking tape and a marker), so you can easily reassemble the furniture after the move;
• Put all the screws, bolts, nuts, washers, and other small hardware parts from a disassembled furniture piece into a sealable plastic bag and tape it to one of the larger dismantled furniture parts;
• Wrap all dismantled pieces in protective materials and label them properly.

Bonus tip: If a furniture piece is very valuable or very difficult to disassemble, or if you don’t have the time or the right tools to dismantle your furniture, or if you’re not up to the challenge, don’t hesitate to call experienced furniture movers to do the job for you.

How to Disassemble Furniture for Moving

4. Wrap the furniture in protective coverings

So, to get to the essence – how to protect furniture when moving? By wrapping it in protective materials.

As already detailed above, all disassembled furniture pieces should be protected with bubble wrap, large towels, stretch wrap, or other appropriate protective coverings.

Smaller furniture pieces and pieces that can’t be disassembled (or don’t need to be disassembled) need to be fully wrapped in moving blankets and plastic wrap.

But how to wrap furniture for moving correctly? It depends on the type of furniture – you can find specific tips on how to properly wrap different kinds of furniture later in the text.

All things considered, packing furniture for moving is not a simple task – the enormous size and substantial weight of the pieces present a big challenge. And if a bulky piece needs to be disassembled for the move things become even more complicated.

So, if you have very valuable, very delicate, or very complex furniture items (antique furniture, pianos, grandfather clocks, pool tables, etc.), you may want to consider having them professionally packed – professional packers and movers have the right equipment, expert skill, and rich experience to take proper care of your delicate furniture and ensure its safety during the move.

Needless to say, you can use professional packing services for all your furniture – it will save you a lot of time and effort and will give you the peace of mind that your furniture is protected as best as possible. 

Having said all of the above, it’s essential to point out that while packing your furniture properly is crucial for its safety during the move, it is not the only measure you can take to prevent damage to your pieces.

There is an indirect way to protect furniture during a move – and it’s just as effective (if not more so) as the direct way (wrapping the pieces in protective coverings).

5. Plan and prepare

To keep your furniture safe during the move, you need to know what hazards to expect and how to avoid them.

Think about what difficulties you may encounter when moving your larger household items, what situations may present a risk to your furniture, and what you can do to overcome the obstacles and minimize the risks – so you can ensure that your furniture makes it safely in and out of the home:

• Measure your furniture and all the doorways, hallways, and staircases you will need to pass through when taking the pieces out of your old home (and into your new one), so you know if they will fit through;
• Decide in what position to move the furniture and at what angle to carry it, so it is easiest to manoeuver – it may be best to tilt the piece at a certain angle, flip it sideways, move it on its end, etc.;
• Decide on the best route to take on moving day, depending on the available space and existing obstacles (steep stairs, tight corners, etc.);
• Clear the way of obstacles to reduce the risk of mishaps and accidents while hauling your furniture around. Remove any items from the path and any items from the walls along the way, so there are no tripping hazards along your route and you have as much room to maneuver as possible.
• Keep kids and pets out of the way on the day of your move to make sure they won’t get hurt or unintentionally cause an accident.

6. Decide what to do if a furniture piece doesn’t fit through the door

One of the biggest problems you can encounter when moving furniture is a piece that doesn’t fit through the door.

Fortunately, having measured your furniture and the doorways, you will know if there is such a problem in advance – and will have enough time to find a solution.

Here are some of your best options:

• Remove the door from its hinges – If the furniture is just slightly larger than the door opening, removing the door from its frame will give you the extra space you need to squeeze the piece through.
• Disassemble the furniture – You can make big furniture pieces more compact (and, therefore, more likely to fit through the door) by removing protruding parts that add to the length, height, or width of the furniture – legs, armrests, tabletops, panels, doors, etc. Some furniture may need to be completely disassembled for the move. (See above)
• Hire hoisting services – If a furniture piece doesn’t fit through the door and can’t be disassembled, there is only one way to get it in or out of the home – through a window (provided that there is a large enough window, of course). You need to find professional movers who offer furniture hoisting and book their services – the pros have the necessary equipment (hoisting cranes, sky jacks, moving platforms, etc.), technical know-how, and expert skills to safely hoist your large furniture through a window.

