How to Move Heavy Furniture | Volition Removals

The Art of Safely Moving Heavy Furniture and Planning a Safe Route

At Volition Removals, moving furniture is our day to day business. To the outside world it may seem that a couple of big men is all you need. However as with anything done well, planning and careful execution is key to success and moving furniture is no exception.

Moving heavy furniture during you house move

Heavy furniture, such as dressers, beds and sofas, are among the hardest things to shift on moving day. Firstly, it is important to undertake such work in pairs, as a minimum. According to RoSPA, knowing your limits is one of the most significant aspects of preventing injuries with moving and handling. Large or heavy furniture should not be lifted without help.

many hand makes light work, image of two men lifting a chest of drawers

Nevertheless, if you are on your own, there are certain things that you can do to prepare for moving day beforehand, so that the process is easier and less time-consuming when help does arrive. Firstly, remove the weight from larger items. For settees, this might mean taking you cushions off and wrapping them up for the move separately. Your bed may also come apart, if you can remove your mattress, and dismantle the bed before the move. Cabinets and dressers can be made lighter, and therefore easier to move, by removing their contents, wrapping them up in tissue paper or bubble wrap, and placing them in boxes.

Moving home with bulky items

When it comes to moving the bulkier items, however, it is usually advisable to make some plans. Before lifting or pushing, consider the optimal route that you will take. Avoid awkward twists and turns or thin corridors, if possible. Clear the way so that trip hazards are avoided. This is especially important if you are going to be lifting up or down a stairway where trip hazards can sometimes be obscured. RoSPA advise that pushing items can be preferable to lifting or pulling them. If it is practical in your home, laying card over your flooring or carpet, and carefully push a sofa or cupboard to its destination. This is also in accordance with advice from the Health and Safety Executive, which states that it is preferable to redesign tasks to avoid moving loads at all, if possible.

Even if you are able to push or slide heavier items, they commonly need to be lifted over external doorways. In such cases, it is a good approach to angle the furniture before lifting it over a threshold, so that the minimum of twisting and manipulation is needed when it is off the ground. Remember that doors can be taken off their hinges, if necessary. When carrying something through a doorway, a minimum of two lifters are advisable, with both of them facing towards the item being carried. Once the doorway has been successfully passed, one lifter can then turn around to face where they are going, once more.

Avoid knock and bumps during a home removal

Knocks and bumps are inevitable when transporting larger belongings. Take anything that might get knocked into off your walls, such as clocks and paintings. However, to protect your furniture, covering them in blankets or plastic sheeting is often advisable, as well. Not only will this help to prevent marks, in case of an accidental bump, but it can protect upholstery from the weather when you get outside.

Volition Removals can accept no liability for damage to furniture or other belongings that may occur when moving on your own.