Furniture Disassembly and Reassembly for Moving: Melbourne 2026
By Move Near Me team ·
Short answer: Furniture disassembly and reassembly is usually needed for bed frames, bunk beds, tall wardrobes, corner desks and large dining tables. Most sofas, chests of drawers and solid dressers move whole. With Move Near Me it costs $25 per item (ex GST) on top of hourly labour. List the items in the quote form so the crew brings the right tools.
Which furniture needs disassembly and reassembly when you move?
Anything that won’t fit through a doorway, up a staircase or into a lift in one piece has to come apart, as does anything that would twist at the joints if carried whole.
| Item | Usually comes apart? | What comes off | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed frame or ensemble base | Frame yes; ensemble base usually no | Headboard, side rails, slats, legs | King ensembles are often two separate bases |
| Bunk bed | Yes | Top bunk, ladder, guard rails, slats | Too tall and heavy to move assembled |
| Cot | Usually | Sides, base | Keep every bolt and fitting |
| PAX-style flat-pack wardrobe | Yes | Doors, drawers, shelves, rails, then the carcass | Tall flat-pack wardrobes rack (twist) when tilted |
| Solid timber wardrobe | Sometimes | Doors, drawers, cornice | Often moves whole with doors and drawers out |
| Desk or corner desk | Corner and L-shaped yes | Return, legs, hutch | Carlton and Fitzroy terrace hallways rarely take an L-shape whole |
| Dining table | Large: yes | Legs, leaf | The top stays whole |
| Sofa or modular | Usually no | Feet, cushions; modulars unclip | Measure townhouse stairs and apartment lifts first |
| Chest of drawers | No | Nothing; drawers emptied | Moved whole and wrapped |
| Bookcase | Usually no | Shelves out | Very tall flat-pack ones may come apart |
| Outdoor setting | Sometimes | Table legs, umbrella and base | Chairs usually stack and move whole |
Moving into a Southbank or CBD high-rise? Measure the lift against your biggest pieces first; our guide to moving a Melbourne apartment covers lift bookings.
Do removalists take apart beds and wardrobes?
We do, when you ask. Our crews take apart and put back together beds, desks, tables and wardrobes for $25 per item, on top of hourly labour, and bring the tools. It’s part of our furniture removals Melbourne service.
Not every removalist includes this, so check what your quote covers. With us, enter the number of pieces in the “Items to take apart and put back together” field of the quote form and the fee appears in your estimate.
We don’t disconnect or reconnect gas, plumbing or hard-wired electrical appliances.
Should I take apart IKEA or flat-pack furniture before moving?
Take it apart if it’s tall, wide or heavy. Smaller flat-pack pieces like bedside tables and low bookcases usually travel better whole, because every disassembly weakens the joints.
Most flat-pack furniture is particleboard held together by cam locks, dowels and screws. Particleboard grips screws less well than solid timber, and the holes wear each time the piece comes apart, so a wardrobe that has been moved several times may not hold firmly again.
Our terms say this plainly: we take care, but we can’t be responsible for damage caused by the original construction or earlier assembly.
- Find the instructions. Many manufacturers let you download them by product name or number
- Check for wobble. A piece that already sways or has stripped holes may be better moved whole, if it fits
Can you move a wardrobe without taking it apart?
Often, yes, if it’s solid timber and fits through every doorway on the route. Take the doors and drawers out, wrap it in blankets and carry it upright.
Tall flat-pack wardrobes are different. Their thin back panel keeps them square, so carrying them whole can twist the frame and pop the back out. They usually come apart into panels, doors and fittings. Not sure? Tell us the wardrobe type and height when you get an instant estimate.
How much does furniture disassembly cost in Melbourne?
Move Near Me charges $25 per item, ex GST, for furniture disassembly and reassembly, on top of hourly labour. Labour has a 2-hour minimum plus a fixed 30-minute call-out. It’s billed in 15-minute blocks from when the crew arrives at your first address until the last item is unloaded, all at the team rate.
Worked example A: 3-bedroom house, Glen Waverley to Box Hill
Wednesday 11 November 2026, with four items to take apart: a queen bed, two kids’ beds and a desk. Our quote form recommends 3 movers and an 8 t truck ($170/hour) and estimates 4.75–6.25 billable hours including the 30-minute call-out.
| Item | Low estimate | High estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Labour (3 movers + 8 t truck, $170/hr) | 4.25 hrs = $722.50 | 5.75 hrs = $977.50 |
| Call-out (0.5 hr × $170) | $85.00 | $85.00 |
| Disassembly and reassembly (4 × $25) | $100.00 | $100.00 |
| Access fees | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Total ex GST | $907.50 | $1,162.50 |
| GST (10%) | $90.75 | $116.25 |
| Total inc GST | $998.25 | $1,278.75 |
Worked example B: 1-bedroom apartment, Southbank to Brunswick
Saturday 14 November 2026, with a booked lift at Southbank and two items to take apart: a queen bed and a PAX-style wardrobe. Our quote form estimates 3.5–4.5 billable hours including the call-out, at $115/hour (2 movers and a 4.5 t truck, $105, plus the $10 Saturday rate).