What to Do When Furniture Won’t Fit Through the Door: 7 Solutions

7. Handle the furniture as safely as possible

Without a doubt, the risk of damage to your furniture is greatest when it is being taken out of your old home and loaded onto the moving truck – and when it is being unloaded from the truck and taken into your new home.

Therefore, it’s crucial that you find a way to keep your furniture safe during these stages of the moving process.

It is no secret that heavy items (such as furniture) are very difficult to lift and carry – so, accidents are bound to happen. To prevent accidents (and, thus, prevent damage to your furniture) you need to find a safe way to handle the heavy pieces – to ensure you don’t drop them, don’t bump them into a wall, don’t let them topple over, etc.

Here is how to achieve that feat and effectively protect your furniture when taking it out of your old home and into the moving truck (and the other way around upon arrival at your new home):

Option 1. Ensure moving help  

Moving furniture is not a one-man job – most furniture pieces are too bulky and too heavy to be safely lifted and carried by one person. Without help, you risk hurting yourself, as well as causing damage to your furniture and your property.

How to Ask Friends to Help You Move

You can ask friends to give you a hand or hire professional movers to take care of your furniture – just don’t risk moving your furniture by yourself.

What to Do if You Need Moving Help by the Hour

Option 2. Use proper lifting and carrying techniques

The right lifting and carrying techniques will help you avoid personal injuries when moving heavy pieces such as dressers, sofas, dining room tables, etc. – and will reduce the risk of damage to the furniture too.

So, when lifting a heavy piece, be sure to get a firm grip on the furniture and lift with your legs, not your back (keep your back straight the entire time).

Keep the furniture close and centered to your body, walk slowly and steadily, and turn with your feet, not your hips.

How to Safely Lift and Carry Heavy Boxes and Furniture

Option 3. Use specialized moving equipment

Using appropriate moving equipment will go a long way toward protecting furniture when moving:

• Furniture sliders – The flat plastic pieces can be easily fitted under the legs or corners of furniture, allowing you to slide the heavy pieces across the floor with minimum effort and no risk of damage;
• Furniture lifting straps – Moving straps take the weight of the furniture off your body (so you can handle it safely and easily) and keep the piece secure (so it can’t fall off and get damaged);
• Furniture dollies – Moving dollies allow you to wheel your furniture to the moving truck – the piece is well secured to the dolly (so it is completely safe) and very easy to maneuver (so you don’t need to worry about dropping it, hitting a wall, etc.).

Moving Equipment and Tools You Must Have on Moving Day

8. Secure the furniture in the moving truck

To ensure that your furniture arrives safe and intact at your new home, you need to protect it during transportation too:

Step 1. Position your furniture in the truck properly

When loading your furniture pieces into the moving truck, you need to position them in such a way that they’re cushioned against shocks and vibrations, the load is balanced, and there is no risk of other items in the truck damaging the furniture.

To achieve this, you’re advised to:

• Lay a tarp (or some old moving blankets) on the floor of the truck to prevent dust and dirt from getting to your furniture and create a cushioning layer against shocks and vibrations;
• Make a wall of boxes across the back end of the truck (against the wall closest to the cab) and place your heaviest square furniture (dressers, bookcases, china cabinets, etc.) against it – the box wall will provide cushioning against impact and vibrations;
• Position longer furniture pieces (sofas, headboards, etc.) upright along the side walls of the furniture and place desks, chairs, tables, and other smaller pieces in the middle – this way the heaviest pieces will be placed on the opposite sides of the truck and the weight will be evenly distributed throughout the vehicle;
• Be careful not to place any sharp-edged items (tools, metal items, etc.) next to your furniture – even if the pieces are wrapped in moving blankets, such items might still scratch, scrape, dent, or scuff the delicate furniture surfaces (or rip furniture upholstery) if they shift during transit;
• Do not place heavy items or heavy boxes on top of your furniture.

