Should I empty my filing cabinets before movers arrive?
Yes. Pull the files out and box them. Papers can slip through the gap at the back of a drawer and get lost or crushed when the cabinet moves.
Yes, take the files out
David recommends removing all files before moving day. In most filing cabinets there is a gap between the back of each drawer and the cabinet itself, and folders tend to slide through it when the cabinet is tilted. They end up crumpled at the bottom or stuck behind a drawer that will not close. Fishing them out at the new office is slow and frustrating, and important papers can be torn.
Packing files the easy way
- Work one drawer at a time and keep folders in their original order.
- Use smaller boxes; paper is heavy, and a large carton full of files is hard to lift.
- Stand folders upright in the box the same way they sat in the drawer.
- Label each box with the cabinet and drawer it came from, for example "Cabinet A, drawer 2".
- Tape the boxes shut and stack them near the cabinet.
Other things to pull before the crew arrives
- Hanging folder frames and loose rails.
- Office supplies, staplers and anything metal that can rattle around.
- Confidential paperwork you would rather keep with you.
- Small electronics such as label makers or drives.
Home offices and workplaces
An empty cabinet is lighter, easier on the crew and far less likely to have a drawer fly open on the stairs. The same advice applies whether it is a two-drawer unit in a spare bedroom or a row of lateral files in a suite. Companies moving whole departments can read our commercial moving and corporate relocation pages, and households can find more prep steps on the moving checklist. Emptying drawers is also a good moment to shred what you no longer need, so fewer boxes make the trip. If you need boxes for the files, the crew carries them on the truck and bills only the ones used.
Also worth reading
We also move people in Commercial Moving, Moving Checklist, Corporate Relocation, Ask Do I Need to Empty My Dresser Drawers, Ask Do I Need to Pack Fragile Items in Boxes and Ask What Should I Do Before the Movers Arrive.
Questions and answers
Can a filing cabinet move with files still inside?
We recommend against it. Folders slip behind the drawers and the extra weight makes the cabinet harder to carry safely.
How should I label file boxes?
Mark the cabinet and drawer each box came from so you can refill the drawers in the same order.
Do you supply boxes for office files?
Yes. Boxes are on the truck and billed as used.
