Flat Pack & Furniture Assembly in North West London

Why tall furniture should be fixed to the wall

Because a chest of drawers or bookcase can tip over onto a child, and an anchor is the simplest way to stop it. Lancashire County Council's home safety guidance makes the point that opening the drawers shifts the centre of gravity, so even a heavy unit can fall when a child climbs the drawers like a ladder. It also notes that pieces as short as 27 or 28 inches have fallen and killed, and that furniture should be anchored in every room, not only the nursery. Most wardrobes, tallboys and bookcases now come with a wall restraint in the box.

It is the part most often left unused. We fit it, or a stronger strap or bracket if the one supplied is flimsy, and we fix it into something that will hold: a stud, a masonry plug in brick, or a rated cavity fixing in plasterboard. A strap screwed into bare plasterboard with the plastic plug from the kit is not an anchor. In a rented home, a tenant should ask the landlord before drilling. The holes for an anti-tip strap are small and easy to fill at the end of a tenancy.

Wardrobes: why the build is done lying down, in the room

A tall wardrobe is assembled on its back and then stood up, so it has to be built in the room it will live in. It will rarely fit up a 1930s staircase or round a landing once built. Before we start we check the ceiling height against the wardrobe's diagonal: a unit that is nearly as tall as the room may catch the ceiling as it is raised, and some need building upright instead.

Once it is up, the back panel goes on square or the doors will never line up. Then the hinges are adjusted in three directions so the doors meet evenly with a consistent gap. Sliding-door wardrobes need the top and bottom tracks set level, or the doors drift open on an uneven floor, which is common in older houses. Mirror doors are heavy and fragile, so they go on last.

Beds, bunk beds and ottomans

Beds fail at the joints and the middle, so those are what we check. Every bolt is tightened in the right order once the frame is square, centre support legs are set down to the floor so the slats do not sag, and the slats are spaced as the instructions say. Ottoman beds have gas struts that lift the base. They are under pressure, so they are fitted last and only once the base is fully fixed.

Bunk beds and cabin beds need the guard rails and ladder fitted exactly as designed, and they should not be used without them. Check the mattress depth the manufacturer allows on the top bunk: a deeper mattress reduces the height of the guard rail above it.

Desks and home office furniture

Desks, filing cabinets, shelving and office chairs are straightforward builds, and they are often a short addition to a bigger visit. The things worth getting right are a level desktop on an uneven floor, cable trays fitted underneath before the desk is pushed against the wall, and monitor arms clamped where the desktop can take the load.

Height-adjustable desks need their motor and control box wired neatly so cables do not snag as the desk rises. Filing cabinets and tall shelving go to the wall as well. A drawer cabinet with every drawer pulled out is as unstable as any chest of drawers.

Furnished lets, voids and new tenancies

For landlords and agents, flat pack is usually part of getting a void ready: new beds, wardrobes and drawers delivered to an empty flat and built before the tenant arrives. We build everything and photograph the finished rooms, which helps with the inventory. Where you supply upholstered furniture in a let, such as sofas, chairs, headboards and mattresses, it must meet the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988. Trading Standards' Business Companion guidance, last reviewed October 2025, says the rules apply to new and second-hand items, and that most items should carry a permanent label.

It also notes the regulations were amended in October 2025. Keep the labels on and buy new from a reputable supplier. We build furniture; we do not test or certify it for fire safety. Tall units in a family let are worth fixing to the wall as a matter of routine. It costs little during the build and is much harder to arrange once a tenant has filled the drawers.

Missing parts, damaged boards and when to stop

We count the fittings before we start, because finding a missing cam lock halfway through is how a two-hour build becomes two visits. If a panel arrives chipped or a part is missing, we stop and tell you, so you can claim from the retailer while the boxes are still to hand. Quote the part number from the instructions when you contact the retailer; it speeds up a replacement.

Chipboard furniture also does not take kindly to being taken apart and rebuilt more than once or twice. The cam locks and dowel holes loosen each time. If you are moving a flat pack wardrobe, we will tell you honestly whether it will survive another build.

Put it on the same visit as the rest of your list

Flat pack is one of the easiest jobs to combine. While we are there with the drill and the wall fixings, the curtain pole, the shelf in the alcove, the mirror and the TV bracket can all be done at the same time. Send the complete list when you book and we will plan the order, so the furniture goes in before anything is fixed to the wall it will stand against.

What changes the cost of furniture assembly?

The number and size of items, and how complex each one is. A bedside table is quick. A three-door wardrobe with sliding mirror doors, internal drawers and a wall fixing takes much longer, and one that has to be built upright because of a low ceiling takes longer again. Stairs and access matter, as does whether old furniture has to come apart first. If you send product names or links, we can estimate closely before we come.

Certificates and defined jobs are a fixed price confirmed before we attend; repairs are charged by the hour, with the rate and an estimate confirmed before we attend.

Where we assemble furniture

We build furniture across Harrow, Kenton, Stanmore and Edgware, and also in Wembley, Kingsbury, Queensbury, Pinner, Wealdstone, Hatch End, Mill Hill, Burnt Oak, Colindale and the nearby areas. In the older semis and terraces the narrow staircases and low landings are the usual constraint, which is why we build wardrobes in place. In the newer blocks around Edgware, Colindale and Wembley, it is lift bookings and concierge access, so tell us about either when you book.

Handyman Services by area: A handyman in Harrow, A handyman in Kenton, A handyman in Stanmore, A handyman in Edgware, A handyman in Bushey, A handyman in Colindale, A handyman in Hendon, A handyman in Mill Hill, A handyman in Northolt, A handyman in Northwood, A handyman in Pinner, A handyman in Ruislip and A handyman in Wembley.

What we will not do

We do not collect furniture from shops or deliver it, and we do not fit kitchens or bespoke built-in joinery under this service. For made-to-measure alcove and wardrobe work, our carpentry team handles fitted wardrobes as a separate job. We will not use a part that is cracked or missing a fixing to finish a build.

We will not leave a tall unit unsecured in a home with children if you have asked us to fix it and the wall will not take a fixing; we will tell you and suggest an alternative position.

Why people trust us

• Electrical or plumbing items on the list go to a registered electrician or one of our plumbers, on the same visit where we can
• A walk-in office on Kenton Lane, not a serviced address
• A written specification, so you know what is included and what would count as an extra
• A time slot rather than a morning-or-afternoon window
• Work photographed before and after, and reported
• We tell you when you do not need something we sell

We are building a review profile under this name and would rather show you none than borrow someone else's. Ask us for references from landlords and we will put you in touch.

Official sources

• Lancashire County Council: Accidents in the home, injuries from unsecured furniture
• RoSPA: Flat-screen TV safety advice (anti-tip straps)
• Business Companion (Trading Standards): Goods in rented accommodation, furniture fire safety (reviewed October 2025)

Last reviewed October 2026 by EliteShires Property Services.