How to Load a Moving Truck the Right Way

Step 2. Secure the furniture well

As important as properly positioning the furniture pieces in the moving truck, it is even more crucial to secure them well so they don’t topple over or shift and bump into another item during transportation.

There are tie-down tracks along the walls of the moving truck (metal bars with notches, hooks, etc.) where you can attach ropes or ratchet straps and use them to secure your furniture in the vehicle.

Tying down the furniture will prevent it from falling or shifting during transit, so the risk of breakages and other damage will be reduced to a minimum.

It is also a good idea to put some heavy boxes in the empty space underneath desks, tables, and chairs to better optimize the space in the truck and keep the furniture in place.

Good to remember: If you’re moving with a professional moving company, you won’t need to worry about any of the above-detailed indirect measures to protect your furniture – the pros know their job and will take all the necessary precautions to keep your furniture safe during the move.

They know how to safely lift and carry heavy items, how to properly load a moving truck, and how to secure the cargo. Furniture movers have the right training and the right equipment for the job – and they have rich experience so they can find effective solutions to any difficult situations that may arise during the moving process.

All in all, the best way to protect furniture when moving is to hire reliable movers to take care of it.

Now that you know the basics of protecting furniture when moving, it’s time to find out how to best protect different kinds of furniture during a move.

How to protect wood furniture when moving

Despite its sturdy look and feel, wood furniture is quite vulnerable to damage – the finely polished surfaces can be easily scuffed, scratched, or dented during the moving process; furniture edges and corners can be chipped; protruding furniture parts can break; etc.

Besides, many types of wood furniture have glass elements – mirrors, glass shelves, glass doors, glass tops – that can be easily broken during the move.

So, to keep your wood furniture safe when moving, you need to provide it with utmost protection – and take extra care not to drop it, hit it against a wall, or let it topple over.

• Carefully dust your wood furniture to prevent abrasive particles from scratching the fine wood surfaces;
• Disassemble the furniture as necessary (see above);
• Make sure any remaining furniture doors are tightly closed and secured with painter’s tape so they don’t accidentally open during the move;
• Protect glass elements that cannot be removed from the furniture – tape a large X on the glass surface (use masking tape) to prevent the glass from shattering if it breaks during the move, then cover the glass surface with a piece of cardboard (secure the cardboard with masking tape). If possible, wrap the glass element in bubble wrap;
• Wrap protruding parts (furniture legs, armrests, etc.) and delicate parts (ornaments) in bubble wrap. Secure the wrapping with tape;
• Protect furniture edges and corners with cardboard or foam padding;
• Wrap the entire piece in moving blankets. Smaller furniture like end tables, nightstands, chairs, bookshelves, etc. can be fully wrapped in a single moving blanket, but larger furniture will require several pads;
• Use plastic wrap to secure the moving blankets in place and provide a second protective layer around the piece. (Remember that plastic wrap will provide protection
  from moisture – especially important if it’s raining or snowing on Moving day.);
• Use proper lifting and carrying techniques and specialized moving equipment to safely take your wood furniture out of your old home and load it on the moving truck – and the other way around upon arriving at your new home. (see above)

Remember that when packing wood furniture for moving, you need to pay special attention to glass elements (as detailed above), as well as to the furniture edges, corners, and legs (when the furniture has legs), as these parts are the most vulnerable to damage during a move:

How to protect furniture legs when moving

Furniture legs are very prone to damage because they protrude from the main structure of the piece and can be easily snapped during the move.

Therefore, it is best to remove the legs and pack them separately (as already mentioned above) – wrap the detached legs in bubble wrap and pack them in a sturdy box or wrap them in a moving blanket.

If removing the furniture legs is not an option, wrap plenty of bubble wrap around them and use tape to secure the protective wrapping in place – this will reduce the risk of the legs breaking during the move.

Then, when wrapping the entire furniture piece in moving blankets and stretch wrap, be sure to fully wrap the legs too.

Be very careful when navigating legged furniture around tight corners and through small doorways.

How to protect furniture corners when moving

Furniture corners and edges are also at great risk of damage during a move because they’re the parts of the furniture that get hit the most when the piece is moved around.

