Quick summary: To dismantle a wardrobe, empty it, take a few photos, then remove the doors, shelves and hanging rail before anything structural. Most flat-pack wardrobes then come apart top first, then the back panel, then the sides from the base, with cam locks undone by a quarter turn. Label every panel, bag the fixings by section, and wrap the edges before it goes in the van. When you rebuild it, fix it back to the wall. Fitted wardrobes usually stay with the house. If you’d rather a driver handled it, you can get an estimate on our Bristol man and van page.
Should you dismantle a wardrobe before moving it?
For most double and triple wardrobes, yes. A built wardrobe is usually too wide and too tall to turn through a doorway or round a landing, and the stairs at the other end are often worse. Taking a flat-pack wardrobe apart is fairly straightforward, and it’s much safer than carrying the whole thing.
Where does your driver need to go?
How long do you need the driver at each end?
A rough guide to the total time for loading and unloading.
- Few items: 30 mins to 1 hour
- Studio flat: 1 to 1.5 hours
- 1-bed flat: 1.5 to 2.5 hours
- 2-bed house: 2.5 to 4 hours
Every move is different. Stairs, parking and big or awkward items all add time. If unsure, round up.
Extra loading and unloading time is charged by the hour.
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The exception is a small, narrow single wardrobe with a short, clear route to the van. If that’s yours, walk the route and measure the tight spots first. Doorways are rarely as wide as they look, and our guide to getting furniture through a door explains how to measure the clear opening.
Can you move a wardrobe without taking it apart?
Sometimes, if it’s small or a solid piece that isn’t designed to come apart. Empty it completely, take out the shelves and rail, and tape or strap the doors shut so they can’t swing open. Use furniture sliders or a trolley rather than dragging it, keep it upright where you can, and have two people on it. HSE’s good handling technique guidance covers the basics of lifting something this awkward. If it’s tall, check the ceiling height at every turn on the stairs before you start.
Tools you’ll need
- Cross-head and flat-head screwdrivers
- Allen keys (flat-pack ranges, including IKEA PAX, often use them)
- A cordless drill with screwdriver bits, which saves a lot of time on bigger wardrobes
- Zip-lock bags, masking tape and a marker
- Your phone, for photos
If you’ve lost the instructions, many manufacturers keep them online. IKEA’s assembly guides are a good example, and the steps are useful even for similar wardrobes from other brands.
How to dismantle a wardrobe step by step
1. Empty it and take photos
Take everything out, then photograph the wardrobe from the front and inside. Photos of how the shelves, rail and any drawers fit together save a lot of guesswork at the other end. Shelves and rails left inside are usually what gets damaged, so pack them separately.
2. Take the doors off
Doors come off before anything structural. Most flat-pack wardrobes use concealed hinges that clip or screw onto a mounting plate inside the carcass: unclip them, or undo the screws holding the hinge to the plate, while someone holds the door. Older wardrobes sometimes have lift-off hinges instead. Leave the handles on so there are fewer loose parts.
3. Take sliding doors off
Sliding doors usually lift up into the top track, which gives you enough clearance to swing the bottom out and free them. Many systems have an anti-jump catch on the bottom runners that needs releasing first, so check before you pull. Mirrored doors are heavy and fragile, so two people should lift them.
4. Remove drawers, shelves and the rail
Take out the drawers, lift out the loose shelves and unscrew the hanging rail. Wrap the rail separately, because it will scratch the panels if it travels loose.
5. Undo the carcass
Work from the top down. Cam locks are the round fittings in the panels: turn each one about a quarter turn anticlockwise with a screwdriver, and the panel comes away from its dowel. On most flat-pack wardrobes, the top comes off first, then the back panel (usually thin board, pinned or slotted into channels), then the sides from the base. Take the back fully off rather than leaving it half attached, because a loose back panel tends to crack at the fixings in transit. If your wardrobe is built differently, follow the instructions in reverse.
6. Label and bag everything
Put a strip of masking tape on each panel as it comes off: left side, right side, top, back, base. Bag the fixings by section, label each bag, and tape it to the panel it belongs to. One bag for everything feels simpler until you’re rebuilding at 9pm with three kinds of screw mixed together.
If the wardrobe is unusual, heavy or valuable, our furniture assembly and disassembly service can take it apart and put it back together.
Protecting the panels
Edges and corners take most of the damage. Wrap the edges in bubble wrap, then wrap each panel in a moving blanket or an old duvet, and stack panels face to face with a blanket between each pair. Wrap mirrored doors on their own and keep them upright.
What size van you’ll need
Dismantled panels are long and flat, often close to the full height of the wardrobe. A medium van takes one wardrobe with some boxes. A bedroom’s worth of furniture usually needs a large van, and a whole flat or house is Luton territory. For a house or flat move, it’s the total volume of everything that decides the van, not the wardrobe on its own.
In the van, panels go in first, flat along one side, where they make a wall for boxes to rest against. Heavy solid pieces go low and towards the cab, and everything gets strapped. Our guide to securing furniture in a van covers how.
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Putting it back together
Build it where it’s going to stand, or as close as you can. A built wardrobe is hard to move across a room, and it may not stand up in a room with a low ceiling if you build it lying down.
- Fit the sides to the base.
- Slide in or fit the back panel if it goes into channels, before the top goes on.
- Fit the top and tighten every cam lock and screw.
- Check it’s square by measuring the two diagonals. If they match, it’s square. If not, adjust before hanging the doors, or they’ll bind or leave gaps.
- Hang the doors, refit the rail and shelves, and adjust the hinges so the doors line up.
Fix the wardrobe to the wall
Once it’s built, fix it back to the wall with the anti-tip fitting it came with. RoSPA advises that furniture at risk of being pulled over should be secured to the wall, and it notes that children have been killed or seriously injured by furniture tipping onto them. If the original fitting is lost, the manufacturer can usually supply a replacement.
Can fitted wardrobes be moved?
Usually not, and usually they shouldn’t be. Built-in wardrobes are made to fit one space, and they’re fixed to the walls, floor or ceiling, so removing them tends to damage the room and leave a unit that doesn’t fit anywhere else. They’re also normally treated as fixtures. The HomeOwners Alliance explains that fixtures like fitted wardrobes are assumed to be included in a sale unless the seller states otherwise on the fittings and contents form. If you’re leaving one behind, sort out storage for the new place before moving day.
What if a wardrobe can’t come apart?
Solid wood wardrobes, older armoires and antiques often weren’t built to be dismantled and can be damaged if you try. Take the doors off if they lift off easily, empty it, and move it in one piece with two people and a large van or Luton. If it has real value, a joiner or furniture specialist can advise whether any part can be safely taken apart.
Frequently asked questions
How do you undo cam locks on a wardrobe?
Put a screwdriver in the slot of the round cam fitting and turn it about a quarter turn anticlockwise. That releases the dowel, and the panel pulls away.
How do you take sliding wardrobe doors off?
Release any anti-jump catch on the bottom runners, lift the door up into the top track, and swing the bottom out to free it. Mirrored doors need two people.
Do you need to fix a wardrobe to the wall after moving?
Yes. Use the anti-tip fitting supplied with it. RoSPA advises securing furniture that could be pulled over, particularly in homes with children.
Can fitted wardrobes be moved to a new house?
Rarely. They’re built for one space and are usually treated as fixtures that stay with the property, unless the seller states otherwise when selling.
