Moving brings with it all kinds of hassles and challenges. Whether you've hired a professional team of movers or convinced some good friends to help over the weekend, no one really likes the idea of packing and lifting all of their worldly possessions from point A to point B, even if it’s the start of a whole new phase in your life.
But it has to be done and there are some preparatory steps you will need to handle before everyone arrives. Particularly when it comes to those heavy pieces of furniture. That means removing the drawers from your dresser, lifting and wrapping the glass surface from your coffee table, and dismantling your sofa bed.
Wait. You haven't taken apart the sofa bed yet? What did you expect, to lift and carry it through the living room hallway, down your front steps, and into the back of the truck intact? Depending on the type of sofa bed you own, that could be a thankless task that ends with your sofa bed getting damaged, walls and doorways getting scuffed or chipped, and a sore back for you and your buddies.
The best way to avoid all of that unpleasantness is by taking the sofa bed apart before moving it onto the truck and into your new home. Short of hiring a professional furniture assembly specialist to do the work for you, disassembling the sofa bed is a necessary part of the process, one that you will need to perform with some attention to detail and careful organization.
This may all sound daunting but it's not. You can do this and we're here to help! Take a look at the following steps to guide you along to disassembling and reassembling your sofa bed so that it's just as safe and functional as the day you first bought it.
Step 1: Be Very Careful
Careful in all aspects of the task. From making sure you don't get your fingers pinched in any moving parts or mechanisms to remembering how to replace all the screws, parts, and components you're about to remove in the disassembly process.
There are a lot of nuts, bolts, and hardware you will need to remove and replace and losing one or two of them in the move is not an option. Keep pets and children away from the area and always look before you reach into a crevice or hard to reach place under the frame to avoid any sharp points or edges that could injure you
Step 2: Take Photos
Snap some pictures of how the mechanism and all the functioning components of the sofa bed look before you start to take it all apart. These can be a useful, handy guide for reassembling it all when you get to your new home. There are a lot of nuts, bolts, and screws you will need to remove and replace and losing one or two of them in the move is not an option.
Hinges and arms are going to become dismantled and if you aren't acutely aware of how and where they must all be returned when putting the sofa bed back together, you're going to have a difficult time of it.
Tip: If you kept the assembly instructions from when you originally assembled the sofa bed, locate and retrieve this document and put it someplace handy. In the event that it's been years since you assembled your sofa bed and these instructions were thrown away with the original packaging, you can check the product page of the sofa bed you purchased or email customer service for a replacement.
Step 3: Get Organized
Set aside baggies, boxes, and any other reliable containers for storing all of the pieces from the sofa bed that you will need when reassembling it. It's far too easy to lose a screw or misplace a bolt and when that happens, you can't put your sofa bed back together exactly as it was before.
Tip: Organized also means having the right tools for the job. Check your assembly instructions to find out which screwdrivers, pliers, and allen wrenches are required for taking apart the sofa bed product that you own.
Step 4: Remove the Cushions
Take everything off the sofa bed that can get in the way of the task at hand. Cushions, blankets, anything that is part of the sofa bed or that you keep on top of it needs to be removed.
Step 5: Open the Sofa Bed
This is where the steps become a bit more specific to the model of sofa bed you own, so be sure to refer to the specific instructions that pertain to your product.
Grab the loop or handle that allows you to open the sofa bed but don't pull it out all of the way, just enough so you are able to identify the location of the retaining bolts or screws that are keeping the frame and mechanisms in place.. Using a socket set or a wrench, unscrew and remove the bolts while keeping the frame supported.
Step 6: Detach the Mechanism Components
Refer to the assembly instructions that pertain to your product and using a phillips head screwdriver, wrench or socket, detach the arms, mid-ottoman, footrest, springs, and rails that are located on your sofa bed. Use care not to damage any of these components and always be sure to carefully remove and organize all of the hardware in separate bags or boxes.
Step 7: Remove the Legs
This part is often forgotten and it's a critical part of the disassembly process. The legs can make it tough to maneuver through tight places when you are moving the sofa bed. The legs are usually very easy to detach with just a few twists of a screwdriver or wrench.
Reassembling your Sofa Bed
Once the move is complete, you can gather all of your hardware and components to reassemble your sofa bed. Refer to those photos you took and follow the assembly instructions to be sure that your sofa bed looks and operates exactly as it did before the move.
If you have any questions, concerns, or need additional advice, don't hesitate to reach out to Spaze Furniture customer service and we can help.