The best way to protect furniture corners is to use specialized corner guards. Alternatively, you can fold pieces of corrugated cardboard around the corners of the furniture and tape them securely in place (use painter’s tape).

And how to protect the edges of furniture when moving?

Again, with the help of cardboard – fold pieces of thick cardboard around the furniture edges and secure them in place with painter’s tape.

The edges and corners of a furniture piece can also be protected with foam padding.

Finally, make sure the furniture edges and corners are fully wrapped in moving blankets – the padded coverings will provide one more – extremely effective – protection layer.

Remember this to best protect wooden furniture when moving

1. Do not use packing tape directly on wood furniture – packing tape leaves a sticky residue behind and may damage the delicate finish of the furniture. You can use packing tape to secure moving blankets and other protective materials but you need to make sure the tape doesn’t come in contact with the surface of the furniture. If you need to tape a cardboard piece, a piece of bubble wrap, etc. to the furniture, use painter’s tape;
2. Do not wrap wooden furniture directly in plastic wrap – wood needs to breathe and the plastic material will not allow it. As a result, condensation may form and moisture may get trapped underneath the plastic wrap. This may lead to mold growth or may cause the wood to swell or warp. Besides, when the temperatures are high, shrink wrap may adhere to the wood surface and damage it. Therefore, it is essential to always wrap wood furniture in moving blankets before you cover them in plastic wrap.

How to protect upholstered furniture when moving

Upholstered furniture is also very susceptible to damage during a house move (it can easily get ripped or stained, scratched or discolored, etc.), so it needs proper protection to survive the relocation intact:

• Thoroughly vacuum your upholstered furniture before packing it for moving, so dust and dirt don’t settle into the upholstery and cause stains or damage;
• Make sure the upholstery is 100% dry as even a small amount of moisture can result in mold or mildew;
• Partially disassemble your upholstered furniture (when possible) – remove cushions and covers, remove sofa legs and armchair legs, remove armrests, etc. Take apart sectional sofas. Pack all dismantled furniture parts in a safe and efficient manner;
• Protect furniture legs, armrests, and other protruding parts that can’t be removed with bubble wrap. Secure the wrapping in place with tape;
• Wrap the entire furniture in moving blankets and plastic wrap. Consider investing in  specialized plastic covers for your more valuable sofas and armchairs;
• Handle the furniture with care (as detailed above).

Depending on the type of upholstery (fabric upholstery or leather upholstery), there are a few specifics to be aware of when packing upholstered furniture for moving:

How to protect fabric furniture when moving

Fortunately, fabric furniture (fabric couches, fabric chairs, fabric ottomans, etc.) is very easy to protect – all you need to do is wrap the pieces in several layers of shrink wrap.

Plastic wrap is safe to use on fabric upholstery, so you can wrap your fabric sofas and chairs directly in stretch wrap.

The plastic material will protect your fabric furniture from dust, dirt, and moisture and will minimize the risk of rips and tears.

How to protect leather furniture when moving

Leather is very delicate and very vulnerable to damage, so your leather furniture (leather sofas, leather armchairs, leather ottomans, etc.) requires top-notch protection during a move:

• Be sure to use the soft brush attachment when vacuuming leather furniture as plastic cleaning attachments can easily scratch the leather;
• Apply an adequate leather conditioner before packing your leather furniture for moving – it will provide some protection to the leather and will keep it soft and in good condition during the relocation;
• Cover your leather furniture in moving blankets, then use plastic wrap to secure the blankets in place and provide protection against moisture.
• Do NOT wrap leather pieces directly in plastic wrap – it won’t allow the leather to breathe (so moisture may get trapped beneath the plastic material and cause mold, swelling, warping, or discoloration). Besides, if you’re moving in hot weather, shrink wrap can adhere to the leather and damage it.

Knowing how to protect your furniture when moving will take much of the moving stress out of the equation – and will ensure your cherished pieces arrive at your new home in good condition and ready to provide functionality and comfort to your new life.

Good luck with your move!