Placing an order for custom furniture can be stressful. There are many unknowns: will your custom furniture piece look harmonious in your space? Will it be bigger (or smaller) than anticipated once you see it in person? And lastly, how will your custom furniture be delivered?
Read on for six great tips to ensure your bulky custom furniture arrives as planned!
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1. Try to Shop Local
Buy local! If you’re in Canada, look to Canadian or North American makers. Shopping closer to home mitigates the travel distance and thus reduces the potential for loss in transit and damage — and your delivery costs and wait times may even be lower!
You’ll also be able to connect easily with the custom furniture maker. For example, if you’re located in the Greater Toronto Area, consider checking out places where you can buy custom furniture in Mississauga, Whitby, Vaughan or Markham.
2. Measure in Advance
Ask your custom furniture maker how big they expect the delivery parcel will be. Measure your doorways, halls, and staircases. This is crucial as you might need to prepare some spaces before delivery. This might mean taking a door off its hinges to get your new custom table through the front door, or temporarily rearranging a room to accommodate a custom-made bed.
If you have concerns about the package size, ask your custom furniture maker if it’s possible to parcel pieces separately so that they can be assembled onsite, in situ.
3. Make Sure You’re Physically Able to Get Your Custom Furniture Inside
If you live alone or cannot lift weighty objects, make sure that you have people around to help you take delivery of your new custom furniture. Ask friends, family, good neighbours or look online for folk to help. Better still, ask your custom furniture maker if their delivery people can help you get your piece through the door and situated where you’d like it!
4. Protect Your Walls, Carpets and Wooden Floors
- Use painters’ tape to hang blankets to the walls in advance if you foresee potential dings to narrow hallway walls.
- Use slip- and skid-free plastic sheeting to protect your carpets and wooden flooring.
- Have old towels at hand; these can easily be slid under large bulky boxes when the delivery team are resting and strategizing their best route of entry.
- Remove pictures from narrow hallways and staircases to prevent breakage.
5. Live in a Condo or Apartment Building? Speak to Your Super or Building Manager
In some shared living spaces, you may need to reserve a parking space and an elevator. Some apartment buildings will want to hang blankets in the elevator to prevent damage.
Similar to delivery in a house, ensure doorways accommodate your delivery and clear a route through your space.
6. Keep Kids and Pets out of the Way
In the nicest possible way, shut pets in a safe, quiet room to minimize stress and prevent the chance of escape. Entertain your kids in another room or ask a friend or family member to watch them for an hour or so. This is for their safety as much as for ease of delivery.
Ordering a custom piece of furniture is a fantastic way to get precisely what you want for your home. Don’t let shipping and delivery deter you!
