This website is concerned with helping people in Massachusetts to sell their homes efficiently and profitably. What happens, though, when a home is successfully sold? If you are moving house or moving items from various buy-to-let properties, you are going to have to find a way of transporting your heavy and valuable pieces of furniture.
Moving furniture is never an easy task. Good furniture is often extremely heavy and can be extremely awkward in terms of dimension. While a large oak table might look amazing in your country-style kitchen, it can be a huge pain to move.
In this article, we look at some of the top tips recommended by professional movers with years of experience in the safe and efficient moving of furniture items from property to property.
Hire Professional Help
Before trying to figure out how to move furniture by yourself, it is worth considering hiring some professional help. Professional movers are trained in safe lifting, have their own removals vehicles, and generally bring in several pairs of extremely able hands.
Hiring professionals can help to alleviate some of the inevitable stress of moving your furniture into a new property. The sheer utility – and necessity – of professional movers might help to explain why home removals statistics, and home removals industry statistics, have shown the sector to be massively resistant in times of relative real estate instability.
Learn to Lift Properly
You might choose to do some of the work yourself. When lifting heavy furniture, it is important to follow proper procedures to avoid injuries. Firstly, ensure you have a clear path to move the furniture, and remove any obstacles.
Assess the weight of the furniture and determine if you need assistance. Bend your knees and keep your back straight, ensuring a good grip on the furniture. Lift with your legs, not your back, using the strength of your leg muscles. Keep the furniture close to your body and avoid twisting or turning your torso. If you need to change direction, move your feet instead of twisting your back.
Lifting furniture incorrectly can result in various injuries, such as muscle strains, back pain, herniated disks, and even spinal cord injuries. These can lead to discomfort, disability, and lost workdays, potentially affecting your quality of life.
Additionally, you may require medical treatment or even surgery to correct the injury, resulting in medical expenses and a longer recovery period. In extreme cases, permanent damage can occur, leading to long-term disabilities. Therefore, it is crucial to follow safe lifting practices to avoid injury and protect your health. This helpful guide from the Mayo clinic should run you through safe lifting procedures.
Use Ramps and Trolleys
Purchasing the right equipment can take some of the strain out of moving heavy furniture. In many cases, it is completely impractical to physically lift heavy furniture for long periods or up and down stairs. Lifting trolleys and ramps are relatively cheap and can save you some back pain.
Always ensure that you are using this equipment correctly. Trolleys, for instance, should have their breaks checked before use and should not be used to bridge gaps. Ramps need to be correctly set up against small stair sets.
Work with a Partner
Never try lifting or moving heavy furniture items on your own. Ensure that you are always backed up by a physically able member of your family or a professional helper when looking to transfer furniture into a truck or move it between properties in a van. When working together, you can distribute the weight of the furniture evenly, making it easier to lift and move.
A partner can also help you navigate through tight spaces, stairs, and doorways, making the process smoother and safer. Working with a partner ensures that you have someone to assist you in case of an accident or injury, providing immediate help and reducing the severity of the injury.
Moving heavy furniture alone can put excessive strain on your muscles and joints, increasing the risk of back injuries, herniated disks, and other conditions. Having a partner when moving heavy furniture is crucial to minimise the risk of injuries and ensure a safe and efficient move.
Break Furniture Down
A large amount of the modern furniture that you may be trying to move is likely to be a ‘flat pack’. Flat-pack furniture was invented by a Swedish draughtsman – one of the first employees of IKEA – that was trying to fit a stubborn item into a car boot. Since then, most furniture has been provided as a flat pack system. While this may be frustrating in terms of putting the furniture together, it does mean that it can be ‘broken down’ into small, easily manageable components for moving.
