3 Tips For Moving Heavy Furniture Safely

One of the most difficult parts of moving house is the physically difficult job of moving heavy furniture out of your house, loading it onto the truck, and then unloading it into the new house. Ideally, you'll have plenty of friends or family to help you out on moving day, but that doesn't always work out. And if you're moving far away, you might have help available on one end of the move, but not the other. It's a good idea to know some safe strategies for getting your heavy furniture to where it needs to go. Take a look at some tips that can help.

Remove the Drawers

It may seem obvious that when you're trying to move something like a dresser or cabinet, you should remove the sliding drawers before trying to move the whole piece of furniture. Nevertheless, many people end up trying to take a shortcut by leaving the drawers in place, either to avoid having to pack up the items inside the drawers, or to avoid having to make extra trips in and out of the house.

Leaving the drawers in place just makes the furniture that much heavier, so do yourself a favor and take them out. If you don't want to unpack them, get a roll of plastic wrap and wind the wrap it around each individual drawer, effectively shrinking it. That way, your items that are in the drawer will stay in place, and when you have the furniture set up in your new home, all you have to do is remove the plastic wrap and slide the drawer back into place. Everything that belongs in the drawer will already be there for you.

Do the Slide

Your first instinct may be to pick up and carry items out of the house, but that's not really the best way to move heavy furniture, especially if you're moving it by yourself. Instead of trying to lift the furniture, slide it across the floor instead.

Of course, it's reasonable to worry that you might damage your flooring or the furniture itself by sliding it across the floor. You can buy furniture sliders to put underneath the legs or corners of heavy furniture to help move it smoothly across the floor. If you don't have sliders, though, you can create your own makeshift sliders with pieces of cardboard or small towels. Use cardboard for a smooth slide over carpeted spaces and towels or dishrags to slide the furniture over tile or wood floors.

One more thing to remember is that, while sliding the furniture is easier on your back than lifting it, pushing and pulling aren't without their own risks. Pushing is easier on your back than pulling, so if you have a choice, opt to push. Remember to bend your knees, tighten your stomach muscles, and use your legs and body weight when pushing. When you're pulling, face the object, bend your knees slightly, and walk backwards without twisting your body, pulling the object along with you.

Have Lifting Tools Handy

No matter how strong you are or how carefully you lift, there may be some items that you just can't move on your own. This is where lifting tools can come in handy. For example, if you're moving a piano, you might want to be certain that you have a piano dolly to move your instrument while protecting it from damage. You may be able to rent moving tools from the same company that you're renting a moving truck from, or from a local home improvement store.

Speaking of tools, you should also be sure to have some hand tools on hand, such as screwdrivers, wrenches, and pliers. You may find that it's easier to take some items apart and move them that way, even if you weren't originally planning on that. Your toolbox should be the last thing you load onto the moving truck and the first thing that you unload. You never know when you're going to need it.

Being able to move heavy items yourself can be useful, but you should also know when to seek help. If you have any doubts about your ability to move your items safely, or if you become overwhelmed, you can always hire professional movers to help complete your move.

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