How to take apart flat-pack furniture for a move

• Allen keys
• Cross-head screwdriver
• Flat screwdriver
• Zip bags and marker
• Masking tape
• Moving blankets

Before you start, lay everything out on a soft surface (the flattened box works) and check it against the parts list in your manual.

• The furniture to move
• Original manual, or a downloaded copy
• Hardware bags for each piece

1. 1

   Step 1: Empty the piece fully and remove drawers, shelves, doors and glass first; wrap glass separately.

2. 2

   Step 2: Unfix the wall anchor or anti-tip strap and leave the wall part in place or bag it with the fittings.

3. 3

   Step 3: Take photos from several angles, and label panels with masking tape showing which way up and which side they came from.

4. 4

   Step 4: Unlock cam locks by turning them back a half turn, and remove screws in the reverse order of the manual.

5. 5

   Step 5: Bag the fittings for each piece separately and tape the bag to its largest panel.

6. 6

   Step 6: Leave the back panel, if fixed with small nails, attached when you can, or ease it off gently with a flat screwdriver.

7. 7

   Step 7: Stack panels flat or on edge with blankets between them so faces and corners do not chip in the van.

• Dismantling a piece that would have fitted through the door whole.
• Mixing hardware from different pieces in one bag.
• Levering joints apart before every cam and screw is undone, tearing out the chipboard.