Moving Heavy Furniture

What Furniture Should You Take?

Hold your horses! Before we get into the nitty-gritty of how to move heavy furniture, it is important that you first choose what you’re going to take with you. The volume of your furniture is one of the primary determinants of your final removal costs. Whether you are hiring a professional mover, or doing it yourself, cutting down on the volume of your possessions can save money and the environment. So, be ruthless! 😎

Top tip! Not sure how much stuff you have? Our handy furniture volume calculator is here to do the hard work for you!

Choosing a Removalist

Why Choose a Removalist When Moving Heavy Furniture?

So now you know the how, it’s time to learn the why. Given that moving house is an expensive endeavour, you may be tempted to opt for a van rental approach to help cut costs. However, we strongly believe that moving heavy furniture is not the time to save a few pennies. Instead, look at our removal costs page and find other ways of being thrifty! Here’s why:

• Expertise. Look, we don’t mean to put you down, but unless you have years of experience moving heavy furniture, then the chances are you won’t do it as well, or as safely as a removalist. Many items, such as washing machines, are delicate and require specialist knowledge to move them without damaging them.
• Safety. The only thing more important that protecting your belongings, is protecting yourself. Moving heavy furniture comes with the risk of serious injury to you, or anyone who assists you. A trip to the hospital is a house-warming present no one wants…
• Insurance. A lot of the time, heavy items are also expensive items. While hiring a removalist might seem like an additional expense initially, this will change quickly if anything has to be replaced. However, if your removalist is moving your heavy furniture for you, they are liable for any damage incurred.
• Equipment. Not many people have a spare dolly, furniture sliders or moving straps knocking around. Sourcing these yourself is of course possible but guess what – it won’t be free! These additional costs add up, whereas if you opt to hire a removalist, the cost of this equipment will be incorporated into your quote. And don’t even get us started about how time consuming finding the necessary equipment can be…
• Peace of mind. Did you know? Moving is considered the third most stressful life event! So, save yourself the trouble where you can- like by getting the help of a removalist when moving heavy furniture.
• Time. It isn’t rocket science: if your removalist is moving heavy furniture for you, then that is one less thing on your moving house checklist.

We understand – moving house is expensive and doing-it-yourself seems like an easy way to cut back on costs. However, we strongly believe that when it comes to moving heavy furniture by yourself, the physical risks, and indeed financial ones too, are simply not worth it!

Moving Heavy Furniture By Yourself

So you are one of the stubborn ones! At Sirelo, we are committed to helping everyone, even if they do disagree. That is why, despite our best efforts to persuade you otherwise, we have created this guide on how to move heavy furniture safely without the assistance of experts.

• Make a plan. Planning is often the key to success, including when it comes to moving heavy furniture. Make an inventory of all of the items that need to be loaded into your truck, noting down any fragile items as you go.

Top tip! When loading the van, bear in mind that heavy items should go towards the back and sides of the truck to balance the load.

• Equipment. There is no beating around the bush; not even Superman can move heavy furniture without the right equipment. You will need:
  • Moving straps
  • Furniture sliders
  • Furniture dollies
  • Plastic wrap and bubble wrap
  • Styrofoam blocks
  • Tape
  • Tools such as pliers, Allen wrenches and screwdrivers
• Measure your furniture. The last thing you want is your couch getting jammed in the doorway, or worse still on the staircase. Therefore, measure everything carefully before you even think about moving heavy furniture.
• Wrap it up! Ensure that everything is wrapped correctly when moving heavy furniture, or you risk damage your items. Here is how:
  • Wrap with blankets or furniture covers and then secure with plastic wraps.
  • Glass and the ends of desks can be protected with cardboard.
  • Protect fragile items in bubble wrap.
  • Wrap mirrors using tape and cupboard, or better still, Styrofoam.
  • Your couch should be wrapped with blankets and tape.

Top tip! Not sure where to source boxes and other packing materials? Our moving boxes pages is here to answer your queries.

• Lift! It’s time to lift! Make sure you bend from your knees and not your waist to avoid hurting your back.
• Navigating the stairs. This is where moving heavy furniture gets really tricky. Carry the item high and low, with one person at each end. Move slowly, allowing the person at the bottom end of the item to set the pace. Remember: do not, and we repeat, do not rush!

If after that rather brutal reading you are still up for moving heavy furniture by yourself then we take our hats off to you!

What Next?

The simple answer to how to move heavy furniture safely is don’t! Instead, let professional removalists do it, and you can focus on the more important things like making a great cup of coffee and getting a good night’s sleep.

If you are committed to moving heavy furniture yourself, we leave you with one final piece of advice: plan, plan and plan again. Your personal safety is the most important part to get right. If you ever feel at risk, stop what you are doing immediately.