How to pack drawers for moving?

When you pack furniture with drawers, you should ask yourself this question: "Should the drawers be empty before I pack the furniture?"

It's actually a great question because there are basically two scenarios for packing and moving furniture with drawers: dressers, chests of drawers, desks or filing cabinets, china cabinets, beds, etc.

• Scenario 1 - Leave the drawers empty with all the items you need: clothes and towels, blankets, and other small items. Then, pack the drawers and move.

• Scenario 2 - Empty the drawers completely and pack the contents in cardboard boxes. Then, protect the drawers from damage during transport.

You must first decide what you will do with the contents of the drawers before you pack the furniture. Then, you can start to think about how to pack your drawers, that is, to make sure they are protected until they arrive at their new homes.

Do you really need to empty all the drawers?

It is best to evaluate each furniture moving box individually to determine if you should empty the drawers or not. These tips will help you determine what is best for your furniture and you, the furniture owner.

The furniture piece is sturdy.

The strength of a furniture piece will determine whether you empty its drawers.

Leave the drawers full: If you are moving a furniture piece that is high-quality and built to last, you might consider leaving the drawers full. This is usually true when moving furniture made from solid wood and not pressed wooden particles. You need to know that full drawers can add weight to furniture structures. Therefore, you want to ensure that the unit is able to withstand the extra pressure during the move.

Sturdy furniture with drawers should be strong enough to withstand a move. Make sure that the drawers are full and securely secured with several layers of stretch wrap.

Empty the drawers: If you plan on moving furniture pieces that are already assembled, it is a good idea to remove their contents and pack them separately from the main structure.

Chipboard furniture is not easy to move, so it is a good idea to avoid moving ready-to-assemble pieces. It's risky to keep the drawers full of antique furniture, especially if it's very old or very valuable.

Flimsy furniture that has drawers won't survive a house move and will be damaged if they have full drawers. Consider removing all drawers and even the drawers.

Available manpower

Are you able to lift and move furniture with its drawers securely in place?

Leave the drawers full: If you have made a decision to move but have not been able to get professional help, you can leave the drawers in the furniture unit. This will save you more time and help you to be more efficient. You and your friends should be able to handle the additional weight of full drawers if you have enough manpower.