Moving can be a stressful and exciting experience, but one of the most tedious parts is all of the errands you’ll have to run. From obtaining paperwork to turning on the utilities to transporting the boxes you’ve packed, there’s a lot to do.
This ultimately makes the entire process far more time-consuming, which can actually be a blessing in disguise. It lets you take the time to properly research and understand how to move items such as your furniture.
That is what this article will cover. We’ll provide tips and information to make this process go as smoothly as possible. We’ll cover a lot, from hiring a moving company to help you to understanding how to lift and what equipment you’ll need. By the end of it all, you’ll have a much clearer idea of what to do and how to be prepared when it comes to moving furniture.
Gather Your Team
There’s a lot you need to do before you can move from one home to a new one, and while you need to do a lot of it on your own, there are many places where you can call for help from those around you.
Your friends, coworkers, family, or even a moving company will be able to help you during the process. Friends and family can help with everything from packing boxes to loading onto the moving truck, while distant coworkers and the moving company may be able to help you move your boxes either onto the truck or into the house.
Both groups will be able to help you move furniture, though, and may know some tricks and tips to make it easier. Be ready to take charge when necessary, though, as there may be moments where focus slips to try and be silly or funny or when people disagree. Remember, they’re here to help you and make the process easier, not harder.
Understand How to Lift Correctly
You may have heard the phrase, “lift with your legs, not your back,” before but do you know what this means? It means that you need to have the correct posture when lifting to put the weight more on your legs than on your spine.
While this may sound strange, it’s not as complicated as it sounds. We’ll explain the process, but don’t immediately go and try this on a heavy box or piece of furniture. Instead, first practice on lighter boxes first so you can understand the process without causing injury, pain, or discomfort, then move to heavier objects once you have a firm grasp on the procedure.
The first thing you’ll need to do is bend your knees and keep your waist and back straight as you lower yourself to reach the bottom of the item. Then, slowly pick up the item and keep it as close to you as you can while staying as safe and comfortable as possible.
This will put more pressure on your torso and legs and less on your arms, which can help prevent injuries and muscle strain. As you carry, don’t suddenly twist or jerk your body. When you need to turn, move your torso first while keeping your spine straight and let your feet turn after.
If these techniques are employed correctly, you won’t experience much back pain where you may have otherwise. Taking a break every now and then will also help you relax, recover, and reduce the pain you’ll feel when the process is complete.
Empty Storage Pieces
This may sound obvious initially but emptying all drawers, cabinets, and other storage pieces will make moving furniture much easier. For example, let’s say you need to move a dresser. Moving it while it still contains clothing will make it heavier and add the stress of worrying about the drawers moving and spilling the contents.
To prevent this, you can pack these clothes elsewhere and remove the drawers before moving the object. It doesn’t matter whether you need to move a small bedside table or a chest full of memorabilia; always empty it before moving it.
Purchase or Rent Equipment
On top of the boxes, filler material to keep fragile items safe, tape, markers, and more; you’ll also need to gather items to help make moving larger items as painless as possible. Dollies and straps, furniture sliders, and moving blankets are all examples of items you can get.
Dollies and straps make moving some items, such as appliances, stacks of boxes, and some pieces of furniture, easy to move. Instead of carrying them by hand from their current location to the truck you can strap them to a dolly and roll them out of the door and up the ramp.
Furniture sliders and moving blankets help make sliding furniture a breeze; sliders can be placed under the corners of large chairs, couches, and the like to make it easy to touch them around. These may be a good investment before rearranging a room as well for this very reason.
Moving blankets do the same but require more teamwork to pull off properly. They can also act as buffers between certain items as they sit in the truck once you’re done with them, which makes them even more useful.
Disassemble Items Where Possible
Sometimes, you just need your furniture to be an inch or two smaller than it is to fit through a doorway.
The best way to make this happen is by disassembling certain pieces, which means taking apart bookshelves, removing the legs from couches, chairs, and tables, and removing drawers from dressers as we mentioned earlier. Not only will this make some objects smaller and easier to move, but it can also make some lighter.
Being Prepared To Move
While moving can be stressful and time-consuming, we hope these tips make the process easier for you. Keep in mind that these aren’t the only tips out there; we’ve only scratched the surface of the full scope of possible moving advice out there.
If needed, don’t hesitate to research the best way to pack and move individual items before doing so. Whether this means you look online for tips or hire a moving company, just make sure whatever you do is the best option for you.