You’ve found a new house, signed your life away and packed all your belongings into boxes. Every. Single. One. Hard part’s done, right? Well, kind of. Getting your furniture and boxes to the new address, unscathed, is the next hurdle. Here’s how to do it safely, quickly and with the least amount of headache possible. (We offer no tips for how long the unpacking will take at the other end.)
- Measure the length, height and width of your couch, fridge, chest of drawers and anything else sizable, multiply the three figures of each item together to arrive at the cubic square metre. It gives you a rough idea of how big a van or truck you’ll need. As a guide, the Hino truck is 18 cubic metres, which should hold should hold the contents of a small three-bedroom home or large two-bedroom unit.
- Use the stone/pebble/sand principle. Big stones – couch, fridge, armchairs – first in, as close against the cab wall as possible, and evenly weighted on both sides of the truck. Use felt padding, sheets, blankets or cardboard to protect edges. Remove drawers from dressers and bureaus, then replace once the item of furniture is on the truck.
- Next, long items – mirrors, headboards, mattresses, rolled-up rugs – along the truck’s long wall. Keeping them upright saves on space. Again, ensure the weigh is evenly distributed.
- Use boxes to plug any gaps underneath chairs and tables, heaviest first, working your way to the ceiling, lightest on top. Wedge them in place with crushable garbage bags of clothes, bedding, linen and pillows.
- Operate a last-on/first-off policy with fragile and awkward items. Even better, load your own car with them if possible. Ensure you have one night’s supplies with you, such as a change of clothes, toiletries, tools for reassembling furniture – in particular, the bed – and perhaps the kettle for a well-earnt cup of tea.
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