Do you need to move some heavy furniture soon? Plan on doing it without the help of pros? Here are the tips you need to know to pull it off.
We've all been there before. Whether it's been a cost-saving measure on your part or you just wanted to help a friend out, sooner or later, we all have been tasked with moving heavy furniture on our own. Now when we say 'on our own', we obviously don't mean completely by ourselves. That would just be a trip to the ER waiting to happen.
No, we're talking about those times when you've either cajoled someone into helping you out or been on the receiving end of the convincing. In an ideal world, we would simply hire some professional movers in Calgary to help with the heavy furniture's relocation. Sadly, we don't live in an ideal world.
So, if you have to move heavy furniture by yourself soon, you're going to want to know what to do. Here's the info you require.
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At Precision Movers, a leading local Calgary moving company, we offer moving and storage services for residential and commercial relocations. We also specialize in piano, safe, and luxury furniture moving. From accurate and affordable moving quotes to packing and storage, we can meet all your residential and commercial relocation needs.
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1. Create a plan and identify your targets
You're going to want to be as efficient as possible when moving heavy furniture. This requires some serious foresight and planning on your part. First, identify every piece of heavy furniture you need to relocate. This will serve you well as you move forward with your plan of attack. Most of the time, the heaviest items get put on the moving truck first and are positioned in the back of the bed and along its sides. This helps balance the truck out and keep your important items safe. But it also means you'll be moving the heaviest stuff first.
Once you figure out which pieces of heavy furniture need to be loaded first, you can then assess the best possible route for them. By being smart with your planning right off the bat, you can save yourself energy in the long run by only having to move and organize your heavy furniture once.
2. Make sure you have the right equipment
Brute force is one way to go about it, but your muscles and body will thank you if you pick up some proper moving equipment before the big day arrives. So will your buddies. While moving heavy furniture is a difficult task, it has been done many times before. That means there are some great items out there that you can rent or buy to make the whole process easier.
Some moving equipment you'll want to look into and use includes:
- Moving straps
- Moving blankets
- Furniture sliders
- Furniture dollies
Even if you've decided not to use professional movers to relocate your heavy furniture, that doesn't mean they still can't be a big help. Most moving companies in Calgary will rent out some of their equipment to you at a great price and will even provide instructions on how to use them. Contact us today to find out more about the moving supplies we have in stock.
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3. Make the furniture as manageable as possible
You will want to break down the furniture as much as you can so it's easier to move. This means taking off all the cushions, drawers, legs, and anything else that can be removed without damaging the object. If this requires you to remove any screws or other small pieces, just be sure to put them in their own separate plastic bag that is labelled with which piece of furniture they belong to. This will help immensely when it comes time to reassemble your stuff.
4. Make sure you use proper lifting techniques
The best way to move heavy furniture is to lift it as little as you can. Instead, you'll want to employ the pushing, sliding, and dragging techniques as much as possible. That's why we recommended you get all that proper moving equipment in step two. But sometimes, there's no avoiding lifting. Going up or down stairs and loading the furniture into the truck being the two most obvious situations.
When lifting is unavoidable, it's extremely important that you practice proper lifting techniques. These include:
- Bend at the knees, not waist
- Carry the items as close to your body as you can
- Avoid twisting or turning your body while lifting and carrying the furniture
By following the above three proper lifting techniques, you'll lower your risk of injury. Just don't forget to look where you're going or stepping!
Pro-tip for moving up and down stairs: Having to transport heavy furniture up or down stairs makes things much more complicated. Sometimes, that's just the way the cookie crumbles though, and there's no way around it. In those situations, you will definitely want the help of a second person to execute the high-low strategy. That means the person lower on the stairs carries the item at the bottom of it, the person higher carries it at the top. You will also want to take great caution when planting your feet on each step and take things slow.
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5. Don't forget about unloading your items
Just because you've got everything onto the moving truck doesn't mean you're out of the woods yet. You need to come up with a detailed plan and strategy for how you are going to get everything off it and into your new home too. Luckily, you now have some experience with this since you've done it before. Try to put the furniture exactly where you plan on keeping it for the next while, otherwise, you'll find yourself moving heavy furniture more than you need to. As always, a bit of planning will go a long way.
Now that you know how to move heavy furniture on your own, you may be rethinking your decision to do so. It's understandable. Moving heavy furniture by yourself is a big undertaking. If you would rather have some professional movers in Calgary take care of it for you, be sure to contact us today.
Call Us Today
To find out more about our residential and commercial moving and storage services, and how our professional Calgary movers can help you save time and money during your next relocation, visit us at Precision Movers Ltd. 8-4040 Blackfoot Trail SE Calgary, Alberta, T2G 4E6. Or you can contact us by calling 403-540-4393 or by filling out our online contact form.
