Moving heavy furniture is one of the more complicated tasks of a move. Most would argue everything about moving is difficult and stressful, but heavy furniture and appliances require special care and planning.
If not moved properly, you can end up with damage to your home and most importantly damage to your back and muscles.
Here are some basic tips we follow to make it much easier to move your furniture or appliances:
- Spend a few dollars and buy the tools designed to make moving large objects easier. For example, furniture moving pads easily slide under the legs of your chair, table or sofa and make moving these items much easier on both carpet and hard wood or tile floor.
- If you have a few extra broomsticks lying around your house, you can put these under your furniture and roll the pieces around your house.
- It is more advantageous to push a piece of furniture continuously, if you stop in the middle, your muscles start to tense up and the friction increases between the appliance or furniture and the floor. Once you start moving something, try not to stop!
- Most importantly, ask for help! Whether you have a friend, neighbor, or want to hire a professional moving team, don’t try it yourself. We know so many stories of people who have severely injured themselves trying to moving something too heavy. Don’t let this happen to you!
Here are some warnings we like to tell people related to moving heavy items:
- Be very careful moving tall objects, such as bookshelves. These can easily fall over. Also, always remove books and decorations before moving a bookcase.
- Always lift a heavy mobile with your legs first, then if necessary and possible, use your back and shoulders.
- Always keep your back straight and never overestimate your strength. There is always a solution other than a herniated disc.
What to use if you don’t have moving pads on hand:
- Old washcloths
- Blankets
- Carpet squares
- Old T-shirts
- Pillowcases
Further tips for moving the furniture:
- Make heavy furniture lighter, for example by clearing out the wardrobe and removing the compartments or unscrewing the heavy table top. So you don’t have to take the whole piece of furniture apart and still have it lighter.
- Clear away everything in the way. Tripping hazards such as stools or bedside tables should disappear from the room for the move.
- Think in advance where which furniture should be placed afterwards. Otherwise you may have to move the furniture two or three times.
And now we wish you lots of fun moving your furniture and appliances!
If you have any other great tips for moving heavy items, let us know in the comments below!