10 Simple Tips To Move Furniture By Yourself
Jun 12, 2023
Moving furniture is one of the most time-consuming and challenging tasks during home relocation. Unlike other household items like utensils, books, clothes, or others, furniture is usually large or bulky. While you can pack and handle smaller furniture items such as chairs, stools, and coffee tables without hassle, managing couches, beds, cabinets, wardrobes, bookshelves, and other heavy furniture is stressful.
You can sustain serious injuries moving these items incorrectly. According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), at least 900 injuries a year needing medical treatment happen due to toppling furniture. Moreover, not handling furniture well during a house move puts the items at risk of damage. Damaged furniture means a financial loss for the owners.
Hiring
budget removalists in Brisbane, therefore, is a wise and practical solution. However
, if you want to move furniture yourself, learning the correct tricks, methods, and techniques is essential. To get started, look at the 10 simple tips mentioned below.
1. Create An Inventory
Heavy and
large furniture items need to go in the moving truck first and before small boxes as they are placed against the vehicle’s walls. Thus, you must create an inventory of all the big and heavy furniture in your home to ensure they are loaded on a moving day without confusion.
You can follow these steps and create an effective inventory when moving your furniture:
Step 1: Grab a notebook or use spreadsheet software/ inventory management application to jot down your furniture items. Also, keep a camera or phone handy.
Step 2: It is good to take a room-by-room approach and inventory your household furniture. You can start from your bedroom or a living room.
Step 3: List all the items you want to relocate. This includes sofas, dining table, beds, cabinets, side tables, etc.
Step 4: Write a short description of each piece, such as its dimensions and unique features.
Step 5: Take photos from different angles and label all your pieces to keep them safe and secure.
This may seem time-consuming but can alleviate stress and prevent loss or damage of your precious possessions.
2. Buy/Rent Moving Equipment
Professional removalists in Brisbane always lift and shift heavy household items with moving equipment. These tools enable them to drag and pick furniture securely and avoid
serious injuries. Therefore, you should buy or rent moving equipment to manage the activity without sustaining sprains, strains, scrapes, etc. Here are some tools professionals commonly use for handling heavy furniture.
- Moving dolly
- Straps and harnesses
- Furniture sliders
- 4-wheeler
- Hand truck
These equipment will help keep your back, arms, legs, shoulders and neck from dislocating or stressing.
3. Disassemble Furniture
Inspect the furniture in your home to see which ones you can disassemble, as it will make packing and
furniture removal easier. If you don’t have the instruction manual for the items, take pictures of the furniture during the dismantling process to know how to put it back together. You can remove shelves, racks, knobs, handles, planks and other items off the furniture to make it more manageable during a house move.
4. Know That Environment Affects Furniture
Excessive heat, humidity, dust and other environmental elements can damage antique furniture when moving. Direct and harsh sunlight can also fade such furniture and weaken its structural integrity. Usually, antique furniture has organic materials like leather, fabric and wood that are sensitive and need maintenance. Therefore, while packing and transporting old wooden items, ensure they are not exposed to moisture, heat, rain, etc.
Additionally, avoid moving when it is raining heavily, it’s too hot/cold, or a storm is about to arrive.
Check the weather forecast before deciding on a moving day and booking professional removalists in Brisbane.
5. Always Slide Heavy Furniture & Avoid Lifting It
Whether you have to take the sofa to the moving truck or shift the home theatre system, never make the mistake of lifting the bulky pieces. Instead, get furniture sliders and move the items without risking back pain, fractures and other injuries. You can lift small furniture items like chairs, side tables and stools but anything bigger or bulkier needs moving equipment.
Also, ensure the path is free of obstacles to avoid serious accidents. If sliding is not possible, you can ask for help from others or consider hiring professional removalists Brisbane. You should prioritise safety during the process and keep your items secure when moving furniture.
6. Make Sure Doors, Drawers and Cabinets Are Shut Properly
No one wants the hassle of shutting closures of furniture while they are sliding, lifting or handling it. Therefore, make sure to lock the wardrobes, cabinets and other storage furniture securely. If they don’t have locks, secure the closures with harnesses with clasps. Avoid using packing tape directly on the furniture, as it can cause serious damage.
7. Measure The Furniture & Entry Points In Home Before Moving Items
Often people get caught off-guard when they are ready and lifting the furniture during
a house move, and it gets stuck at the door. It can happen to anyone who hasn’t measured the furniture and entry points of their home before moving the items. Professional removalists in Brisbane never make this mistake and have a plan ready to put the furniture down to the moving truck using other methods.
8. Secure The Corners of Furniture
Do you know most furniture items get damaged at the corners that bump against your home’s walls, stairs, doors and other spots? Therefore, you must secure the corners of tables, couches, bookshelves etc., with foam wraps, Styrofoam moulds and tape to prevent chips and dents.
9. Utilise The Support Of Loved Ones Close To You
Moving large objects on your own is not only exhausting but also stressful and dangerous. For these reasons, you shouldn’t try to move heavy objects alone. While attempting to move DIY furniture by themselves, many people suffer severe injuries such as muscle rips, fractures, and concussions, among other things.
10. Wear Proper Clothes & Personal Protective Equipment
When moving big furniture, accidents might happen if you wear clothing that is too loose or tight, so proper attire is required. Wear thick, difficult-to-tear jeans or trousers when handling, packing and transporting large objects.
Additionally, dress in a cotton top or one made of breathable material because the physical labour will cause you to become overheated and sweat a lot. To make stretching, bending, and other activities easier, ensure the clothing fits comfortably.
Wrapping Up
Furniture moving is a physically and mentally taxing activity that is best left to qualified Brisbane movers. However, following this guide will greatly assist if you intend to relocate the furniture in your home for any reason. It contains advice from professionals and practical suggestions that will make moving furniture by yourself more relaxed and easier.