We all know that iconic scene from Friends in which Ross tries to get everyone to help him with moving large furniture into his new apartment. Once you’ve seen this scene, you’ll know that getting people to pivot won’t do much good!
Moving large furniture can be really tricky, especially if you need to take the pieces down or upstairs. If done incorrectly, moving furniture can lead to some damage, and you might even end up injuring yourself. Got a big house move coming up and already dreading moving your furniture? Hopefully, all of these tips can help you move everything without too many scrapes and breakages!
Get The Pros To Do It
If you are really anxious about trying to move your heavy furniture out of your home, you could always hire a moving firm to do it for you. Companies like movebuddies.com specialize in working with bulky items and they have plenty of experience with such large items. They will also have enough people on their team so that they are always able to tackle large items, no matter how big they might be! Plus, they will have all of the necessary equipment that they might need to aid getting anything down the stairs and out of the door.
Empty All Furniture
When it comes to furniture items like wardrobes, chests of drawers and closets, you should always empty them before you attempt to move them. Yes, this will make a lot more work for you as you will then need to pack all of the items that you empty out. But at least it will make the item a lot lighter to carry. If you try lifting anything that is still filled with items, you might be taking on too much weight and could damage your back.
Invest In Shoulder Dollies
It’s possible to buy moving and lifting straps that you can wear and attach to the piece of furniture that you need to carry. These straps are also known as ‘shoulder dollies’ and you can often find them on retail sites like amazon.com. Even though they might not look like they do much, these straps are actually very effective at taking most of the weight so that you don’t end up putting too much pressure onto your spine and shoulder muscles. And when you wear the straps, you won’t have to hold anything in your hands, so they are free to do other things.
Buy Some Furniture Slides
As well as shoulder dollies, it’s worth buying some furniture slides to make it easier moving large furniture. These look like large ground sheets that you can place the item on so that you can slide it across the floor. It’s important that you don’t try and drag or slide the piece of furniture without a slide underneath it. Otherwise, you will probably end up scratching the floor and damaging the furniture.
Wrap Delicate Furniture Before You Move It
It’s always important to remember to protect any furniture pieces that are old and fragile. Protecting them can keep them safe as you try and manoeuvre them out of your home as well as while they are in transit. The best way to keep any bulky item of furniture safe is to wrap them in blankets. If you can get your hands on some bubble wrap then even better. To make sure that the blankets don’t slip off, you can always apply a layer of clingfilm. You can just tape bubble wrap on to ensure it stays in place.
Plan Where Furniture Will Go In Advance
It’s a good idea to make a plan of your new home so that you can figure out where you are going to position all of your furniture. Ideally, make this plan before you start moving any large pieces. That way, you and your movers can put all of your furniture straight in its correct position. And then you won’t have to waste any time or effort moving things around once you have everything in your new house or apartment.
Disassemble Flat Pack Furniture
If you have any flat-pack furniture that you have assembled yourself, such as desks, tables, and cupboards, you should always keep the instructions. That way, whenever you need to move, you can always take them apart so that they are easy to pack them and put them in the moving van. If you follow the instructions in reverse, you should be able to take the items apart without damaging them. And then, once you get to your new apartment or home, you can use the instructions to put them back together again. It could also be worth keeping the cardboard box in which they came so that you have something to pack them in for the big move.
Take Off The Door Stop Molding
If your doors have a door stop molding, you might want to take this off while you try and get your furniture over the threshold. This molding is used to attach the jamb to the walls at the side and the top, and it can stick out a bit, taking up quite a bit of space. So, if you remove your, you will find that the door space opens up a lot, and you’ll be able to get bulkier items out through your door.
Get Ramps For Steps
There’s no point trying to carry any items down any steps. You might end up losing your balance and dropping the piece of furniture. So, it’s a good idea to get some ramps that you can place over the stairs. You can then slide the item of furniture down the ramp as slowly as possible so that you are able to keep control of it.
Don’t be worried about having to move any large or bulky furniture next time you move. As long as you follow all of these tips, you will find that you can do it without causing any damage!
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