| Item | Low estimate | High estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Labour (2 movers + 4.5 t truck, $115/hr Saturday) | 3 hrs = $345.00 | 4 hrs = $460.00 |
| Call-out (0.5 hr × $115) | $57.50 | $57.50 |
| Lift booking (Southbank) | $20.00 | $20.00 |
| Disassembly and reassembly (2 × $25) | $50.00 | $50.00 |
| Total ex GST | $472.50 | $587.50 |
| GST (10%) | $47.25 | $58.75 |
| Total inc GST | $519.75 | $646.25 |
If you take both items apart yourself and enter 0 in that field, our quote form estimates $422.50–$537.50 ex GST for the same move: a saving of $50 ex GST. See our pricing page and our guide to removalist costs in Melbourne for every rate.
Should you take furniture apart yourself?
Do the easy jobs yourself and leave the awkward ones to the crew. DIY saves the $25 per-item fee, but one lost cam lock can leave a bed or wardrobe unusable on moving night.
| Do it yourself | Better left to the crew |
|---|---|
| Unscrewing bed legs and headboards with simple bolts | Tall flat-pack wardrobes |
| Taking legs off a dining or coffee table | Bunk beds and loft beds |
| Removing shelves from bookcases | Storage beds with gas struts |
| Taking drawers out and emptying them | Corner and L-shaped desks |
If you do it yourself, finish the night before so the crew isn’t waiting on billable time.
Checklist: before the crew arrives
- Empty every drawer, wardrobe and desk
- Strip the beds and pack the linen
- Photograph each piece before and during disassembly
- Bag each piece’s screws, fittings and Allen keys in a zip-lock bag taped to that item, or use one labelled “fittings box” that travels with you, not on the truck
- Label panels with masking tape (“Wardrobe left side”, “Bed rail 1”)
- Unscrew any anti-tip straps or brackets from the wall and the furniture
- Clear a path from each room to the front door
Our packing guide has more on wrapping furniture.
What order should you reassemble furniture in at the new home?
Put the beds back first so everyone has somewhere to sleep that night.
- Beds: kids’ beds and cots first, then the main bed
- Wardrobes: before unpacking clothes
- Desks and dining tables: once the main rooms are set up
- Shelving and bookcases: last, anchored before you fill them
Anchoring tall furniture after moving in Victoria
Re-anchor wardrobes, chests of drawers, bookcases and TV units at the new home. Tall furniture can tip when a child climbs it or drawers are pulled out. Use anti-tip straps, angle braces or wall anchors, and if a TV sits on a piece of furniture, anchor that furniture too, as the Product Safety Australia toppling furniture and TV guide advises.
Since 4 May 2025, a mandatory information standard has required suppliers to provide tip-over warnings on clothing storage units, bookcases and similar furniture 686 mm or taller, and on entertainment units of any height.
Renters in Victoria can fit wall anchors to secure furniture without the rental provider’s consent in most cases. There are exceptions, for example on exposed brick or concrete, in properties on the Victorian Heritage Register and in materials that may contain asbestos, and you may need to restore the wall when you leave (see our guide to moving out of a rental in Victoria). Check the current rules on Consumer Affairs Victoria before you drill.
FAQ
Q: Should I take apart IKEA furniture before moving? Take apart tall or large flat-pack pieces like wardrobes and bunk beds, and move small pieces whole. Particleboard weakens each time it’s taken apart.
Q: How much do removalists charge to dismantle a bed in Melbourne? Move Near Me charges $25 per item ex GST to take apart and put back together a bed, on top of hourly labour from $105 an hour for 2 movers and a 4.5 t truck. If you take the bed apart yourself, you don’t pay the $25 fee.
Q: What furniture should I reassemble first after moving? Reassemble the beds first, starting with kids’ beds and cots, so everyone has somewhere to sleep that night. Then do wardrobes before unpacking clothes, desks and tables next, and shelving last.
Q: Will the removalists disconnect my appliances? No. Move Near Me doesn’t disconnect or reconnect gas, plumbing or hard-wired electrical appliances.
Q: How do I stop screws getting lost when moving furniture? Put each item’s screws, bolts and Allen keys in a zip-lock bag taped to that item, or in one labelled fittings box that travels with you.
Q: Can renters in Victoria anchor furniture to the wall? In most cases, yes, without the rental provider’s consent, but there are exceptions such as exposed brick or concrete and homes on the Victorian Heritage Register. Check Consumer Affairs Victoria for the current rules before drilling.
Ready to book? Get an instant estimate and list the pieces in the “Items to take apart and put back together” field, or see our furniture removals Melbourne and house removals Melbourne services.