Wardrobes are attractive bedroom furniture pieces with numerous drawers for storing clothes and a sizable mirror on top. Undoubtedly, a wardrobe is among the most useful furnishings in a household, making it a logical choice to relocate it to a new location.
But here's the catch – dressers are not the easiest things to move. They're big, they're heavy, and moving them can cost a pretty penny due to their size and weight. The best move (pun intended) is to hire professional furniture movers. They know the drill when it comes to moving these pieces and everything else in your home. But if that's not in the cards for you, fear not. You can still learn how to move a dresser alone.
Ready for the furniture-moving adventure? Here's your laid-back guide on how to move a heavy dresser in 10 easy steps.
Before you dive into the task of packing up and hauling your dresser to your new place—whether it's a short hop with a local move or a cross-country journey—take a moment to consider if it's really worth bringing along.
Before you get all caught up in the nitty-gritty of packing and moving your dresser, pause and think if schlepping that hefty bureau makes sense in your particular situation.
To be honest, there are several reasons why lugging your dresser to your new home might not be the best idea:
If you're committed to bringing your dresser along for the ride to your new home, it's time to think about getting the right packing materials. This ensures that your beloved furniture piece stays safe and sound throughout the entire moving adventure. Here's the deal—your dresser faces potential risks at every turn. From navigating it out of your bedroom to hauling it down the hall to the front door, moving it out of your home, loading it onto the moving truck, and finally securing it inside that vehicle. And guess what? Once your dresser arrives at your new place alongside your other furniture, household items, and boxes, you'll need to repeat all those actions in reverse order.
So, it's crystal clear you'll need the proper packing supplies to shield your dresser during the entire moving process:
When tackling the job of moving a dresser solo, having the right moving tools is key to efficiently and safely completing the hefty task. Safety is paramount, so ensure you use the appropriate tools to avoid potential injuries to your back, fingers, or toes.
Additionally, using the correct moving equipment will help prevent any costly damage to the property you're moving out of or into. Common forms of property damage during a move include scratched floors and chipped walls. Two essential pieces of moving equipment for handling a heavy dresser on your own are:
Read more: 10 Tips On How to Move Furniture Without Scratching the Floor
While hiring professional movers is the ideal choice for such a task, if you've opted not to, having assistance from a friend is crucial. They can aid you in packing, loading, and transporting the dresser. The more friends you have to assist, the better. Moving a dresser by yourself is not recommended, except for small ones typically designed for children or those doubling as nightstands.
Given the considerable weight of dressers, always have an extra person to help with the move. Ideally, you should also have someone to spot for you, ensuring a clear path as you navigate. In our dresser-moving experience, we usually assign two movers for the task and an additional person to spot, depending on the dresser's size.
Now, let's go through the steps on how to properly pack a dresser for moving. Don't underestimate these packing steps, as dressers can be heavy and challenging to maneuver through doors and hallways. Taking the time to protect the chest of drawers will help you avoid accidents on moving day.
Alright, let's prep that dresser for a smooth ride. Can you leave clothes in the dresser when moving? No, it’s much better to empty the bureau to lighten the load. Toss out clothes, blankets, sheets, and all that jazz from the drawers. Pack those soft goodies in big cardboard boxes. Now, you can keep things like fluffy pillows inside the drawers – they're light and won't add much weight, but they'll hog up space in boxes. Once the drawers are cleared out or close to it, slap on a couple of pieces of painter's tape over each drawer. This keeps them snug to the main part of the bureau, ensuring they won't pop open on the road. And don't worry, masking tape is gentle on that fancy dresser finish.
Now, let's make sure those drawers stay put during the journey. To prevent drawers from making a surprise exit and causing chaos, grab some masking tape (also known as Painter's tape – it's the good stuff). Tape up each end of the drawers to the main part of the dresser. This special tape won't mess with the delicate surfaces, leaving your furniture unharmed. Another handy trick is to give those drawers a good wrap with stretch wrap. How to wrap a dresser for moving? A few layers around the drawers and the entire dresser will do the trick. Stretch wrap keeps everything secure without leaving any marks, plus it shields your furniture from dust and unexpected moisture. Because who knows what could go down during a move, right?
Clear the stage! Time to prep that dresser for its big move:
Got a dresser with a mirror? Here's the lowdown on handling that delicate situation:
Time to cocoon that dresser in a moving blanket fortress! Here’s how to wrap it up like a moving pro:
Solo dresser move? Not the brightest idea. If you're not roping in the pros to handle the heavy lifting, gather your trusty pals for backup. Now, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of moving that heavy dresser with a dolly:
Alright, first things first when tackling the dresser move sans professionals – plot your escape route. Scope out the path from where the beast of a dresser sits to the awaiting moving vehicle. Ensure there are no hurdles in your way. If there's a suspicion that your dresser might get stuck in doors, hallways, or cramped spaces, whip out the measuring tape to troubleshoot before the actual move.
Time to shimmy that dresser away from the wall – a common starting point for dressers. If it's manageable for a dynamic duo, lift it and gently shift it towards the room's center. But if that dresser is too much of a heavyweight, stick furniture sliders under each leg, and effortlessly slide it across the floor to your desired spot. No heavy lifting, just smooth sliding.
With the help of your crew, gently lift one side or leg of the dresser and pop a slider underneath. Repeat this for all four sides, ensuring you've got the right sliders to keep the floor unscathed. Remember, go for felt or a similarly soft material for hardwood floors, ceramic tiles, vinyl, laminate, or linoleum. Opt for hard materials like plastic or rubber for plush, carpeted floors. Once all sliders are snug, start sliding that hefty dresser in the direction you fancy, with no hassle.
Now, let's venture into the loading phase, a bit of a balancing act, so stay sharp. Team up with a couple of buddies, delicately tip the dresser from one side, slipping the dolly beneath. Take it slow, and mind those proper lifting techniques to steer clear of injuries, especially the dreaded back strain. The silver lining? Once that dresser is all cleared out, tilting it just enough to slide the dolly beneath should be a breeze. Slide the dolly right under the dresser's central zone, then gently tip the bureau backward until it securely rests on the low, 4-wheel platform. Fasten down that substantial load onto the dolly with robust straps or a trusty rope. Safety first!
Now, let's roll that dresser out of your place, taking it nice and easy. Provide some extra support to keep it steady as you wheel it toward the front door. Exercise extreme caution when navigating through tight spots like doors, corners, and those long, narrow hallways. If you're making your escape from an apartment, hitch a ride with the building elevator to the ground floor. For house movers, ideally, your dresser is on the first floor.
Additional tip: Avoid the heavy lifting down or up stairs when it comes to a hefty dresser. Furniture dollies aren't built for stair climbing. If your route to the vehicle involves any stairs, play it safe and bring in the pros - professional furniture movers are your stairway superheroes.
Now comes the grand finale of moving your dresser to its new home—loading it onto the eagerly waiting truck. Take advantage of the loading ramp, or if you're feeling fancy, the truck liftgate, to get that furniture piece safely inside the vehicle. Gather all hands on deck during this loading extravaganza to steer clear of any mishaps. Once the dresser is snugly inside, strap it down tight to the side of the truck, ensuring it stays put during the journey.
Moving a big, heavy dresser to a new place is no walk in the park. It's a demanding task filled with risks for everyone in the mix—those moving, the dresser, the property you're leaving, and the one you're heading into. Have a hefty dresser that's giving you a headache? Save yourself the hassle and let Move4U handle it. We've got the muscle and the gear to get that dresser moved in a breeze. Reach out for your free quote when you contact us at +1 312 548 7229.
Would you like to choose a date?
Please rate us:
Please select platform:
