How to Move Your Bulky Furniture, Safely

There’s just no way around it: Moving is tough work—and moving bulky, heavy furniture requires some serious patience and skill. Whether you’re embarking on a long-distance move or just moving up the street, dealing with heavy furniture can be a daunting prospect. 

If you have furniture that’s far too heavy to handle on your own, hiring professional movers (or asking your friends to help!) is always a great way to go. Regardless, it’s always helpful to keep the following tips in mind.

Be willing to accept a helping hand

Safely moving big, bulky furniture all on your own is a difficult task for any one. Not only is it strenuous on your body, it's dangerous when handling tall, heavy items. That being said, don't be afraid to ask someone for help. Whether that be hiring professional movers or reaching out to a few friends or relatives.

To be safe, have at least one person per 100 pounds of weight, as well as an extra person or two in case things go haywire. When you’re transporting huge bookcases, shelves, or other heavy items, you can easily lose control and get injured, so it’s helpful to have some backup movers at the ready. Whoever is helping out, be sure that they're wearing closed-toe shoes. 

Equip yourself with the proper packing and moving supplies 

Wen moving any furniture, the right kind of packing and moving supplies are critical to a safe move. It's especially important when transporting fragile and bulkier pieces of furniture.

First, be sure to invest in some plastic sliders to place under your furniture, rather than trying to lift the furniture by hand—this will make things a lot less strenuous. If you don’t want to buy sliders, cardboard or towels work just fine, as well. It’s also a great idea to purchase furniture straps (also known as shoulder dollies) so that you can shift the weight around and take the full weight of the furniture off your back; just take note that it’s not recommended that you use shoulder dollies for moving heavy items up and down stairs. 

In addition to plastic and sliders and shoulder dollies, moving blankets are a wonderful tool for protecting your furniture and helping prevent damages. Although there are blankets specifically made for moving furniture, any extra towels or household blankets will work just as great.

Prep your furniture

Even if you hired professional movers, there are some things you can do beforehand to make your move-in day much smoother—namely, you can prep your furniture by disassembling it, emptying your shelves and drawers, clearing obstacles from the pathway to the door (and removing the doors altogether if needed), and removing legs from your tables, chairs, and couches.

Apply the right moving techniques

There are some physical precautions to take if you want to make sure you don’t get injured during the moving process. Be sure to bend at your knees (not at your waist!), and always life with your legs—not your back. Basically, start in a squat position and push yourself upright by using your legs. 

In terms of what to do with the furniture itself, when you’re moving chairs, turn them on their side so they make an L-shape; this will make it easier to fit them around corners and through doors. With taller pieces, have one person carry the top and another carry the bottom, and try to maintain this angle as much as possible as you move the piece. Finally, always load your heaviest furniture onto the truck first before packing in the rest of your belongings.

The process of moving can be daunting to some. But with the proper plan in place (or professional movers), it doesn't have to be! Create a list of what needs to be done and start making headway. 

For those that are still in need of a home to move into. Contact us to get started!