How To Move Heavy Furniture & Why You Shouldn’t Do It Yourself ?

How To Move Heavy Furniture & Why You Shouldn’t Do It Yourself?

moving heavy furniture

Getting ready to move out of your old house? Thinking about how much muscle power it is going to take to move all your heavy furniture pieces by yourself? You are in for a big surprise. In order to save money and time, several families and homeowners try to lift their heavy cargo all by themselves instead of hiring skilled furniture removalists in the city. They only want to spend on the moving van and not on the packing and moving of their heavy equipment and furniture pieces. This makes a lot of sense but only when you have the necessary equipment and experience to successfully carry out this packing. If you are trying to move your heavy furniture pieces all by yourself, you are going to need a little bit of help:

1. Make A Plan For The Move

You will have to come up with a proper plan to make this move a success. You must take out the heavy equipment and furniture pieces first. Separate them from lightweight objects. Move the large items to the left side of the room and the small items to the right side. Put out all your boxes in front of the furniture pieces according to their size and number so that you know what goes into what. Start by packing your heavy equipment and then move on to your lightweight objects. 

2. Preparing The House For The Big Day

Now, you will have to prepare the house for the move. You are going to need plastic wrap, nylon rope, moving boxes, and blankets for this purpose. You will have to protect and cover the areas of the house that you think are more prone to getting damaged when you start moving out your furniture pieces. Furniture removalists suggest you begin by taping protective padding and coverings on your walls. If there are any low windows, make sure that they are covered with enough padding material so that nothing collides with their delicate glass. You will have to place the blankets on your furniture pieces and especially on their armrests and any parts that stick out more than usual. This will help you prevent your walls and doorways from getting damaged.

3. Using The Right Tools To Lift

You will also have to employ the right tools and equipment to lift your heavy furniture pieces. Remember to invest in moving straps, four-wheeler dollies, hand trucks, furniture sliders, and nylon ropes as well. These are going to help you wrap and hold your furniture pieces in place. Once you place them on the dolly, it will be easier for you to roll them out of your property and onto the moving truck. Make sure that the wheels of the dollies and furniture sliders are smooth. Your hand truck should have a firm grip so that you can push out your heavy items without any problem. Rectangular pieces of furniture are usually easier to slide out without any external equipment. But if they are too heavy, you can put them on these dollies and roll them out to the moving van.

4. Lifting The Heavy Cargo The Right Way

Performing furniture removal the right way is very important to make sure that nobody gets injured. Following are a few tips that you may find very helpful when lifting your heavy furniture off the ground and moving it to the van:

  • You can try lifting with your legs instead of your back. Make sure that your shoulders and back are not hunched. They should be straight and your lower back should be upright as well.
  • You will have to steady yourself first, especially if you are barefoot. Make sure that your knees are shoulder-length apart and that there is no clutter on the floor when you are lifting heavy objects.
  • Make sure never to twist your body when you are lifting any heavy stuff.
  • If you need to bend your knees, do not let your back hunch beyond a certain level.
  • Always lift all the heavy items below your waist level. It is never a good idea to lift them above your shoulders or even to the level of your chest.
  • Make sure to always call for help if you realize that you cannot lift that heavy piece of equipment or furniture alone.

5. Taking Special Care When Moving Across Stairs

You better watch out for those stairs and ramps inside your house. If you have decided to move big furniture pieces across your stairs without the help of furniture removalists, you must make sure that you have proper stretch straps with you. Do not bump your knees into the heavy equipment that you are carrying. It is advised to ask a friend for help and divide the weight of the item between you two. The person who is on the lower end of the stairs should carry the bottom surface of the item, while the one on the upper end of the stairs should pull from the upper surface of the item. This is a practical way to move something heavy from the ground floor to the upper floor.

But why is moving your furniture pieces without the help of interstate furniture removalists a bad idea? Let’s have a look in our concluding section

  • Affordability

Moving your heavy stuff yourself is not going to be cheaper. If you thought that this was the case, you were probably mistaken. You have a lot of affordable moving companies in the city that have their own packaging material as well. They turn out to be extremely affordable, especially in comparison to a DIY move that you are thinking about.

  • Potential Injuries

That is always a risk of injuries when you are trying to perform this move all by yourself. You are not skilled, qualified, experienced, or even strong enough to do all of this on your own. You are not aware of the lifting techniques and the necessary precautions that must be taken.

  • Damage To Your Property

Needless to mention the biggest disadvantage is that you will end up damaging your property. When you are not skilled or experienced in this kind of move, your house becomes prone to breakage. If you have any hardwood floors or narrow hallways, you are definitely going to cause some damage to your house in the process.

Final Thoughts

These three reasons should be persuasive enough. If you haven’t yet found the right company for packing and moving your furniture, look a little harder. Do not make the mistake of lifting your heavy furniture pieces by yourself unless you are deft with your limbs just like those professionals.