How Can I Ship Furniture to a Residence?

Shipping furniture

Shipping furniture to a residence is easier than you would think. The Internet has made it easier to ship big items because so many people rely on it to shop. Even large items like dressers and tables can be shipped relatively easily, with everything taken care of except for packaging. Before you ship furniture to a residence however, there are just a few things to be aware of to make sure that the package arrives in good condition.

Instructions

1. Measure the dimensions of your furniture, and write them down. Depending on what kind of furniture it is, you might have to add a few inches for padding. Other items, like refrigerators, only need light padding. Wooden furniture items with sharp corners should have towels or bubble wrap on them. Cloth items like couches and chairs are usually fine without additional padding because the regular banging won't do damage.

2. Find a box to package the furniture in. The best way to do this is to visit your local furniture store. Tell them your dimensions, and they should be able to give you a few boxes to take home. Also, ask for some old packaging material for padding. If for some reason the furniture store does not have a few extra on hand, visit your nearest packaging store. These companies specialize in larger boxes and packing materials.

3. Take home a few extra boxes because you will need to tape together a few to fit your furniture in. It is unlikely that any one box will fit your furniture exactly right, so a few extra boxes or sheets of cardboard will help you cut and fit the box to the right dimensions.

4. Mark and cut the boxes to fit your dimensions. Use the outside dimensions of your furniture plus about 2 inches. On corners, add padding with packaging tape. The padding should be either bubble wrap or towels. Fold the towels over a few times and tape them on. Wrap the padding around other parts of the furniture that can be scratched. Be liberal with the padding and tape.

5. Check shipping rates online using the measurements and the weight of your package. You should check the major companies like Fed-Ex, UPS and USPS. Make sure when you are checking rates that you can have the item picked up. UPS has stores that you can drop the furniture off at.

Tips & Warnings

• Check out companies that also package and ship the furniture for you. The drawback is the cost, but it will save you a lot of work and headaches. Check prices for a transit company in your area.

References

• TSI transit