How to Pack and Move a Couch

It’s not uncommon for people moving to try and carry out the move independently, without professionals.

Many people take it upon themselves to enlist family members and friends to help them move, even if it’s across the country. Not only can this help save money, but it can also lead to serious injuries and damage to property.

You take many risks moving the couch on your own, but if it’s something you’re determined to do, make sure you know how to pack and move a large couch.

If you find yourself struggling with how to handle heavy furniture during your move, here are some links that might help:

• Moving Cost Calculator: Get a free, personalized, and instant moving quote. Just enter the date, size, and where you’re moving to/from, and we’ll instantly tell you how much your move should cost.
• Best Moving Companies: Avoid the horror stories of back injuries and broken pieces of furniture by hiring professional movers to do the heavy lifting for you.
• Best Moving Containers: Sometimes, handling the move yourself is the way to go. You take care of the packing and loading. These companies manage the driving.

Get the right equipment to pack and move a couch.

To pack and move a couch, you will need the following packing materials to make a move easy and safe for all involved:

• Moving blankets
• Plastic wrap or shrink-wrap
• Flat furniture dolly
• Furniture sliders
• Furniture blankets
• Packing tape
• Furniture straps or lifting straps
• Rope
• Measuring tape

Even after acquiring all of this moving equipment, the task at hand might still seem insurmountable. If that is the case, you can look for assistance via a moving company or other option. For example, a handyman, professional movers, or small company might be best if you only move a couch and not an entire apartment, condominium, or home.

Is the couch actually worth moving?

Before you do anything with the couch, you need to determine if it is worth moving. The more items you wish to move, the larger the moving truck you will need to rent, increasing the cost of the move. If the couch is old, torn, and tattered, it might not be worth all the trouble to move it to a new location. However, if the couch is fairly new and in good condition, you might not want to replace it with a new one at your new home. Should you choose not to take the couch with you, donate it to a charity.

Take the couch apart

.If possible, take the couch apart. If it is sectional, it will easily come apart into at least two pieces. Depending on the size of the sectional couch, it could be three or more pieces once you remove all of the nuts and bolts to disconnect the parts. Remove all of the upholstery, loose pillows and remove cushions that aren’t sewn onto the couch. Do not try to remove pieces of the couch forcibly, or else you could break it. This goes for the legs or feet of the couch. They won’t always come off the furniture.

How to wrap a couch to prepare to move it

Once the couch has been taken apart (if possible), you can begin prepping each piece for the move. Whether you are moving the couch across town or the country, you should wrap each piece correctly to protect it from damage, dirt, and debris.

Wrap each piece in plastic or place it in a large contractor trash bag. For example, if you removed the legs or armrests, place them together in a bag and place the hardware in a plastic bag that you can zip closed. Keep all of these items together so that you don’t lose them in transit.

Depending on your concern about damage, you could wrap the couch in plastic and then cover it in moving blankets. You can drapw these blankets over the couch, or you can cover the couch in the blankets, using duct tape or bungee cords.

Use furniture sliders or a flat furniture dolly.

Whenever possible, use furniture sliders to move the couch, especially if it is still in one piece or the individual pieces are quite large. Furniture sliders protect not only the furniture you are moving but also your floors. You can glide heavy items across carpet, tile, vinyl, and wood without worry.

Not using sliders? A flat furniture dolly can make transporting a couch much easier. You must have the correct dolly to move a couch. An appliance dolly or luggage dolly just won’t do it. The dolly should be short and wide. You can use a utility dolly also referred to as a hand truck, to move a couch, love seat, recliner, or sleeper sofa.

Loading a couch into a truck

One of the most difficult parts of moving a couch is loading it onto the truck bed. You might think navigating small spaces like narrow hallways, stairwells, tight corners, or narrow doors are difficult. However, these will seem easy once it’s time to load the couch into a truck, especially if the truck you are using doesn’t have a liftgate on the rear.

If you rented a truck, it most likely has a ramp attached or an automatic ramp that the driver or a passenger can operate. If not, you will either need to bring your own ramp to load the couch or ask a handful of people to assist you in lifting the couch onto the truck. You can do this by wheeling the upright couch to the edge of the truck. Then, tilt the couch towards the truck and lift it onto the truck. Again, this will likely require the help of a couple of friends or family members.

What are some tips for moving a couch?

Moving a couch to a new home is best done with the help of professional movers. However, you might not always have the budget to hire a moving company. Moving a heavy couch without the help of professionals can be tricky. Make sure you do the following before you attempt to move the couch:

• Check the path you need to utilize before moving the couch. Ensure it is clear of any debris, animals, people, hazards, and other issues that could cause you to trip and fall.
• Always ask for help. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help. A friend or family member can make a move much easier on you and your back.
• When moving the couch, stand it on one end and face the feet towards the door, so they are the first part of the couch to exit the living room or the home. This makes it easier to place the couch down on the solid ground once it’s time to do so.

Have doubts about moving a couch by yourself? Hire furniture movers to get the couch to your new house.

How do you transport a couch?

Transporting a couch is a challenging task. You can easily cause damage to the couch or your home if not done properly. Not using a professional mover can save you money upfront but wind up costing you in the long run, especially if you cause damage to the extent of paying for repairs or needing to buy a new couch.

The best way to transport a couch on your own is with the help of family and friends using furniture sliders or a flat furniture dolly. Make sure you lift with your knees and take your time. There’s no rush when heavy lifting. One person should be assigned as the lookout when moving the couch. Their sole job will be to walk the path in front of you and provide updates on hazards, downstairs, and other information that can help you avoid an accident that could lead to an injury.

Measuring a couch for a move

You should not begin the process of moving a couch until you have measured the furniture and the doorways of both of the homes. First, measure the length, width, and height of the couch. Next, measure the doorways you must exit through along the path of your current home. Finally, be sure to measure the doorways at the location where the couch will be delivered. Comparing all of the numbers will easily show whether or not there will be any challenges getting the couch out of your current home and into a new home.

Have doubts about moving a couch by yourself? Hire a moving company from our vetted list of professional interstate movers.