Avoiding the fall-outs from flatpack furniture

Would you pay someone to assemble your flat-pack furniture? Is a trip to Ikea a big enough dent in an otherwise stress-free weekend without adding searches for lost screws and wondering what the difference between parts A and K really are?

And then there are the helpful hints from your other half to deal with. Over 50 percent of Australians admit that they’ve fought with a spouse or partner when putting together flatpack furniture and more than six out of 10 Australians have experienced a flatpack furniture disaster.

According to research by Flatpack Assembly Services, the cliche of couples butting heads over assembling flatpack furniture is true in the majority of Australian households. Most Aussies have also experienced the infamous flatpack furniture disaster such as furniture being assembled incorrectly or misplaced parts such as screws.

Interestingly, it seems we overestimate our abilities when it comes to assembling flatpack furniture, with eight out of 10 of us describing ourselves as capable at the job, despite six out of 10 admitting things have at some time or another gone very wrong.

This was particularly true for millennials, with those under 35 the most confident in their abilities. Nearly nine out of 10 would describe themselves as capable yet they were just as likely as Boomers or Gen-Xers to have lost it with their partners over a missing screw or misplaced bracket.

Territorians are the most confident in their assembly skills with nine out of 10 describing themselves as capable and Victorians the least confident with fewer than eight out of 10 describing themselves as capable.

The over-50s is the only group experiencing more harmony at home with over half having never argued over flatpack furniture. Interestingly, they are seemingly also the most realistic about their abilities with more than two out of 10 admitting they aren’t capable in the area, more than any other age group.

Four out of 10 Australians would pay someone to assemble flatpack furniture for them. However, this increases significantly for those who have recognised their limitations. Eight out of 10 Aussies who wouldn’t describe themselves as capable at flatpack furniture assembly would outsource the job.

The research reflects what Flatpack Assembly Services franchisees are witnessing all over the country, says Ray Liceralde, franchisee at Flatpack Assembly Services Mascot.

“A lot of the time we’re contacted after people have attempted to assemble the item of furniture themselves and have either assembled it incorrectly or have given up. We see the aftermath of a lot of fights!

“Once people work with us, they tend to return to us again and again. The relief of knowing that their furniture will be assembled quickly, correctly and without stress is hard to pass up.”

Jamie Redman, Franchise owner at Flatpack Assembly Services, Baulkham Hills believes that people are becoming much more open to outsourcing assembling flatpack furniture just as they are to cleaning or handyman work.

“Flatpack furniture assembly can seem deceptively simple, but in fact it’s quite complex and time consuming. The instructions aren’t always clear and there are often a lot of parts.

“When people are honest with themselves they will usually realise they either don’t have the skill, time or patience to do it themselves.”

“In this day and age people are much more aware of the value of their time. They would rather keep their Saturday afternoon free for family time rather than assembling furniture, especially if they know it will involve fighting and stress!”

Flatpack Assembly Services’ licensed and fully insured flatpack technicians install and assemble people’s flatpack products at their home or office for (appropriately enough) a flat fee.

Flatpack Assembly Services, who provided this article, has more than 60 franchisees across Australia and New Zealand. For more information or to get an instant quote call 1300 352 872 or visit their website.