Moving and Packing Tips

Move Heavy Furniture Like a Pro: Expert Tips and Techniques

Fantastic Team
Published: Mar 11/2022
Last update: Apr 28/2023
9min read
Views: 195

Having to move a large piece of furniture that seems heavier than anything you can possibly lift is quite frustrating. It significantly eases up the task if you don’t need to move a massive dresser down the flight of stairs, right?

While leaving the heavy lifting to professionals is the best way to go, not everyone has the possibility to hire a moving company. Fortunately, there are some easy steps you can undertake on your own. In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about safe and stress-free furniture moving.

So, if you are wondering:

How to easily move heavy furniture;
How to avoid scratches while moving heavy furniture;
What is the best approach to this heavy task,

Then you are in the right place! Keep on reading to find out how to move large furniture pieces.

Precautionary tips before moving heavy furniture

Moving heavy furniture isn’t the easiest task out there, however, you can always prepare for it in advance to avoid stress and potential back pain. So, before you throw yourself into grabbing and lifting your heavy furniture, make sure to follow these tips:

Wear comfy clothes and shoes

Because you will be carrying heavy objects, it is important to wear protective clothing. It’s quite easy to get yourself scratched or even worse – drop something on your foot whilst making stops for breaks. Make sure to wear appropriate clothing, like thick shoes and long-sleeve shirts, to reduce the chances of getting injured.

Clear your path

Not only can it be annoying to stomp on something while moving a heavy object, but it also poses dangers to the person carrying it. The cleaner the path the better.

Empty the furniture

Take out anything that can fall, break and add additional weight to the furniture. If you need to move a chest, take out all the drawers too. That way you won’t risk any drawers falling out.

Figure out what can be disassembled

Not all furniture pieces can be disassembled, but if yours happen to be easily broken down into pieces, do it. But before you do that, make sure to take pictures of the furniture piece to save yourself time figuring out which screw goes where.

Fix doors and drawers that might fall or slide open

Speaking of drawers falling out – some of them can be hard to remove or not be removed at all. Consider fixing them with tie-down straps to avoid unnecessary incidents.

Wrap your furniture in protective blankets

Some delicate surfaces need extra padding. Wrapping your furniture in moving blankets will protect them from getting damaged during the move.

Follow the correct lifting technique

If you need to move heavy furniture but don’t want to hurt your back in the process, then you need to know how to correctly lift heavy furniture:

Determine whether you will be able to carry the object by yourself by lifting it slightly from one corner. If not, ask a friend to help you out.
Bend your knees and grab the furniture piece where you can hold it firmly.
Make sure that your feet are spread shoulder-width apart.
Straighten your back and lift slowly. Avoid lifting with your back and lift with your legs instead. Keep your back straight at all times.
When lowering the object, follow the same precautions.

Heavy furniture moving methods

When you have a big move ahead of you, it’s important to think about how you will approach this uneasy task. Your goal should be to be as efficient as possible. Moving heavy furniture is a time-consuming process by itself and you don’t want to waste your precious time figuring out the plan on the spot.

Below you will find various methods for moving your furniture depending on different situations you might find yourself in. Use them to create a strategy that will help you easily move heavy furniture.

Using special equipment for moving heavy furniture

Moving equipment can come in handy and make it easier to lift and transport the items that you wouldn’t be able to move on your own. Here are some of the equipment types that you might consider using:

Sliders – Instead of dragging your heavy furniture across the room, place a couple of furniture sliders under the furniture legs. That way, it will glide easily on any surface without causing any damage to the floor. Choose the sliders depending on your floor surface material. The sliders with shiny plastic bottom would go on a carpeted surface, whereas sliders with felt on it are used for hard floor surfaces.
Furniture straps – These are two-people lifting straps that get attached to the bottom of an item. They allow you to safely lift and move an object and evenly distribute the weight of the item on your shoulders. Meanwhile, your hands remain free to support and balance the item you are carrying.
Furniture dolly – Furniture dollies are platforms with four wheels that can be covered with felt, rubber or thin cushioning to protect the items from scuffing and slipping during the move. To move your piece of furniture using a furniture dolly, carefully lift and put the furniture flat side down on the platform. Support it with your hands during transportation.
Hand truck – A classic L-shaped moving dolly with wheels is a popular choice for moving heavy furniture. The bottom ledge and upright handles make it easy to place and transport your furniture to any area with and without stairs. Slightly tilt your furniture item to slide the cart ledge under it. Fix the furniture with straps before starting to push.

