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Long Distance Furniture Moving Companies
When preparing for a long-distance move, if you haven’t uttered the phrase “contingency plan” on more than one occasion, are you really as prepared as you think? When moving, one of your top priorities should be to protect your furniture from getting damaged. In order to make sure it arrives safely, you need to put special care into packing it to safeguard it from being jostled around during your long-distance move.
We know that for many, just the thought of moving long-distance can be stressful enough as it is, but once you take into account moving your large items like furniture, it can take your stress levels to a whole new height. So, first, let’s take a deep breath. Because with some pre-planning and preparation, the correct equipment and the right mindset, moving large furniture can go just as smoothly as the rest. Here’s what you need to know about how to move your furniture long-distance and when it may be time to bring in the professionals.
How is furniture moved for long-distance trips?
There are several ways you can look into transporting your furniture when making a big long-distance move. It can seem like a daunting task, but with so many options out there, you can easily find the best option that works for you.
- Rent a truck — first and foremost, you can disassemble your furniture, load it up onto a rented truck and drive across the country to your new home.
- Portable moving container — when you rent a portable moving container, you load it up, and the company transports it to your new home for you.
- By train — an efficient and eco-friendly way to transport your belongings to your new home. Transporting your furniture, or all of your possessions, by train can sometimes be the cheapest method.
- By plane — this method will cost you more than transporting your furniture by train, but you will receive your belongings quicker.
- By sea — if you are moving internationally, you can ship your furniture by sea freight. This would be cheaper than by plane, but it will take much longer.
- Furniture delivery companies — some furniture delivery companies offer services that pick up and drop off large furniture items.
- Moving companies
- Full-service movers: perfect for when you have a significant amount of big furniture to move.
- Freight shipping company: ideal for when you have delicate or expensive furniture that needs to be handled with extreme care.
There are so many different options for moving furniture long distances, each one coming with its own pros, cons and costs. The best way for you to decide which method will work best for you is to research several moving companies with a wide range of services to help you decide.
How can I ensure a perfect long-distance move?
While it’s almost impossible to plan a perfect move without hitting a few hiccups along the way, here are some long-distance moving tips and tricks to help make your move go more smoothly.
Get lots of packing supplies
This is definitely a case of having too much being better than not having enough. You will want to ensure you have everything you need whenever you are ready to begin packing up your belongings. Nothing is more frustrating than finding your packing rhythm, only to have to break out of it to pick up more packing tape, boxes or bubble wrap.
Disassemble your furniture
The best way to reduce the risk of damaging your furniture while moving is to disassemble it and wrap it up. This will prevent scratches and dents as well as make it easier to carry! When your furniture is neatly wrapped up in pieces instead of one large item, tackling things like long-distance walks from the van to the house or stairs and narrow hallways becomes significantly easier. Don’t forget to put the nuts and bolts for each furniture piece in a ziplock back and tape it to the furniture so you can easily reassemble it later.
Start packing as early as possible
People often underestimate the time and effort it takes to pack up an entire house, so give yourself plenty of time. This is not a time to rely on last-minute deadlines to pull you through. Doing so will lead you to toss items into unmarked boxes or bags hastily, making it almost impossible to find anything in your new home. We have plenty of packing tips for you if you don’t know where to start to help you use your time efficiently.
Don’t make your boxes too heavy
We cannot stress this enough — do not overpack your boxes with heavy items. Yes, book lovers, we’re looking at you! It may seem like having fewer boxes would make moving go faster, but having to carry several heavy boxes will tire you out quickly. Also, you and your helpers are more likely to injure yourselves if you are not safely picking them up and placing them down.
One way to avoid this is by packing a mixture of different items in each box instead of packing it full of all one thing. Using the example above, try doing one row of books instead of filling a whole box and then adding a throw pill or bed sheets on top.
Use lots of padding
In order to ensure as much as possible that your items don’t get damaged while moving, make sure you pack your boxes as snugly as possible. Use lots of bubble wrap and newspaper, or even t-shirts and socks, to restrict the amount of movement within each box to make sure your belongings survive the bumpy, long-distance trip.
Do I need insurance for my furniture?
Moving insurance is what it sounds like — it’s insurance to cover any losses or damage to your belongings while moving since your items are at a higher than normal risk of damage or theft. Accidents happen. We all know this. In these cases, it’s a good idea to have moving insurance. Most homeowner insurance policies do not include coverage for damaged or lost items from a move. Therefore, moving insurance is certainly worth taking a look at when you think about how many potential problems your possessions could be exposed to.
How do I move large furniture?
When moving large furniture, make sure you have lots of bungee cords, blankets, and bubble and plastic wrap. Compacting it as much as possible is key to ensuring furniture is secure for travel. You want to fill up any negative space in between each item to guarantee it doesn’t bounce around or fall on your long-distance journey. Make it as dense as possible. Use blankets, pillows, bed sheets, small boxes and whatever else you can to fill those gaps!
