5 Things to Avoid When Shipping Furniture

22 Apr 5 Things to Avoid When Shipping Furniture

Furniture shipping is a difficult process that requires extra care and preparation. It is totally different from shipping books or small items. Furniture, especially pieces of furniture that tend to easily get broken is more complicated to ship.

How to pack, how to protect it during transport, and how to store it are the key questions/issues you should pay attention to. However, all those factors actually depend on what type of furniture you are shipping including the material, size, etc. Plus, the distance to the shipping destination is also important. The longer the distance, the more likely you will encounter some issues while shipping it, which means you should spend extra time preparing it.

Even though shipping is such a crucial part of getting or delivering your furniture, most people make lots of mistakes. The people who make mistakes usually do not bother to get more knowledge about specific shipping processes, research, plan and prepare for it. Once the furniture is shipped, you can’t go fix any of the mistakes, so prepare ahead of time is key. That is why I have listed some of the common mistakes people make when shipping their furniture and how to avoid them below.

1. Not packing your furniture properly

Packing is probably the most important step of all the preparation. Properly packed furniture can be delivered to its destination without any damages or issues. If you have never packed furniture before, you should research well or you could ask for someone to help you. Moreover, different types of furniture require different packaging which you should get acquainted with.

2. Not looking after your delicate/fragile items

If you are shipping fragile items like mirrors, lamps, kitchen utensils, etc, you should pay extra attention to packing them. You should use bubble wraps, cardboard sheets, or some sort of cushioning materials. Plus, choosing a box that is slightly larger than the item is vital. Leaving too much space can also damage the item. Lastly, do not forget to add a “fragile” label to the box.

3. Not disassembling as much as you can

When picking furniture, it is important to use the space smartly. Your furniture should be as compact and solid as possible. It also prevents any kind of damage. Tables, chairs, wardrobes, shelves and other big furniture should be disassembled properly. If you have folding furniture like ottoman fold out bed and fold out tables, the process will be much easier for you.

4. Not starting early

Packing takes more time than you think it would. Especially if you are shipping furniture for 2 or more rooms, it is going to take days or weeks. Rushing and hurrying while packing is the worst thing ever. Therefore, start packing as early as possible.

5. Not hiring professionals

Another common mistake people usually make is not hiring a professional moving/shipping company. It is usually because people think they are saving money by doing all the things by themselves while in reality, it is the opposite. You are likely to get the furniture damaged by doing it yourself. Whether you are shipping the furniture to a nearby city or to a totally different continent, you should hire a professional moving company.

However, do not jump to a company you’ve heard first. Choosing a reliable and suitable company is another important process. Before choosing the company, keep in mind these few things:
What are the company’s reputation and rating? If the company has a website or social media pages, read the reviews from people who used their service. A long-established company with many regular customers is preferable.

Is the company licensed and insured? Regardless of the fee, you should only search for companies that are licensed. It is one of the crucial proofs of reliability. Even though the company has years of experience, there is no guarantee that there would be no damages. Therefore, choose companies that are insured.