Moving heavy furniture can be tough, but using the right techniques makes it easier and safer. Proper methods help prevent injuries and protect your belongings. This guide will cover tips for furniture moving, including moving large furniture and appliances. By the end, you’ll know how to move a large piece of furniture safely and efficiently.
Remember, you always have the option to hire a professional moving company to handle the heavy lifting for you. Since you’re here and want to save a few bucks make sure to read some of our tricks here at Professional Moving & Storage on how we deal with heavy furniture.
Never Start Heavy Furniture Moving Without Planning
Planning and preparation are crucial for successful furniture moving. Measure doorways, hallways, and the furniture itself to ensure everything fits. Plan your route and clear any obstacles beforehand. Proper planning helps prevent damage to your furniture and home, and reduces the risk of injury.
You don’t want to scratch the walls on the day you’re leaving your apartment, as your landlord might take money out of your deposit, which is something you don’t want. The same applies when you’re moving in; you don’t want to damage freshly painted walls or your furniture.
Key Takeaways:
- Measurements: Measure doorways, hallways, and furniture to ensure everything fits through the spaces.
- Route: Plan the best route to move each piece, removing obstacles along the way.
- Tools and Equipment: Gather necessary tools like sliders, dollies, straps, and protective gear.
- Helpers: Arrange for friends, family, or professional movers to assist with the heavy lifting.
- Protection: Use padding or blankets to protect furniture and walls from scratches and dents.
Larger Furniture Can Always Be Disassembled
Disassembling larger furniture items is often a practical strategy for moving heavy furniture. Breaking down larger furniture items into smaller parts, like taking off legs, shelves, or other detachable pieces, helps make them smaller and lighter.
This makes them easier to move around and less likely to get damaged. It also means they can fit into smaller spaces, like through narrow doorways or into smaller vehicles, which makes moving them much easier.
This is a standard practice employed by many top-rated moving companies to ensure the safe transport of your belongings. Even manufacturers recommend shipping these products disassembled to guarantee that everything remains secure throughout the moving process.
Safety Tips for Moving Heavy Furniture
This step is crucial! Your health is the most important thing at the end of the day. While things can be replaced, your well-being cannot.
To make sure you’re safe and sound from moving heavy furniture it’s important to wear the right clothes and protective gear. Here are our top techniques that can help you lift heavy items with ease :
- Use proper lifting techniques, bending your knees and keeping your back straight.
- Lift with your legs, not your back, to avoid strain.
- Hold the object close to your body for better leverage and control.
- Use teamwork whenever possible, getting help from others to distribute the weight.
- Consider using lifting straps or a dolly to assist in moving heavy items safely.
Consider Getting Moving Help
Moving heavy furniture is not easy. We’re a group of professionals and face challenges with every move. If you’re left alone with your move you should not be worried. You don’t necessarily need all the moving service you might think.
We offer services like Pre-move disassembly and post-move reassembly of furniture, handyman services or clean out services. WIth that in mind you can always call for help.
If your furniture is moving for a very long distance we always recommend getting serviced from a professional long distance moving company like us. Not only do we make the process stress free and do the heavy lifting for you, but we also help you put everything back together at your new home.
Relocating somewhere new can feel very overwhelming in the first few days – heck most people even forget important stuff like keys or documents, it’s no brainer that moving heavy furniture needs to be handled by the professionals.
Here are some steps to take if you’re outside our service area:
- Research Local Movers: Start by researching local moving companies in your area. Look for established businesses with a track record of handling furniture moves.
- Check Reviews and Credentials: Read online reviews and testimonials from previous customers to gauge the reputation and reliability of the movers. Check if they are licensed and insured to ensure they meet professional standards.
- Get Quotes and Compare Services: Contact several moving companies to get quotes for your specific moving needs. Compare the services offered, including packing assistance, transportation options, and any additional fees.
Want More Tricks For Moving Heavy Furniture?
- Use Moving Blankets: Place your furniture on moving blankets to easily pull them across the floor. The thick padding helps protect both the furniture and the floor from damage.
- Furniture Sliders: Place furniture sliders under the legs or corners of heavy pieces. These sliders, made of fabric or slippery plastic, reduce friction, making it easier to glide the furniture across the floor.
- Prevent Tipping: Push on a lower section of the furniture to prevent tall pieces from tipping over during movement.
- Alternative to Sliders: If you don’t have sliders, use magazines with glossy covers to reduce friction and make it easier to move furniture on your own.
- Hand Truck or Moving Dolly: Use a hand truck for boxy or tall furniture. Tilt the hand truck down and roll the furniture away. For awkwardly-shaped items, use a 4-wheeled moving dolly to roll them easily.
- Moving Furniture Upstairs: Use a hand truck and strap the furniture securely. Walk backward when going upstairs, one step at a time. When going downstairs, roll the hand truck down slowly, step by step.
- Shoulder Dolly: Carry bulky items with a partner using a shoulder dolly. Adjust the harnesses so weight is evenly distributed, keeping arms straight and using legs to lift.
- Wrap Furniture: Wrap furniture in moving blankets and secure it with stretch plastic wrap to protect it from scratches and damage.
Consider Professional Movers
If everything sounds like too much equipment to buy and you will break even with the cost of hiring an actual moving company to do the heavy lifting for you, you’re not left alone. Equipment is usually not cheap to buy or rent and at the end of the day most people decide to hire a moving company as they have the competitive advantage over everything when it comes to moving.