Getting ready to move heavy, bulky items around the house during an upcoming relocation means preparing to embrace some extra stress. However, the process ultimately comes down to a couple of alternatives: taking on a DIY move or hiring heavy item movers to get the job done for you hassle-free. Depending on the size of your moving budget, the moving experience you have relocating pianos, pool tables, hot tubs, and heavy furniture, the moving distance, and the type of help you can rely on, you will need to choose one option or the other.
To come to your help, here are a few tips for moving large, heavy, or bulky items that should make your decision easier.
How Does Moving Heavy Items Work?
For starters, moving a heavy or bulky item such as a piano, a pool table, or a hot tub means taking on a challenging project, especially if you do not plan on hiring professional movers to help you.
The list of bulky items can feature a wide variety of things, ranging from large pieces of furniture, antique beds and cupboards, kitchen cabinets, musical instruments, or home spa components.
In short, you will need to call a few friends to lend you a hand with disassembling the heavy and bulky items that you will need to move, pack and carry them to the moving van, load and unload them and reassemble them at the new destination. You will also need to focus on detailed measuring, furniture protection solutions, and finding the right moving supplies for a flawless process.
Find Help
This is, by far, one of the most important and, at the same time, the most undermined steps of the large and heavy item moving process. Make sure you can rely on some close friends, neighbors, or coworkers willing to help you pack and move your bulky furniture and musical instruments. Reward them with plenty of refreshments and tasty pizza or snacks to keep them going.
Measure The Heavy Items That Require Moving
You will need to squeeze in all those bulky and large items through various doorways, carry them up and down the stairs, make sure they will not damage anything behind them. For this, you will need some precise furniture measurements that should help you take the necessary precautions to avoid potential problems:
- remove some or all doors to gain the extra space needed to carry the bulky items out of the house
- measure or approximate the right angles needed to move various items items
- arm yourself with plenty of patience
Wrap The Furniture To Avoid Scratching Accidents
Keep in mind moving any kind of furniture can put a lot of strain on it, let alone heavy furniture that weighs hundreds of pounds. Use a professional wrapper for the sharp edges and corners.
Have The Right Moving Supplies Ready
Get a few lifting or moving straps that will effectively transfer the weight off of you and simplify the making process of moving heavy items such as furniture and musical instruments. These straps are adjustable and they can be properly fixed to match your exact needs.
Get a few dollies or trolley to help you carry your heaviest and largest items around. Opt for a four-wheel or a two-wheel dolly that can distribute the weight on the vertical for a smoother move.
Choose the best furniture sliders that are found in the single and the multiple part form. They are made from plastic and can be placed underneath the corners of any heavy piece of furniture for easy gliding across the floors.
If you are not willing to invest in furniture sliders, you could make your own using cut-up pieces of carpeting or cardboard.
Know-How To Dismantle The Heavy Furniture Or Bulky Items That Need Moving
Whether you are looking at a number of simple bed frames, complex cupboards, piano legs or keys, or the components of a massive hot tub, the more of these elements you manage to dismantle, the better for the move. Just make sure to carefully store these elements as needed so they do not get lost during the move.
Learn How To Lift
If you plan on taking care of the heavy item moving on your own, learn the right lifting technique that can protect you from potential physical injuries. This includes learning how to incorporate the right pulling, pushing, and sliding moves, along with the safest heavy lifting techniques up and down staircases. Learn how to bend your knees the right way and avoid bending at the waist, as this means putting your entire weight of the heavy items right on your back instead of your knees.
Learn how to settle the weight of the bulky items evenly by squatting down at your knees and lifting up from the legs. Do not hunch your back or put the weight of the item on your back.
Never carry these heavy items away from your body. Instead, hold them as close to your body as possible so you can work with the right center of gravity and keep your balance.
Finally, never twist or turn your body in a funny position when carrying a large piece of furniture, a piano, or a jacuzzi tub so you prevent getting injured. Always work in a team when carrying these items up and down the stairs or dismantling them.
Work With Professional Heavy Item Movers
Hire expert piano movers, furniture movers, or a dedicated hot tub moving service in town to get rid of the stress of finding the right moving supplies and dealing with personal injuries and damaged items. No matter if you need assistance with a local or a long-distance move, a professional moving company can make any move smoother and more convenient.