How to Pack Drawers for Moving?

When deciding how to pack drawers, consider features of furniture that drawers are placed in. Perhaps it is a furnishing that has an emotional value to you, that is antique or it is a high-end piece which costs a lot of money. If this applies to your item, you want to be extra cautious and avoid any potential damage during packing and transport.

If you prefer to hire professional moving help, NYC moving companies offer services for transport, but also they provide packing and unpacking services, which will save you time and avoid a headache. On the other hand, if your cup of tea is doing things yourself, there are a few steps that you can follow to pack your drawers safely.

One of the things to do before you proceed to pack is declutter. Do an inventory of your possessions, and get rid of all the items you will not use in your new home. Most likely some things are occupying your living space, but you haven’t used them in a long time. Probably some items are no longer appealing to you. Get rid of them by selling them online, making a yard sale, or consider donating to charity. Leave only things that will be of use and that still fit your taste. In this way, you will minimize the number of moving boxes, and need fewer things in your drawers. It might also save you a few bucks by making overall weight lower. If you are hiring a professional moving company, the moving quotes for relocation services often depend on the total weight of your possessions.

When packing your drawers there are two options− leaving them full or taking all the things out. Take a look at the handy checklist below to see which choice suits you better.

Keep drawers full

If the weight of a dresser allows being moved, you can leave things inside. If it contains mostly clothes or other objects that are not too heavy, it will not be too difficult to carry. There is no use of saving space if you are not able to lift it. In case you hired professional movers, most likely they offer packing services and transport of heavy objects.

If this piece of furniture is in good shape, sturdy, and can withstand the weight of full drawers. Make sure it strong enough to be carried, and will not fall apart due to the heaviness or movement.

If you want to minimize the space, then you will prefer to pack everything in one truck. In this case, everything should become a packing container. That means using all of your bags, suitcases, including drawers as a vessel for your items.

If you don’t have enough packing boxes and you want to use a limited amount of them, keep things inside of your drawers.

If it is possible to keep the dresser with drawers upright during transport than go ahead and leave them full. Otherwise, drawers might fall out and make more damage to your staff and the furniture might get broken.

If the content is mostly lightweight items, such as pillows, sheets, or clothing, it can remain inside the drawer.

Keep drawers empty

When full drawers make furniture too heavy, and you decided to do it yourself, maybe you will not be able to move it. Perhaps a few of your friends can jump in and offer an extra pair of hands. If this is not the case, empty all the drawers to keep the weight as low as possible.
When your furniture is antique, vintage, or not in good shape, it might get damaged easier during transport. For this reason, it is better to empty and separate drawers.

When you have enough space to pack, you can fit everything without having to economize the number of packing vessels.
If the design of furniture doesn’t allow it to stay upright, you will have to lay it down or find a different position to place it. In this case, emptying the drawers will be a good move.

If the content of your drawers is very heavy or fragile, you should take it out. Anything heavy like books or records, items made of glass or porcelain, and valuables like jewelry or documents.

Packing full drawers

Fill drawers completely to avoid breaking and jiggling. Items might get scratched or broken if not packed tight. Fill any empty spaces with clothing or use some of the professional packing materials. The most often ones are packing paper and bubble wrap.

Secure drawers when before putting things inside. You can use the same strategy as when packing in a box. Start by using bubble-wrap or any soft fabrics to make the first layer of security. After you fill the drawer with things, make sure to fill in small voids with packing paper, and large voids with bubble wrap. If you have extra clothing and want to save on packing materials, use some of your clothes to make the drawer full. Remember that things inside the drawer should not be heavy, as it might create issues during transport.

Besides securing the items inside, you also want to secure the outside of the drawers. Use painter’s tape to prevent them from opening. Remember to also wrap the whole piece of furniture.

Packing empty drawers

Focus on emptying one drawer at a time, rather than unpacking without a plan. Start from emptying the bottom and work your way up.
Start by placing drawers in its original place, and use painter’s tape to prevent them from opening. Another option is to take drawers out and wrap each one of them separately. In both cases, you should use stretch wrap and furniture blankets to avoid drawers falling out. Eventually, wrap the whole piece of furniture for extra safety−tape it shut and label it accordingly. This way you will prevent drawers from falling out when moving.

Both options have their pros and cons. Empty drawers will take more space but will be easier to carry. Full drawers will fit better in the vehicle but might be too heavy or cause some damage to the furniture structure. Should you decide to hire professionals, the Dumbo NYC offers packing and transport of your furniture.