How to Properly Move Furniture: Dos and Don'ts

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When preparing for a move, it’s vital to understand how to move your furniture to a new house. Protecting it, the rest of your valuables and yourself is one of the essential aspects when moving furniture safely. You want to ensure everything arrives at your new home in the same condition as when it left the last one.

Moving and protecting furniture can be challenging due to its size and weight. While professional movers can help you properly move your furniture, you must know how to move furniture safely if you want to move without assistance. This checklist will review the do’s and don’ts of how to move your furniture.

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10 Things to Do When Moving Furniture

Here is a list of what to do when moving furniture so you can protect it and prevent injuries.

1. Do Create a Checklist

Before you prepare your furniture for the move, make a detailed list that includes all the furniture in your home. Use this checklist to decide what you want to take with you and what you want to give to friends or family, sell or donate to charity. Cheaper furniture often won’t survive a move, so it may not be worth keeping.

2. Do Inspect Your Furniture

Inspect your furniture and note any signs of damage on the checklist. Being detailed can help you decide what furniture you want to bring.

3. Do Measure Your Furniture

It’s vital to measure your larger pieces of furniture to determine if they can fit in your new place. Compare their measurements to your new home’s doorways, corners and hallways.

4. Do Clean Your Furniture

Clean your furniture before packing and moving it. You want the items to be free of dirt, dust and other coarse particles. A duster or soft cloth will remove any coarse particles and prevent them from damaging the surface of the furniture pieces.

5. Do Prepare for Packing

Obtain the proper packing materials so you can prepare your furniture for moving. These include:

Furniture blankets.
Bubble wrap.
Shrink wrap.
Packing tape.
Protective sheets of cardboard.
Packing paper.

When preparing your furniture, remove any items that may be inside. Emptying drawers and shelves will remove any extra weight, making the furniture easier and safer to move.

You will want to remove any glass elements from the furniture and move them separately, so they don’t break. You may also need to disassemble larger furniture pieces if they can’t fit through your home or you can’t easily move them.

6. Do Know Your Limitations

Moving your furniture yourself can save you money on your move. However, knowing and respecting your limitations is crucial to keeping yourself, your possessions and your new home safe. Make an honest evaluation of what you’ll be able to move on your own and what will require help.

7. Do Use Proper Lifting Techniques

Moving heavy furniture can be dangerous and you can get hurt while handling those items. It’s vital to use proper lifting techniques to prevent serious injuries. Be sure to kneel or squat to grip heavy furniture, keep your hold close to your body and lift with your legs, not your back.

8. Do Use Caution With Heavy Items

Ask friends to help you move heavier furniture items. Furniture sliders will allow you to slide heavy furniture across the room without damaging the floor. You can use furniture straps or a furniture dolly to help lift larger, heavier pieces without risking injury or damage.

When you load heavy furniture onto the dolly, ensure you use caution. In most cases, you should use the following steps to load it:

Slightly tilt the piece you want to move.
Slide the flat platform of the dolly underneath the bottom of the furniture.
Tilt the furniture back onto the dolly, so it’s balanced and centered.

Only use a dolly on flat, smooth terrain, never stairs.

9. Do Be Careful Moving Down Stairs

If you have to move furniture up or down stairs, you can lift it by hand or use furniture straps. Move slowly and carefully, and keep an eye on the steps, so you don’t fall.

10. Do Use the Loading Ramp

The loading ramp is secured to the truck for your convenience and safety while loading furniture. Whether you’re wheeling your items in on a dolly or carrying them in by hand, the ramp gives you a smooth entry point. Once you’ve loaded your furniture, secure it by tying it to the side of the vehicle with rope or straps.

5 Things Not to Do When Moving Furniture

Now that you know what to do when moving furniture, here is a list of what to avoid.

1. Don’t Pack Old Furniture

You don’t want to pack old, damaged or outdated furniture that will have no purpose in your new home. Taking unwanted furniture will only be a burden on your time and budget.

2. Don’t Pack Without the Right Materials

As tempting as it may be to improvise with what you have on hand, it’s crucial to use the packing supplies mentioned above to protect your furniture.

Ensure you don’t use packing tape or bubble wrap directly on furniture, as they can damage the surface. Instead, pack the furniture in a layer of packing paper and then use a furniture blanket or bubble wrap as a second protective layer.

3. Don’t Leave Furniture Assembled

Don’t leave big furniture pieces assembled if at all possible. The bigger and bulkier your furniture is, the more difficult it will be to move. Disassembling your furniture will let you carry it in smaller, lighter pieces rather than all at once.

4. Don’t Rush

Don’t rush packing or moving your furniture. You should always take the time to assess if you can move all your furniture without professional help and how to approach it so that you don’t risk injury or damage.

5. Don’t Underestimate Safety

Taking preventive measures can ensure a safe move for everyone:

Wear appropriate clothing, including sturdy closed-toe shoes.
Ensure you clear your pathway before moving furniture.
Keep pets and young children in a room away from where you are packing and moving furniture.

Contact David McCarthy for Help With Your Big Move

It’s exciting to move to a new home, but it can also be overwhelming, with lots of preparations to make and safety precautions to consider. Hiring professional movers can help prevent injuries and protect your furniture, so you can have your new home furnished the day you move and enjoy a lovely, relaxing evening.

David McCarthy Moving can take the hassle out of your move. We’ve helped people move all over the country for over 30 years. Our services include packing, moving valuables and fragile items and air-conditioned temporary storage for your possessions. Contact our moving experts today to learn more about our long-distance, residential and commercial moving services.

How to Properly Move Furniture: Dos and Don’ts