Moving to A New House? How to Move Heavy Items Safely

Moving to a new house is always a stressful event. There’s the packing, the preparation, and finally moving your possessions to your new place. You hope everything goes smoothly, and it should do, with a little preparation and care.

Having to move heavy items is inevitable, whether you are hiring professionals or not, and it’s important that you do this safely and correctly to avoid injury to yourself and damage to your things.

Equipment you might need

When you’re dismantling and moving items like furniture, pallet trucks, trolleys, Allen keys, power tools and packing tape to will come in very handy.

Moving furniture safely

The best way to get your furniture moved easily and safely is to hire a professional removal service. But if you have to move some or all of your furniture, follow these tips to stay injury free and ready to move into your new home:

Dismantle your furniture

Beds, dressing tables, wardrobes, cabinets, bookshelves, sofas, desks, and tables can be awkward to move, whether it’s because they are heavy or they are an awkward shape. Dismantling your furniture is usually the easiest way to move it, so you don’t have to navigate steep stairs, or narrow hallways and doorways with heavy and awkward items.

Check the area is clear before you move anything

Check for any obstructions or clutter that might pose a trip hazard when you are carrying items out of your home. As well as checking inside your home, check any outside pathways to your removal vehicle are clear.

Don’t go it alone

Don’t try to move all of your furniture by yourself, as you risk injury by trying to lift loads that are too heavy. If you can’t afford professionals, enlist some loyal friends to help you on moving day. Use equipment if possible and use correct lifting techniques.

Use the right equipment to move furniture

To make moving furniture easier and safer, consider using these to help:

A furniture dolly

Our furniture dolly is exactly what you need to move furniture and white goods. It’s made from solid timber and covered with ribbed carpet to protect your possessions and walls. It can carry loads of up to 200kg and the swivel castor wheels make light work of all floor surfaces.

Furniture slides

These are a great choice if you need to slide furniture a short distance or across a room. A slider consists of a piece of hard-wearing plastic on one side and hard rubber on the other that will help you to slide heavy furniture easily and safely. Just position the slider under each leg or under each corner of a piece of furniture.

Use correct lifting techniques

Avoid injury by following these tips for safe lifting:

  • Lift from your legs and not your back. Bend at the knees, and keep your back straight.
  • Try to push heavy items rather than pulling them.
  • Keep the heavy items close to your body when moving and lifting them.
  • When moving furniture, move slowly, and take small steps.
  • Keep your eyes focused on what’s in front of you so you can spot any obstacles.

Wear proper clothing and footwear

Wear comfortable clothing you can move around in freely, and you’re likely to get very warm lifting and carrying, so make sure they are breathable too.

Don’t wear your best clothes. They might get dirty or even torn when lifting and carrying items, so don’t wear anything you would be sorry to ruin.

Baggy clothes can get caught on furniture, so try and wear fitted clothing.

Wear shoes with a closed toe and a rubber sole to protect your toes and stop you from slipping. They should also have a good ankle support to keep you safe when you are moving and carrying.

Wearing a pair of heavy duty work gloves will help you to get a better grip on what you’re lifting and carrying, and they will protect your hands from calluses and blisters.