Moving tends to get a bit messy sometimes, and it’s not uncommon for decorations, dishes, and even pieces of furniture to be broken or ruined in the process. While this might not be a huge deal for some smaller items, it’s important to make sure you protect large, expensive pieces like your couch. Moving a couch can be hazardous for both the couch and other items around it, so here are a few tips on how to do it safely.
Protective tarps or blankets
To further protect a nice couch from being damaged in the moving truck, consider layering protective tarps or blankets on it. This is especially important if your couch is made from fabric that’s easy to tear or is in a light, easily stainable color. You can even buy a protective moving pad cover specifically made to protect a couch.
Protect your walls and floors
Your couch isn’t the only thing that can be damaged when you move it, as large and cumbersome furniture has a tendency to ding up the walls and floor on its way in or out. The most important factor in protecting the surfaces around your couch is making sure you have enough people with you to carry the couch together safely. This will give you the strength and maneuverability to get your couch where it needs to go without causing any damage.
Be sure you never drag your couch across the floor – always completely lift it into the air before moving it anywhere. Additionally, try to plan out your route before you start carrying it, taking into consideration doorways and hallways that you might have to carefully navigate. It helps to have a measuring tape handy when figuring out how to handle these tricky spots.
Remove the legs
There’s nothing more annoying than getting your couch halfway through the door out of your apartment or into the new one just to realize it won’t fit through with the legs on. To save yourself the hassle of having to awkwardly set your couch down in the doorway or remove the legs while holding the couch in the air, go ahead and remove the legs beforehand.
To make sure you’re able to reattach the legs when you get to your new apartment, put the legs and all related screws, washers, and nuts in a gallon-sized plastic bag and label it. Either keep this bag with the couch or in an easily accessible place close to other hardware for furniture you may be moving.
Be careful of what you pack on top of it
A large, soft couch might seem like the perfect thing to go into the moving truck first and have everything rest on top, but this can damage it if done wrong. Large boxes or other heavy objects can permanently warp the shape of the couch arms and cushions, so try to instead pile on relatively light items. A couch can also be an ideal surface to lay other fragile items like artwork or lamps on top of.
