Disassembling and Reassembling a Wardrobe

Movers assembling a wardrobe

Properly disassembling and reassembling a wardrobe requires skill. Professional movers typically handle this task alone, occasionally enlisting help in certain situations. As an amateur, it's best to work as a team. Especially with modern wardrobes that are no longer made of solid wood, it's easy for screws to come loose with incorrect movements.

Disassembling the Wardrobe Systematically

This guide has been compiled by the author based on years of experience:

Label all parts correctly
If you want to approach the task systematically, start by labeling each individual part of the wardrobe. It's best to use painter's tape and number the parts from left to right. Place a piece of painter's tape on each wardrobe component, such as walls, ceiling, floor, moldings, etc., and number the parts from left to right. Even if certain components of the wardrobe are identical, it's still worthwhile to assemble them in the same order and not swap parts. If the floor at the new location is slightly uneven, the individual parts can warp. If you reassemble them in a different order, it may be difficult to align them properly.
Helpful tip: If you have multiple similar wardrobes, each part should also be labeled with the wardrobe number. This ensures that the individual parts are carried to the correct room at the new location. For example, if the wardrobe is located in the living room and you want to label the second shelf of the wardrobe, the painter's tape could say: W1 / D2 (Living Room Wardrobe 1 / Shelf 2)
Removing the Wardrobe Doors
The next step is to remove the wardrobe doors. Often, this is easier than it looks and can usually be done without a screwdriver. However, there are many different systems, so it's only possible to provide general advice: Always start by loosening the bottom of the door and then the top. If you loosen the top first, you'll need to hold it in place to loosen the bottom. If you loosen the bottom first, the top will naturally stay in place, allowing you to easily loosen it as well.
Removing Shelves and Hanging Rods
Next, remove all internal components of the wardrobe, such as shelves and rods. In most cases, these can be easily taken out.
Next, secure any loose parts like shelves and rod holders with painter's tape. This way, you'll know exactly where each shelf was located when reassembling.
Disassembling the Wardrobe
Now comes the actual disassembly. Start with the side of the wardrobe that is freely accessible in the room. This will make it easier to hold the remaining wardrobe parts against the wall. If possible (depending on the wardrobe system, applicable to approximately 80% of wardrobes), remove the first side panel and then the top. Next, remove the back panel, followed by the bottom. Repeat this process in the same order: side panel, top, back panel, bottom. (For some wardrobe systems, the top is in one piece, so you need to remove the outer side panels first and then the entire top.)
Important: Transporting the Screws
The screws should be carefully collected and transported separately, not packed in a single box. When you arrive at the new location, you'll likely want to start assembling the wardrobe quickly due to limited space. If the screws are in a random box, it becomes inconvenient to search through several boxes before you can begin assembling the wardrobe.

Instructions

Wardrobe assembly instructions can be puzzling

IKEA provides assembly instructions for almost all furniture online: IKEA Assembly Instructions

Packing the Wardrobe Parts

Depending on the wardrobe, it can vary whether and how the parts should be further packed. Generally, pay special attention to protruding parts that can break. It's often worth unscrewing such parts if possible. For glass and mirrored doors, it's advisable to remove the handles, as pressure can build up at that spot during transport in the moving truck, potentially causing cracks or breakage. Extra care must be taken with mirror and glass doors that extend to the edge without any wooden, plastic, or metal frame around the glass. When placing the wardrobe doors on the ground during transport in an elevator, on the sidewalk, or in the vehicle, they can break very easily. For such doors, it's recommended to protect the lower side with edge protectors or other protective materials so that the doors can be placed down safely. If you want to be extra cautious, you can completely wrap all wardrobe doors, for example, with bubble wrap or blankets. In any case, make sure the bubble wrap or blankets are tightly secured so that the door doesn't slide around and can be easily carried. This can be achieved with a sufficient amount of tape or, ideally, with stretch wrap.

Even when using a professional moving company, it's important to handle protruding parts with care. Budget moving companies often employ day laborers who may underestimate how quickly something can be lost or broken, especially with such parts.

Loading the Wardrobe into the Moving Truck

When loading the wardrobes into the moving truck, prepare a suitable area inside the truck first. If you have a box truck with straight, high side walls, it's easiest to secure the wardrobe to one side. Start by loading all tall (long) wardrobe components. It's best to load all side panels first and then the doors. Then, secure the wardrobe with ratchet straps. Tighten the straps reasonably tight because the parts may still move slightly due to vibrations during the first few hundred meters of the journey, causing the tension to loosen.

When loading the wardrobe into the moving truck, it's wise to group together all parts of the same wardrobe. This ensures that they will be reunited in the correct room at the new location. Especially if you have several very similar pieces of furniture, parts can easily get mixed up.

Unloading the Wardrobe

When unloading and transporting the wardrobe from the moving truck to the new house, it's best to place the wardrobe directly in the correct room. However, the individual parts should not be placed against the appropriate wall just yet; instead, place them against an adjacent wall. This way, you don't have to move all the wardrobe parts to another location before you can start assembling it; you can start assembling it right away.

Assembling the Wardrobe

You can now start assembling the wardrobe in the reverse order of disassembly. Depending on the apartment, leave a gap of up to 5cm between the back of the wardrobe and the wall to prevent mold from forming on the wall and the wardrobe. If the floor is made of hardwood, you can attach furniture glides to the bottom of the wardrobe and adjust its position after it's been set up (but before placing the shelves inside). If the floor is carpeted, you'll need to place the wardrobe in the exact position from the beginning, as it will be difficult to move once it's in place.