Packing up your home and moving to a new location already feels overwhelming and maybe even impossible, but what are you supposed to do when you're dealing with a seemingly unmovable object?
How are you supposed to get that giant wardrobe in the moving truck?
With the right tools and know-how, you can get any piece of furniture out the door and into your new home. We've put together this guide to show you how to move heavy furniture without hurting yourself.
Make sure you keep reading below for some helpful tips!
Finding the Right Furniture Mover Tool: What to Put Under Heavy Furniture to Move It?
There are several different furniture mover tools that can help you get heavy objects from Point A to Point B safely, and the "right one" depends on what type of furniture you're moving and how far you're going with it. Here's a closer look at some of the most helpful options.
Moving Sliders
These handy little sliders are easy to use and affordable for people on a tight budget. To use them, all you have to do is wedge them between the bottom of your furniture piece (one on each corner or foot) and the floor. After that, you can easily slide the furniture across the house or down the hall to a new apartment without scratching the floor.
Even heavy pieces of furniture will feel light and manageable when you stick these underneath it. However, you might still need help with extra-large or awkward objects.
Heavy Furniture Lifter
You should always have a heavy furniture lifter on hand when moving bulky items like couches, desks, bookcases, dressers, etc. With this tool, you can lift the edge of a piece of furniture without bending over or straining your back. This will give you enough space to slip a furniture mover tool underneath it.
Moving Straps
You should only try using moving straps to move heavy furniture when the piece is small. These straps wrap around the object so you can carry it the same way you would a backpack. While this can be helpful for items like small tables or end stands, it can put too much pressure on your back if you try to carry anything too large this way.
For most types of furniture, one of the other furniture lifter tools on this list will work better.
Furniture Dolly
A heavy furniture roller move tool like this will become your best friend during your move.
Similar to moving sliders, furniture mover rollers allow you to push a heavy piece of furniture with minimal effort. However, a dolly can carry your furniture through the door, over concrete or gravel, and into the moving truck. Moving sliders won't get you this far since they require smooth flooring.
You should make sure you have at least one or two of these around on moving day. However, depending on the size of your team, you may want even more.
Forearm/Forklift Straps
Do you have to go up or down a flight of stairs? In this case, a heavy furniture roller move tool won't work. Instead, you should try forearm or forklift straps.
These straps help displace the weight of the furniture to your entire body (so it feels lighter) and keep it balanced while you walk. While this tool to move heavy furniture makes it easier to carry large pieces longer distances, you still might need an extra person to help you.
How Do You Move Heavy Objects at Home?
Before you start to move heavy furniture anywhere, you need to do some prep work first. This will take a bit more time and planning, but it will make the job easier and ensure your furniture (and the walls and doorframes) stay safe and damage-free during the process.
Make sure you follow these steps during your next move.
1. Break It Down
First thing's first, look for ways to take your furniture apart, such as taking the legs off your kitchen table or pulling the shelves out of a bookcase. If you can break it down into smaller pieces, do it. This will make the furniture lighter and more manageable—getting it through doorways and tight hallways will become much easier.
Next, wrap the furniture in moving blankets and secure it in place with packing tape. The blankets will protect the furniture from dings or scratches and ensure it doesn't rub against the wall and leave a mark along the way.
If you're worried about being unable to get a grip on the moving blankets, you can cover them with plastic wrap. However, this shouldn't be necessary unless you're moving awkward pieces.
2. Measure
You might not think this step is necessary, but you should never skip it. The last thing you want to do is move a piece of furniture to your new house only to realize it won't fit through the front door.
So grab a measuring tape and measure every piece of furniture and the doors, hallways, windows, etc. along the moving route.
After this, you can come up with the best plan of action and pick the right furniture mover tool for the job. You may have to get creative and pass furniture through a large window or sliding glass door if the front door is just too narrow.
Measuring can also tell you what furniture you need to break down and what pieces you can leave as-is, which can be a helpful time-saver.
3. Get the Right Tools
Now that you know what you're moving and how you're doing it, it's time to rent the right tools. Depending on what your route looks like, you might need a furniture lifter tool, some furniture mover rollers, or moving straps.
Spend some time researching your options or talking to a local moving company about what they recommend.
4. Make the Move
Once you have all your furniture mover tools, you're ready to get started. Be careful and don't rush the process. If your goal is to move everything as fast as possible (rather than as efficiently as possible), you run the risk of damaging your furniture or even hurting yourself.
While you can move in one day with the right help, go slow and make safety your top focus when moving objects yourself.
How Do You Move Heavy Furniture Upstairs Alone?
You Don't.
Unless you're carrying something small, such as an end table, you shouldn't attempt to move any furniture up or down a flight of stairs by yourself. Not only will this be difficult (and maybe even impossible), but it can also be extremely dangerous. Losing your grip or tripping on a step can cause you to drop the furniture, and due to the slant of the stairs, it will likely fall back on you and crush you.
This could send you to the hospital with serious injuries.
When moving heavy furniture upstairs, you should always have at least one person helping. In some cases, you may need even more than that.
If you feel tired in the middle of a flight of stairs, take a break. Simply set the furniture down on the steps and use some moving straps to tie it in place so it doesn't slip. After you catch your breath, you can use a furniture lifter tool to help get it off the ground again.
Which Is the Most Effective Option When Moving Heavy Objects?
For most homeowners, the most effective way to move heavy furniture is to hire a team of professional movers. Not only will they have the experience to ensure your furniture doesn't break during the process, but they will also be able to get everything out of the house and into your new location faster than you could on your own.
Leaving the furniture to a moving team will mean you don't have to worry about finding the necessary tool to move heavy furniture (they'll bring the proper supplies with them). It will also clear up your schedule so you can focus your attention on other, more important aspects of the move.
But won't this cost more money?
Not always.
Think about it this way: handling furniture, especially if you're moving heavy furniture upstairs, is a difficult task. It's easy to get hurt, and if you aren't careful, you could end up with a long-term injury that requires medical assistance. This will get in the way of your move and make everything slower, harder, and more frustrating.
Hiring a moving team will cost less than a medical bill. Because of this, it's smarter to go ahead and hire a moving team from the start.
Start Moving All Your Furniture Today
Whether you're looking for a heavy furniture roller move tool, a team of movers, or a truck to carry all your belongings, we've got you covered. Our team at Nexus can help you through every step of your move to ensure you arrive at your new home without any missing or damaged items.
Need to move heavy furniture? Don't hesitate to get in touch with us today to get started! Or check out our moving cost estimator to get a quote on moving your furniture.
