Flat pack furniture is affordable and easy to get delivered to the Latrobe Valley, but putting it together is another story. Instructions with diagrams and no words, dozens of nearly identical screws, cam locks that will not tighten and a wardrobe that ends up leaning — most people have had at least one weekend lost to a flat pack. Large pieces such as wardrobes and bunk beds also need two people and care to stand them up without damage.

We assemble flat pack furniture in homes, units, offices and rentals across Traralgon, Morwell, Moe, Newborough, Churchill and nearby towns. We build pieces square and solid, fix them to the wall where needed for safety, and take the packaging away.

What we assemble

Bedroom

• Wardrobes, including large sliding-door and hinged-door units
• Bed frames, ensembles, bunk beds and loft beds
• Chests of drawers, tallboys and bedside tables
• Dressing tables and mirrors

Living and dining

• TV units and entertainment units (and TV wall mounting)
• Bookcases and display shelving
• Dining tables and chairs
• Sideboards and buffets
• Coffee tables and side tables

Kids and nursery

• Cots and change tables
• Kids’ bunk beds and loft beds
• Toy storage and shelving
• Kids’ desks and play tables

Home office

• Desks, including corner and sit-stand desks
• Office chairs
• Filing cabinets and storage units
• Shelving and bookcases

Outdoor and garage

• Outdoor dining and lounge settings
• Garden storage boxes and small sheds (small kit sheds only; see below)
• Garage shelving and workbenches
• Kids’ play equipment kits such as cubby houses and swing sets (on suitable level ground)

We assemble furniture from all the common retailers, including the big flat pack stores, department stores, online retailers and furniture shops. The retailer’s name does not matter much; good assembly technique applies to all of it.

How we assemble

1. Check the parts. We unpack and check everything against the parts list before starting. If a part is missing or damaged, it is better to know at the start and contact the retailer.

2. Protect the floor. We assemble on the packaging cardboard or drop sheets to protect your floors and the furniture.

3. Follow the instructions, with experience. We follow the manufacturer’s steps but know where the common traps are, such as panels that look identical but are mirrored, and screws that must not be over-tightened in particleboard.

4. Square and level. We check that carcasses are square before fixing backs, and adjust feet and doors so everything sits level and closes evenly.

5. Adjust doors and drawers. Hinges and runners are adjusted so doors line up and drawers run smoothly.

6. Anchor to the wall where needed (see below).

7. Clean up. We flatten the packaging and remove it, or leave it for your recycling if you prefer.

Anchoring furniture to the wall

Tall and heavy furniture, such as wardrobes, bookcases, chests of drawers and TV units, can tip over if a child climbs it or pulls out several drawers at once. Furniture tip-overs have caused deaths and serious injuries to young children in Australia. Product Safety Australia recommends anchoring furniture to the wall, and most flat pack furniture comes with a tip restraint kit.

We fix tip restraints into studs in plasterboard walls, or with suitable masonry anchors in brick, rather than relying on the plastic plugs supplied in the box, which are often not suitable for plasterboard. For rentals, tenants can generally anchor furniture for safety in Victoria, but check the current rules and let your agent know.

Particleboard tips

Most flat pack furniture is made of particleboard or MDF. It is strong in the right direction but easy to damage:

• Screws over-tightened in particleboard strip the hole and will not hold again. We tighten by hand at the final turn.
• Cam locks need to be turned the right way and fully engaged, or the joint will be loose.
• Dowels need to be seated firmly with the right amount of glue where glue is specified.
• Moving assembled furniture by dragging it can break joints. Lift it, or assemble it in the room where it will stay.

Moving, dismantling and re-assembly

Moving house? Flat pack furniture often does not survive being moved in one piece. We can dismantle furniture before a move, bag and label the fittings, and reassemble it at the new address. We can also re-tighten and repair furniture that has become loose and wobbly over time, replacing stripped cam locks and screws where parts are available.

Small kit sheds and outdoor items

We assemble small garden sheds, storage boxes and kit structures. Larger sheds, garages, carports and anything needing a concrete slab, council permit or engineering are building work. Some sheds have size limits above which a permit is needed in Victoria. Check with the Latrobe City Council if unsure. For outdoor furniture, we use the stainless or galvanised hardware supplied and can add protective feet or levelling.

