How to Move Heavy Furniture … Like a Pro!

At some stage throughout your life, nearly everyone will be faced with the task of moving heavy furniture. This can include moving furniture from one home to another during a permanent move or putting furniture into a self-storage unit during a renovation period.

Don’t feel the need to fork out mountains of cash on expensive professionals; with just a few expert tips and insider know-how, you’ll be equipped to move any item of furniture, no matter how big or small.

At this point, you’re probably thinking to yourself that your expired gym membership would have come in handy right about now, but fear not! There’s no need to be a ripped body-builder when it comes to safely and efficiently move heavy furniture from point A to B.

Even an amateur like you can move large pieces of furniture such as sofas, chairs, and mattresses without breaking your back if you have the proper set of techniques and tools.

Here is a set of tips and tricks designed to reduce clutter and prevent damage and injuries when moving heavy furniture…

Strength in numbers

It’s not all about the furniture you know! You need to protect yourself above all else in the moving process. There is strength in numbers so reach out to family and friends to offer a helping hand … this can make all the difference.

Plan your route

It is essential to have a clear pathway when moving your heavy furniture so that you’re not weaving and bending around other personal belongings, which is far more likely to cause damage to both your home and yourself in the lifting process. This will also limit the likelihood of damage to the paint on your walls too. It is also of equally high importance to protect your floors, especially if they are made from wood, tiles, or carpets which can snag and scratch very easily. A simple and easy way of doing this is to place thick sheets of cardboard or polyethylene on passageways. It is also important to think about in advance where your items of furniture will be going as you unload upon arrival so be sure to pack them in the correct order.

Abide by Moving Best Practices

Try sticking to these guidelines to carry out the job as safely as possible;

• The High-Low Method – When lifting awkward items of furniture such as dressers or filing cabinets, use two people to support the top and bottom of these tall objects. This evenly distributes and centers the weight while also preventing the item from swinging out of control. This comes in particularly good use when carrying objects up and down the stairs.
• Lifting straps – The key here is to use straps that can be adjusted and modified to cater to objects as well as movers which vary in size and height.
• Shoulder Dolly – This is an alternative type of lifting strap, as mentioned above. They differ in the fact that they alleviate the pressure from your back by relying on leverage and large muscle groups. They are considered the best way to move dead-weight objects such as washing machines.
• L-method for carrying chairs – as chairs are an awkward shape it is useful to ‘hook’ them around corners. This means turning them on their side so that they form an L shape. Then move the back first around the corner and through the doorway, and then rotate to bring the other end through.

Remove items inside the furniture

This applies to particular items of furniture designed to store personal belongings such as dressers, bookcases, and cupboards. Similarly, for sofas and chairs, be sure to remove all cushions as well as the feet. To make it even easier to pass through narrow doorways, where furniture could easily scratch or cause damage to surfaces, try removing knobs, drawers, shelves, and legs.

Push and Slide

You want to avoid carrying or dragging heavy furniture items as this is more likely to lead to injury. It’s much more desirable to push and slide to mitigate the risk of injury. By taking slow and smooth movements, will prevent putting huge amounts of pressure on certain parts of your body.

It is recommended to use furniture sliders to facilitate this process and they also have the added benefit of protecting wood floors and carpets from damage. Similarly, never carry furniture above shoulder level. This is because, if the weight of the item turns out to be too much for you to handle, this can cause a serious strain on muscles in the arms and back.

Aim to lift with your legs and not your back and always try to bend at the knees and not your waist to achieve even and balanced weight distribution.

If you’ve got any strength left in your arms then pick up the phone and contact us – we can store some of that heavy furniture for you!