Moving a Rug

Moving a rug. It might sound like the simplest thing to not write about, but the topic may surprise you in its detail. Well, not that much detail. But enough for us to share a few tips that might be helpful!

Let’s get into it!

Before you moving a rug, measure their sizes and your new floor space

You may have rugs at your current home, which you plan to bring to your new home. We’ll call these your ‘old’ rugs, even though you may continue to use them.

The first thing to assess is the size of existing rugs, and the comparison to the floor space at your new home. It has been said that rugs can change the feeling of a room’s spaciousness. Furniture should overlap a rug to a degree.

When moving a rug to your new home, you will want to know if you will get the same visual effect, or if the room’s size will determine that you need new rugs for certain rooms. Of course, this applies mostly to larger spaces you may move into. Though in some cases, your rugs may also be too big to fit into your new space.

Resize your rug?

Another option is to resize your rug. Yes, it’s possible! Rug repair persons or makers like this one can cut down rugs, or even enlarge them. If you can’t find a rug resizer through a google search, try checking if carpet cleaners can do it, as alluded to by Apartment Therapy here.

Determine the cost and value of your existing rugs, or new rugs

There are cheap rugs, and there are expensive ones. If you have a rug that is an imperfect size, but was imported from an exotic country where rug weaving is a deep-rooted tradition, then you might have more incentive to keep it anyway. Whether it stays rolled up in storage, or used regardless of its size, sometimes keeping the rug of value has its longer-term benefits.

If you’ve got cheap rugs, consider selling or donating them. The cost of new ones to fit your new space will probably be well worth the investment. And hey, this time around you might be able to splurge on the fancy ones!

Some rugs can be worth a lot, especially if they are antiques. This article explains more about determining the value of your old rug.

Clean your rugs before moving

Before you move your rug, you will want to give it a good clean. You can hire carpet cleaners to do this, or do it yourself. To clean a rug yourself, you will need a space to get it wet, and to hang dry it. Depending on the type of rug you have, the method you use for cleaning can vary. This article explains more, including a tip to check for colour loss before you go overboard on cleaning products!

Some rugs can go in the washing machine (with no guarantees!). And, nowadays you can also buy washable rugs. For example, Ruggable (not a sponsor) has made a product specifically to avoid this hassle of toilsome rug washing!

Prep and protect your rugs for moving

When moving rugs you will no doubt need to roll them up (when they are dry after cleaning of course!).

To keep them in rolled position, and to avoid the roll from loosening, you can tie them with string. Even better, if you have carrying straps, moving straps or something like a yoga mat strap your lifting and transporting will be so much easier. Moving straps can be quite cheap, and can be useful for other items you may want to move yourself on moving day.

Wrap your rug in some large plastic (for example, painter’s plastic sheeting) for protection. You wouldn’t want your hard work of cleaning that rug to go to waste on the move!

If you have a rubber underlay, padding or sticky strips under your rug, of course you’ll want to properly shake those off, clean them and pack them too.

It’s time to transport your rugs in the moving truck! Be careful, they can be heavier than they look!

After moving a rug, restyle your new home

If you’ve followed our tips above, you’ve already got measurements in mind for your new rug.

But if you’re one of those people that believes rugs can make or break a room’s style, there will be more to consider. For example, colour and material. This article on Apartment Therapy goes into more detail on how to choose a rug that’s right for your new home.

And, don’t forget that rugs don’t just have to lay flat! You can hang them on the wall for a bohemian look. This article explains how.

See our related articles:

• Moving Antique Furniture or Selling for Cash?
• Helping the Community When Moving in Greater Vancouver
• Cool Pinterest hacks for moving in Richmond BC
• Burnaby Movers On What To Know When Moving Furniture On Top Of Your Car