Office fit-outs

We assemble desks, chairs, storage and shelving for small offices, clinics and shops in Traralgon, Morwell and Moe. We can work outside business hours to avoid disruption, and assemble multiple workstations in a single visit. See our commercial handyman page.

Areas we cover

Flat pack assembly across Traralgon, Morwell, Moe, Newborough, Churchill, Yallourn North, Glengarry, Tyers, Traralgon South and Hazelwood North.

Combine with other jobs

Assembly often pairs with other small jobs:

• Hanging mirrors and pictures in the new room (picture and shelf hanging)
• Mounting the TV above the new entertainment unit
• Installing curtain rods and blinds in a new nursery
• Adjusting doors and fitting door stops
• Wall patching where old furniture was anchored

Delivery day tips

• Check the boxes when they arrive. Damaged boxes often mean damaged panels.
• Keep all boxes for one item together, because large items often come in several boxes.
• Move boxes to the room where the furniture will be assembled if you can.
• Clear the space in the room where it will go, plus some working space.
• Keep the receipt and product name handy in case parts need replacing.

Students and new arrivals

Churchill and Traralgon welcome many people new to the area each year: university students, health workers starting at Latrobe Regional Hospital, and families moving for work. Moving into a new place often means a lot of flat pack all at once. We can assemble a whole house of furniture in a day or two, so you can settle in quickly.

Kids’ furniture safety

For cots, follow the mandatory Australian safety standard and the manufacturer’s instructions exactly, including the base height setting for a newborn. For bunk beds, the top bunk should have guard rails on all sides, and the mandatory standard says children under nine should not sleep on the top bunk. We follow the instructions carefully and check everything is tight before we leave. Check the bolts again a few weeks later, because timber and particleboard settle.

Wardrobes: the hardest flat pack

Large wardrobes are where most DIY assembly goes wrong. They are usually built lying down and then stood up. In a room with a standard 2.4 m ceiling, a tall wardrobe can only just be stood up without scraping the ceiling. We measure the diagonal before building, and if there is not enough clearance, we assemble it in a different orientation or build it upright. Sliding wardrobe doors need careful adjustment so they run smoothly and meet evenly, and hinged doors need adjusting in three directions so the gaps are even. A well-adjusted wardrobe is the difference between doors that close with a soft click and doors that drift open every morning.

Most large wardrobes also need to sit on a flat, level floor. Older Valley homes often have floors that slope or dip, especially in SEC-era timber homes in Moe, Newborough and Yallourn North. We pack under the base so the carcass stays square, because a wardrobe built on an uneven floor twists, and its doors will never line up.

Built-in look from flat pack

Modular wardrobe and storage systems can be combined to look almost built-in. We can fit filler panels and scribe them to uneven walls, add kickboards, fix units together and to the wall, and fit trims so the result looks custom without the custom joinery cost. That works well for alcoves, garages, laundries and home offices.

Sit-stand desks and office chairs

Electric sit-stand desks are heavy and include motors, cables and control panels. We assemble the frame, set it up, manage the cables neatly under the desk and test the full height range before we leave. Office chairs are quick, but gas lifts and mechanisms need to be fitted correctly for safety.

Outdoor settings and timber furniture

Outdoor timber furniture often needs bolts re-tightened after the first few weeks as the timber dries and settles. Hardwood settings also benefit from oiling before first use. We can oil new timber furniture after assembly if you supply the oil, or recommend a suitable product. Aluminium and resin furniture needs less care but should still have its fixings checked each spring.

Re-using flat pack in rentals

Tenants move often, and flat pack furniture that has been assembled and dismantled several times can become wobbly. Replacing cam locks and dowels, adding glue blocks or angle brackets inside carcasses and swapping stripped screws for slightly larger ones can give it a few more years of use.

Getting a quote

Email a list of the items with links or product names, the number of boxes if you know it, and which rooms they are going into. Mention stairs or tight access, and whether you need wall anchoring. We will reply with a clear quote.

Photos of the boxes or the delivery note also help us plan the time needed.

Frequently asked questions