Blog November 24, 2020

Tips for Moving Furniture and Other Heavy Items

Posted in How-to
Jane Davis

Apart from being a freelance writer and moving expert, Jane is also an art and museum lover.

One of the most significant parts of any move is packing and moving furniture. To ensure that these objects survive the move in perfect condition, you should collect the proper supplies and do the planning carefully. These tips will help you accomplish a smooth relocation and ensure your heavy items arrive intact when interstate moving.

How Do You Move Heavy Furniture by Yourself?

Relocating puts us in a position where we have to carry, maneuver, or drag bulky objects that weigh more than our muscles can withstand. The list of possible accidents is endless, and just thinking about it can cause anxiety about moving out. Fortunately, there is a correct way to handle heavy pieces, so you could do the job harmlessly or at least reduce the risk of injury to a minimal level. Look at the following long-distance moving tips to understand how to move furniture in house.

Whether You’re Relying on Professional Movers or Not, Make a Plan

Sort out bulky objects into groups. One group should be the things that can be disassembled, such as beds, tables, desks, chairs. The second group should be with objects that need to be moved in one piece, like a piano, antique sofas, cooler, or a washing machine. Measure every item and all the door frames to make sure they can pass through them.

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Things You Should Do on Time Before the Moving Day

In order to get a visual reminder of things to do, it is a smart idea to take pictures during disassembling or use relocation labels. Capture each stage of the process and take several photos. Rely on these photos when you start putting the pieces back together. Purchase packing materials and use a lot of blankets or pads. Without them, the furniture shouldn’t be placed in a vehicle. Attach cardboard to the corners of large objects after covering the pieces. Place labels on furniture that are heavy so that others can be extra careful when listing.

You’ll Need Some Help to Lift Heavy Furniture and Load the Truck

Examine the safest way to move bulky things from a house to a truck or a van. Learn proper lifting techniques, such as using only leg muscles, holding bulky objects as close to your body as possible, not bending your waist, etc. Find some kind of equipment and machinery that supports, such as pulleys, dollies, or wheeled carriages, and ask some friends for help. To make driving smoother, spread weight equally. You might find it hard to maneuver the truck if you load all of the heavy things on one side of the truck. Don’t forget to secure the objects with straps.

People are lifting the sofa
When lifting large objects, ask friends for help

Don’t Carry or Drag, Use Sliders for Moving Furniture

At home centers and on websites, you can find sliders in several styles and sizes. Building your own sliders from plastic bottle covers, bedspreads, blankets, towels, and carpet remnants is also easy. If you have carpets, you can use rigid plastic sliders. But for hard floors, better use soft, padded sliders. Watch the video below to see how to do furniture moving with sliders and prepare for relocation day.

Plan Where Are You Going to Place Your Chairs, Tables, and Other Items

If you want to relocate safely to a new home, decide in advance where the objects should go. Sketch a floor plan with the right dimensions of each room before you move, weigh your objects, and design the layout. Then you can put the objects in the right place when you bring stuff in and not have to move it again. Tape a print of the schedule on the wall of each room to make it easier on the movers who help moving furniture, so people can see where things should go. Devise a plan so that you can start living on your own effortlessly.

Drawing a house plan
Draw a house plan so you can put your stuff in the right place right away

How Much Does it Cost to Move Furniture?

On average, based on the scale of the move and reasons to move, recruiting experienced movers to help moving furniture within homes for relocation can range from $300 to $1,500, or even more. The cost of interstate moving depends on several factors such as the distance and the amount of stuff you have, so the best would be to request a free quote from several companies and compare them to find the best deal.

Professionals lifting chairs
Professional service come at a certain cost

Without Using Movers’ Help, How Can I Move My Furniture Cheap?

If you are not doing a last-minute moving, you can use one of these tactics for the cheapest way to move out of state. If you don’t have a lot of stuff, you can pack up the objects and send them as parcel shipments. Parcel shipping is a good option to quickly send a single small package. Still, it is typically not a cost-effective way to transport an oversized item or several items due to the cost of packing materials and the fact that the price is dependent on the dimensions and weight of the object.

To Sell or to Ship?

Some services, including ride-sharing for bulky objects, can pick up and drop off single furniture pieces. The price depends on distance and volume. How much does it cost to move a couch? In certain cases, selling and repurchasing it at the destination could be easier. If it’s nostalgic or high value, paying for a parcel service might be worth it.

Professional mover carrying the sofa
You can move large objects by yourself, but it is safer to let the professionals handle that

Looking for Services to Help You With Moving? Hire Movers to Move Furniture

Do not try to move a piano alone or objects of a similar scale. At least 2 to 3 taskers are required for objects of such a large scale. To help you have a stress-free moving, experienced state to state movers are able to move objects as large as this quickly and effectively. So, you should think about hiring movers. Just contact your state to state movers, and they can provide you with services like packing service or loading and unloading services as well as storage units. However, you should always check which items movers won’t move, so you can prepare a back-up plan on time.

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