Furniture Moving Guide
Are you already tired just thinking about moving your belongings to a new home?
Read on, because with this guide, we’ve got you covered. You’ll avoid most of the challenges you’re anticipating, simply by starting with the right methodology.
Plan and Prepare First
Never think you can make it up as you go along. Moving furniture requires a detailed plan to prevent problems like an unstable load or some of your assets getting lost in the process.
Make a list of all items, so you can check the list at your destination and make sure each piece of furniture is accounted for.
Also categorise the furniture in terms of weight and write down dimensions for planning purposes.
A smart starting point is to disassemble any furniture you can, such as separating legs and tabletops if the design allows.
This makes for much easier packing and carrying. Planning can also involve labelling each piece to tell your family or the moving company where the piece should be unloaded once it arrives.
This saves time during unpacking, because you won’t need to move items between rooms.
How To Protect Yourself
While planning, you can also acquire the necessary accessories to help you move heavy items without injuring yourself.
You can use moving straps, sliders on which you can easily slide furniture across the floor or even a dolly.
Also make sure everyone on the team knows how to lift heavy items safely. For example, you should bend you knees rather than your waist in order to protect your back.
How to Protect the Furniture
When the furniture arrives on the other side, it should be in the same pristine condition it’s in when you’re loading.
It’s inevitable that items will knock against each other or accidentally be shoved against a wall or door.
So, protect items with any or all of the following packing supplies:
- Bubble wrap
- Plastic sheets
- Fabric such as blankets
- Placing cardboard sheets between items on the moving truck
What To Do With Smaller Items
You’ll make the move easier when you have fewer items to carry around, so place small items like lamps together in boxes.
You can use bubble wrap, sheets of newspaper or Styrofoam pieces to keep them from knocking against each other.
You can’t easily move a box that’s too heavy or too large, so packing boxes requires a skill of its own.
Combine multiple lighter items in larger boxes, but place heavier items in small boxes and make sure the combined weight isn’t more than 15kg.
Moving Tips for Stairs and Doorways
When you plan out the move, you’ll quickly notice which furniture pieces will be more difficult to manoeuvre and load. These general tips should help with these obstacles:
- Moving down stairs: There must be at least two people carrying a large item downstairs. The stronger of the team should be at the bottom.
- Going through doorways: If furniture like a sofa can’t fit through a doorway, try tilting it 45° or flip it onto one end and then try curling it around the doorway.
Packing The Truck/Van
Once you’re ready to pack the truck, always start with the largest, heaviest items. You need to position them closest to the front of the vehicle.
Now you can follow with items that are medium in weight and lastly light items. Also put fragile items like a mirror on top or where it won’t get crushed.
Make sure the truck is balanced. One side shouldn’t be much heavier than the other.
Final Words
Can you see the importance of planning your move from the start? Does it seem less daunting? If you need more advice on a specific moving topic, share with us below and let’s see how we can assist you.