Moving furniture across different floor surfaces

Having different floor surfaces makes it even harder to move heavy furniture. Some floorings are more delicate and prone to damage than others, therefore you should pay extra attention to how you move your furniture.

Under no circumstances should you drag your furniture, unless there is a protective barrier between the furniture bottom and the floor.

Move furniture on wooden floors
The main concern when moving furniture on wooden floors is to avoid leaving scratches. Regardless of its traditional solid wood flooring, as well as engineered wood and laminate, if you don’t take the proper measures you risk ruining the floors.

Place soft sliders under your furniture piece. The sliders will reduce the friction between the item of furniture and the floor making the process of moving it a lot easier and smoother. It will as well act as a protective barrier to prevent scratches.
Move furniture on tiled floors
Here you don’t risk as much damaging the tiles as you do putting strain on the joints and damaging the furniture piece. In this situation, you can again rely on soft sliders to help you easily move the furniture piece in question.
Move furniture on carpets
When it comes to moving furniture on a carpet you under no circumstances want to drag it directly on the carpet. Doing so, you risk pulling on the texture and damaging your carpet or squishing the fibers leaving trail marks.

Unlike hard surfaces like tiles and wood floors where you need soft sliders, for carpets, you want to go with hard sliders. Placing carpet sliders under the furniture piece will help it glide over the surface of the carpet, protecting both from getting damaged.

Getting your heavy furniture up and down the stairs

Carrying a heavy item up and down the stairs can add complexity to an already tedious task. However, these tips can help you ease the process:

Always start with the heaviest object
If you have multiple items to carry up or down the stairs, try to carry all the heavy items first. That way, when you start feeling tired, you won’t need to use as much strength as before.
Let the stronger person be at the bottom of the stairs
The person at the bottom will always carry most of the weight, therefore, it’s better to choose a stronger person for this position.
Carry tall objects using the high-low method
Tilt your furniture piece backward, so the person going last can grab it by the bottom, and the person going first can hold the highest point where they can get a grip on it.
Communicate along the way
You might be tempered to rush into completing the task as soon as possible, however, you shouldn’t forget about the safety. Make sure that both lifters follow the same pace. Communicate if you need to take a break, stop or change direction.

Consider hiring movers

If moving heavy furniture by yourself proves to be too difficult, or you are too hesitant to do it on your own, then you can always rely on professional help from Fantastic Services!

Hiring a team of movers ensures that your belongings will be moved and transported safely with no added stress. Professional equipment allows the movers to handle bulky and heavy items, as well as eliminates all the risks related to damage and serious injuries.

Moreover, the removals teams we work with know how to handle even the most delicate items. Whether you need to move a piano or a fine piece of art, they can do that for you. Upon request, they can deal with such tasks as assembling, disassembling, supplying you with packing materials, and even packing your belongings for you. Simply arrange your home removals service online using our online booking form.

Need help moving?

Find a professional to take care of your move.

Takeaways

Moving or rearranging a house is a big job. Start by emptying the furniture and disassembling it. That way you will make the job easier for yourself;
Things that can’t be removed should be fixed with tie-down straps or duct tape;
Never pick up the items that are too heavy for you and follow the correct moving technique: lift with your legs and keep your back always straight;
Such equipment as slider, furniture dollies, and hand trucks can help you move heavy furniture;
If you have delicate flooring, make sure to place padding on the floor before moving the furniture.

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