A wandering soul

Remember the time it took you to assemble all your flat pack furniture? When it's time to move house, a professional furniture removalist will be able to disassemble the item in the blink of an eye, right? It doesn't usually happen that way, since a removalist will generally load your items into the truck, as is. Sometimes they can be safely moved without being disassembled (and this is true for basic, solid items like shelves). Anything else will need to be carefully taken apart, and this is your responsibility. Does it have to be such an inconvenience?

Get Some Outside Help

Yes, it's your responsibility, but this doesn't necessarily mean you have to do the actual work if you really don't want to. Some household removalist companies also offer a packing service, which helps you to get everything ready for moving day. This might include disassembling flat pack furniture, but you would need to enquire about this so that the necessary time can be allotted for the work. This packing assistance will generally incur an extra fee, so it's up to you if your budget can cope.

Know What You're Doing

When you decide to do the work yourself, it would be helpful to have the instructions you used when putting the furniture together. Of course, that probably went straight into the recycling bin as soon as you were finished. This isn't going to cause a headache,since you can usually find the instructions online. With some items, taking the thing apart (and the best order in which to do this) is just a matter of logic.

Document the Process

You might find it helpful to take photographs of screws and bolts as they're removed from their respective positions, essentially creating a record of where everything has to go when you put it back together again. Make sure that all the screws and bolts are placed in a bag, or even better, a plastic tub with a lid. Label the bag or tub as needed, and make sure it doesn't go missing during the move.

It Will Still Need Protection

Even when disassembled, your flat pack furniture will need some protection during the move, and just like the instructions, it's not like you would have kept the box it was shipped in. Although durable, many components of flat pack furniture (such as chipboard) are prone to scuffing, so be sure to wrap each piece in newspaper, which can then be secured with masking tape, while making sure that the adhesive portion of the tape doesn't come into contact with the wood or upholstery, since this can leave an unpleasant sticky residue. 

Make sure you allow enough time to take everything apart. It's really worth the effort to do the job well, and just think how great it will be for everything to be put back together again in your new home.