How should you pack the living room for your next move? Before you box, bin, or bag everything in this well-used space, take a look at the do's and don'ts of moving your living room.

Do Create an Inventory

Even though it's only one area of your home, you need to keep track of everything in the living room space. An inventory allows you to organize the move, increase efficiency, and decrease the likelihood of unintentional loss. To create a living room moving inventory:

• Group like items. Separate everything into like or similar groups. If needed, create physical piles or sections in the room to see what you need to add to the inventory.
• Add subject headings. Give each group a name (such as books, entertainment, or home accents). Use the heading to organize and guide the inventory.
• Add each item. Add every item in each group under its matching subject heading. If you have multiple items, note the exact number — such as 10 books or five cushions.

Choose an inventory system that works for you. This may include a written list, color-coded spreadsheet, or an online/app option.

Don't Forget to Clean

Give yourself a fresh start. Clean each item in your living room before you move. While you don't necessarily have to scrub every inch of your living room furniture and accessories, you should:

• Remove food/beverage debris. Crumbs, stains, and other leftover food/beverage debris can attract pests or potentially damage other items you plan to move.
• Dust hard surfaces. Don't bring dust (and dust mites) into your new home. Reduce potential allergens and give your new space a fresh feeling with this easy cleaning activity.
• Wash fabrics. If possible, remove covers from pillows and other soft surfaces. Handwash or machine wash (depending on the manufacturer's recommendations) and dry these items.

Now that everything is clean and debris-free, move on to the next step — packing.

Do Disassemble What You Can

Bulky and oversized items or furniture aren't always easy to move. But that doesn't mean you can't transport your couch, coffee table, or recliner to your new home. If possible, disassemble larger, bulky, or heavy items.

Before you disassemble and pack living room furniture:

• Consult the manufacturer's manual or guide. Can you disassemble your living room furniture? If you're not sure, or you're not sure how to take the item apart, consult the manufacturer's directions.
• Keep hardware with the item. Nuts, bolts, screws, washers, and other hardware should stay with the item. Place these smaller pieces into a zipper baggie, and attach it to the largest portion of the table, couch, or chair.
• Wrap larger pieces. Your tabletop won't fit into a box or bin. But this doesn't mean you should move it as-is. Wrap oversized items in moving quilts to add mid-move protection.

Along with oversized items, you also have smaller-sized pieces and delicate breakables to move. Even though you can't disassemble small accents and accessories (such as decorative items or lamps), you can take steps to transport these items easily — and decrease the damage risk.

Don't Skip Protective Packing Materials

How should you move breakables from your old home's living room to the new one? As you plan and pack:

• Wrap items individually. Wrap breakables in bubble wrap, linens, or towels. Secure the wrap with a piece of tape before you pack each item.
• Pack tightly. Space between a glass vase or breakable lamp base and the box or bin leaves room for damage. Don't let your valuable living room items slide in boxes or bins. Pack each container with extra bubble wrap, plain newsprint, or towels on the sides, top, and bottom.
• Mark fragile containers. Let the movers know which boxes or bins have breakable items in them. Write fragile or a similar word on the top and sides of each container.

Don't forget to label each box. Now that you've packed breakables and marked the boxes or bins as fragile, add the words living room and a description of the contents on each container's exterior.

Do you need help with your next move? Contact O'Sullivan Moving & Storage Co. for more information.