Here are some great tips for moving large furniture:
Mattresses and bed frames
Get a plastic mattress slip to keep both your mattress and box spring safe. Disassemble your bedframe and store it between the mattress and box spring on the truck. This will help protect it. Also, as mattresses are sold and can absorb impact well, a great trick is to load your mattress onto the truck last to use it as a protective barrier to prevent your belongings from falling against the truck door.
Couches
Remove any cushions and wrap the couch with plastic wrap. Pack it into a corner and stand it on end, if you can. If there’s anything you can anchor it to with bungee cords, this will help ensure it doesn’t topple over. Use the couch cushions to fill in any gaps around the truck as you pack it.
Dressers
First, remove the drawers. This will make the dresser significantly lighter when lifting and carrying it. Use blankets or bubble wrap on the corners of the dressers to prevent them from being damaged or causing any. Once the dresser is on the truck, cover the top of it with blankets so that you can stack other items on top without leaving any scratches or scuff marks. You can also leave your clothes inside the drawers when packing them onto the truck, but you may want to wrap them with plastic to prevent your clothes from falling out or getting dirty.
Tables
If you can, remove or collapse the table legs. If the legs are removable, wrap them separately, and wrap any chairs as well. Stacking them will help use less space, and adding bungee cords will keep everything from moving around.
Mirrors
Mark a large X across the face of your mirror with masking tape. You have likely seen this done on TV, and it does, in fact, help. The tape helps minimize the effects of the constant vibrations your mirrors or any glass surfaces will experience while moving, making them less likely to break. You can also purchase moving boxes that are designed specifically for mirrors.
Specialty items
Items such as a piano and a grandfather clock can be challenging to move. If mishandled, you risk damaging them very easily. We highly recommend hiring professionals to move delicate and expensive items such as these, or at least someone who can prepare them properly for you before attempting to move them yourself.
Don’t forget
Make sure you plan ahead before you move your furniture across the province or country. The last thing you want is to arrive at your new home and find out that the furniture you spent all that time carefully disassembling and packing does not fit in your new home! Measure everything and create a new home floor plan so you know where everything will go and whether it will fit.
What is the most cost-effective way to move furniture long distances?
There is nothing cheaper than moving your furniture yourself. However, keep in mind that time is money. So one thing you may want to do is take some time to sit down and determine how much you feel your time is worth. After making a schedule and figuring out everything you need to do for your move, if you decide it’s worth it to spend a little money to save you some time, you have got a few lower-cost options.
Renting a truck
This is definitely one of the cheapest options. Renting a truck and driving it yourself will save you a significant amount of money than hiring movers to do it for you. Plus, you can move around your schedule rather than theirs.
Renting a portable moving container
If you are willing to spend a little extra in order not to have to drive the truck yourself, one option is to rent a portable moving container. With a portable container, you just load up your items inside of it and let the company transport the container to its new location for you. Then when it arrives, you can unload it at your leisure. You can also easily store your container on your driveway or in a secure facility if needed to allow you more time to unload it.
Moving via the Railway
Another cost-effective option is to move your belongings by train. You can virtually move anything on a train, and it’s an efficient and eco-friendly way to transport your belongings while helping you save.
When is it time to hire a professional long-distance moving company?
You may want to consider hiring a moving company if you have many large and expensive furniture items (i.e., a piano and grandfather clock). While this is certainly the more expensive route, it can save you a lot of time and energy.
Here are five reasons why you should consider hiring a moving company:
No heavy lifting or injury
Professional movers, trained to move hefty objects safely, will do all the lifting for you while avoiding injury. Therefore, there will be no risk of you or your helpers accidentally injuring themselves.
Stairs or accessibility concerns
Moving can be physically draining or demanding when your home is a long distance from the road or has many stairs. Hiring professional movers will ensure that your items get transported safely.
Some items need special care
As mentioned above, moving items like a piano or grandfather clock can be risky. Moving companies have movers trained to transport specialty items and will help ensure they arrive at your new home safely.
It’s time-saving
When you are planning to move, there is never enough time in the day to get everything you need to get done. You still need time to organize, pack, load, transport and unload your belongings on top of your already busy schedules. Hiring professional movers will save you time, as they will do most of the work for you.
They’re professionals at what they do
Utilizing professional movers with years of experience, you can be confident they know how to pivot, maneuver, wrap, drape and protect every item, as well as your walls, floors, stairs, handrails and doorways. Experienced movers know the safest ways to pack your belongings onto the truck properly. They know how to secure your possessions to prevent them from moving around or breaking during the move, as items are guaranteed to get jostled on a long-distance trip.
At Atlas Canada, our experienced long-distance movers have assisted Canadians for almost six decades with moving not just across the country but all over the world. Whether you are moving across the province or the country, with more than 100 movers in every Canadian province and territory, you can rest assured that you put your trust in one of the most established and reputable van lines in Canada. We are ready to ensure you and your belongings arrive safely at your new home.
Are you preparing to move and exploring your relocation options? Request your free long-distance moving quote from Atlas Van Lines (Canada) Ltd. today!