Welcome to those moving to Chicago or helping in the move! If you are moving up and getting a new beautiful Lincoln Park brownstone or moving to a more compact Wicker Park apartment, the process of packing furniture can be a distant nightmare. But don’t worry! To explain the gory details of terminal reality, it may help if I admit that I have lived in Chicago for 30 years and have moved more times than I want to admit, or have eaten deep-dish pizzas (okay, maybe that too).
Declutter: The Pre-Packing Purge
If you have considered bubble wrap at all, take a good long stare at your furniture and ask yourself. If you have not smiled and said ‘Does this spark joy’ then it probably is time to let go. Needless to say, you can sell on Facebook Marketplace, donate to local charities such as The Salvation Army Chicago, or allow your friends to have them. Less amount of furniture in the house means there will be fewer items to pack and arrange when moving from one place to the other.
Gather Your Supplies
Stock up on packing essentials: Carpet, moving blankets, bubble wrap, packaging tape, plastic wrap, and other packing boxes. Pro tip: look up the page that U-Haul has created called Box Exchange to get some free boxes in your area.
Disassemble What You Can
As much as possible, the fun should be created where many individuals feel comfortable: deconstructing things that are related to IKEA. Take apart the tables and chairs and strip any furnishing containing legs; the dressers and remove the drawers and the bed and separate the frames. This is helpful in that it means pieces can be maneuvered more effectively; it also protects against breakage. After observing that dust and dirt accumulate on the complex hardware for such devices, I found labeling all the hardware with zip-lock bags to be an aggregate!
Wrap It Up
Treat your furniture like it’s Chicago winter outside, this is a caution against any damages you might cause. For larger pieces, use moving blankets or old bedsheets; and, for these, use packing tape. Often when moving, there are times when the items can easily be damaged, for delicate products bubble wrap is your companion. As always do not forget to check for corners and edges because they easily get damaged through rubs and stumbles.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
In mirrors, when you want to lay your print and also for such framed artworks, the best way to go about it is to use painter’s tape; and draw an “X” across the glass. This is particularly useful in the event of an accidental knock, to avoid the items breaking into pieces. Then to ensure its protection during transportation, the whole piece should be wrapped in bubble paper best put in a picture box. These specialized boxes are available in most of the Chicago moving supplies merchandisers.
Sofa Savvy
Couches can be tricky, but here’s a nifty trick: Another: employ plastic wrap to ensure that cushions are clamored and to prevent fabric from getting stained or ripped. In leather sofas, do not use plastic because it tends to cause a color change. Alternatively, moving blankets or old sheets can be used.
Dresser Drawers: Leading for Learning
In case the dresser is not very massive, one can leave the delicate items in the drawers. Tape the end of the bags shut to minimize the chance that they will be opened during the move. For the heavier items, you should clear the drawers and pack the contents of the drawers separately. This makes the dresser lighter and easy to move from one place to another just in case you want to change the interior décor of your home.
Table This Discussion
For dining tables, when possible, take off the legs and wrap each one of them separately. Spread a moving blanket on the tabletop and wrap it up with some tape to hold it in place. When you are carrying several chairs, ensure you stack them by having a piece of cardboard in between to avoid scratching the chairs.
Label Like a Pro
It is necessary to number every piece of furniture and its components. To simplify the management of the equipment and accessories, go for color-coded or numbered systems. This will come in handy every time you are moving from one place to the other and trying to put together hastily assembled furniture pieces.
Make a list of furniture
Make sure to take time and outline a rough layout of your new home so that you can plan where to place your furniture. This saves so much time and strength on a moving day and assists movers in placing items in the correct rooms.
Consider Professional Help
However, if you have a vintage, heirloom, or expensive wares, maybe it is wiser to consult the experts. Some of the Chicago moving companies with packing provide package services of special delicate and valuable items for moving.
Bear this in mind when it comes to packing furniture for a move – it need not be full of nightmares. So use the following tips and do some thinking and you will be unpacking in your new Chicago home in no time. And hey, once you’re done, you might want to reward yourself with a nicely done slice of deep-dish pizza. Indeed you have to get your rewards because life is all about hard work and sweat.