Black Friday is a great opportunity to buy larger items for your home, with furniture, electronics, building materials and home essentials often available at reduced prices. But once you’ve found the perfect deal, a more practical question comes up: How do you get it home safely?
A large TV, sofa, dining table or wardrobe often takes up more space in its original packaging than you might expect. And that’s when you realise your car might not be quite as big as your Black Friday ambitions. That’s why it’s worth thinking about transport before you make your purchase.
Want to avoid long delivery times and expensive delivery fees? With a trailer, you can collect your Black Friday purchases yourself and bring them home for free with Freetrailer.
Here are five tips to help you get your larger purchases home safely.
1. Check the size and weight of your Black Friday purchases
It’s easy to focus on the product itself and forget about the packaging around it.
A TV, piece of furniture or larger household item can take up significantly more space when it’s still in its original box. Before ordering or heading to the store, make sure to check both the package dimensions and weight.
Compare the measurements with the available space in your car, and remember that the item also needs to be positioned securely during transport.
If the measurements already suggest it’ll be a tight fit, it’s better to plan another transport solution than to hope everything will somehow squeeze into the boot.
2. Black Friday delivery or collection – which should you choose?
Thinking about having your Black Friday purchases delivered? It’s worth comparing both delivery costs and delivery times. For larger items, collecting your purchase with a trailer can be a flexible alternative if you’d rather bring it home straight away.
Collection procedures vary from store to store.
Some products are ready for click & collect, while others need to be picked up from a warehouse or a separate collection point. Some items come in a single package, while others are packed in several boxes.
Before heading out, make sure you know:
- where to collect your purchase.
- when it will be ready.
- whether there are any special collection requirements.
On busy shopping days like Black Friday, a little extra planning can save you time and unnecessary waiting at the collection point.
3. Rent a trailer for furniture, TVs and other large purchases
If your purchase won’t fit in your car, renting a trailer can be a practical solution. Whether you’re transporting furniture, a large TV or building materials, it’s important to choose a trailer that suits your purchase.
The right trailer depends on the item’s size, weight and how sensitive it is to weather conditions.
An open trailer can be suitable for furniture, building materials and other large items that can be securely fastened. An closed trailer can be a better option when your purchase needs protection from rain, dirt or other weather conditions.
The most important thing is to make sure there’s enough space and that your load can be positioned and secured safely.
Always check your vehicle’s towing capacity before driving with a trailer.
4. How to transport your Black Friday purchases safely
Just because something fits on a trailer doesn’t mean it’s ready for the road.
Your load should be positioned securely and the weight distributed evenly to prevent the trailer from becoming unbalanced or too heavy at the rear. Items that could move during transport must be secured using suitable equipment.
Depending on what you’re transporting, it can be useful to bring:
- ratchet straps or other suitable tie-down straps.
- blankets or other protective materials.
- non-slip mats.
- a tarpaulin when using an open trailer.
Furniture and electronics are particularly vulnerable to damage if they move around during transport.
Always follow the applicable load-securing regulations and the trailer’s maximum permitted load.
After all, a great Black Friday deal isn’t quite as great if it gets damaged on the way home.
5. Plan the transport of your Black Friday purchases in advance
Black Friday often means acting quickly when the right deal appears. Great price. Great deal. But will it fit in your car?
Transport is best organised before you’re standing at the collection point with a box that’s bigger than your boot.
If you know you’re planning to buy something large, it’s worth checking your trailer rental options in advance. That way, you can coordinate collection and transport and avoid unnecessary trips back and forth.
By arranging your own transport, you can also avoid waiting for Black Friday delivery and collect your purchase as soon as it’s ready.
With Freetrailer, you can find and reserve a trailer directly through the Freetrailer app. Our trailers are available at local Freetrailer partners, allowing you to choose a nearby pick-up location and reserve a trailer for when your purchase is ready to collect.
Get your Black Friday purchases all the way home
Black Friday can be a great time to buy larger items you’ve already been planning to invest in. But the bigger the purchase, the more important it is to think about transport.
Check the measurements, plan your collection and make sure you have enough space before heading out.
That way, getting your purchase home becomes easier, and you reduce the risk of transport turning into a bigger challenge than the purchase itself.
Found a Black Friday deal that’s too big for your car? Find and reserve a Freetrailer near you through the Freetrailer app.
