We’ve moved countless IKEA pieces. Our opinion? Overall, IKEA furniture is great. The pieces are stylish, affordable and, if assembled correctly, can last just as long as more expensive pieces of furniture.
When moving IKEA furniture, some additional considerations are needed. Before your next move, take time to prepare. A little preparation now will ensure your IKEA furniture can survive the move and look good and function properly in your new home.
1. Moving IKEA furniture before assembly
If you don’t already own the IKEA pieces you’re eyeing, hold off on purchase or assembly until close to moving day. Many of our clients have our movers drive right up to the loading area at IKEA and load all the boxes and accessories directly into the truck. Pre-assembled IKEA furniture is both easier and safer to move and easier than assembling, disassembling, and reassembling again in your new digs.
2. Determine what can be moved as is
Already own IKEA furniture? Before the move, determine what can be moved as is. Our team can help assess the situation for you. Typically, large pieces with lots of small parts are good candidates for staying intact during the move. If you are moving your stuff in a car or are renting a small moving van or truck yourself, you may want to consider disassembling everything. A few pieces of IKEA furniture can easily fill a standard rental truck or van, but a single piece may not fit in your car at all.
3. Disassemble carefully
Despite what you may have heard, IKEA furniture can absolutely be disassembled and reassembled again. If you’re going that route, be sure to take every piece apart very carefully. Just be sure to carefully remove any parts, as the screws can eat away at the particle board, making it tough to put back together once you arrive.
Another pro tip? Unless it’s a small piece, don’t go it alone. Once you start pulling out screws and dowels, IKEA furniture can quickly become unstable and start to collapse. Having a friend, roommate, or family member on-hand to hold up wobbly sides can be a huge help. They can also be in charge of packing every screw, dowel, and plastic piece into a Ziploc bag and labeling each carefully. If you have multiple IKEA pieces, keeping the small parts organized will help the reassembly process big time.
4. Treat your IKEA furniture well
Sure it’s less expensive than other furniture brands, but that’s no reason to be careless when moving IKEA furniture. In fact, you may need to be more careful to avoid the particle board getting dinged.
