5 Hacks To Make Moving Your Bulky Furniture Easier
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Moving to a new place is fun, exciting, and nerve wracking, especially if you're moving to a completely new town where you hardly know anybody. Some folks move because they got a new job opportunity, are going through some new family changes, or are ready for a new city, notes 3 Men Movers. Life is always full of new opportunities and growth that some folks are ready for and some aren't.
While the idea of starting fresh with a new kitchen to cook in or exploring a new city is exciting, the trouble of having to move all of your furniture can lessen that excitement, especially if you have to do it on your own. Moving heavy furniture by yourself can cause bodily injuries or damage to your furniture, according to Dumbo Moving and Storage. If you can't afford to get help from a professional moving company, asking friends for help is a better option than doing it alone. Here are five other ways you can move your heavy furniture easier.
Use a hand truck
Investing in a hand truck can make moving your bulkier furniture easier. A hand truck has a platform to put a part of your furniture on it, a couple wheels, and a handle to maneuver the wheels easily, according to Grainger. While it can be intimidating at first to use a hand truck, they're simple to use. It's in an L-shape which allows for the furniture to be wheeled on its back to its destination so that you can have a clear sight of where to go. A hand truck can be used to carry multiple boxes or heavy furniture.
A hand truck can be expensive depending on which brand and style you buy. Home Depot has a variety of hand trucks that range from $25 to $260 that carry different amounts of weight. The cool thing about them is they don't take up a lot of space and once you buy one, you won't ever buy another because they can last you years. You'll be able to help other friends or family move their things, if they ever need help.
Use your legs, not your back
When it comes to lifting anything heavy, you always want to use your legs and avoid lifting with your back. Heavy furniture can cause back injuries if not lifted properly. VeryWell Health claims that your back muscles aren't as strong as your leg muscles. When you go to lift either a couch or dresser, bend your knees going down to pick up the bottom, instead of hunching over to pick up the item. When you hunch over to lift something, you put a strain on your back which could lead to an injury.
VeryWell Health suggests keeping your feet shoulder-width apart to keep your feet and legs stable when you lift something. You also want to keep the item you're lifting close to your body to keep a stable balance since you'll be stronger closer rather than at a farther reach. It'll make your back muscles work less which will prevent any long term injuries.
Disassemble furniture
Before you start loading furniture in the moving truck, it's best to take apart heavy furniture first so that when you get to your destination, it will be easier to unload it. It won't be as heavy when it's taken apart, so you'll be able to move things in fairly quickly. Even though most furniture is able to be moved fine when it's together, disassembling the furniture prevents any damage from occurring, claims Allied. When you do take apart your furniture, put all the smaller things such as screws in a plastic zipper bag and label it so they don't get lost or mixed up with others.
You don't necessarily have to take apart everything, but it'll make it a simpler process to move things into your home without bumping into doors or walls. You can remove the legs from tables or couches to move them around any corners easier, claims Allied. Other items you can break down are dressers that have attached mirrors, bed frames from the bed, or shelves from bookcases or any shelving unit.
Buy furniture sliders
Using furniture sliders can prevent scratching your hardwood floors and make it easier to move your heavy furniture on carpet flooring, according to Moving.com. They're plastic round disks with a soft cushion on top that you put under the legs of tables, couches or other furniture. The plastic part of the slider makes contact with the floor, making it easy for furniture to glide around the floor. They can be used for any furniture item or appliances you have such as washer, dryer, or fridge.
Furniture sliders come in various shapes and sizes, so buying a pack that varies in size or are bigger to accommodate any appliance is beneficial when it comes to moving. Amazon has some great deals on furniture sliders. Their Smart Surface furniture sliders are sold in a pack of 16 for a sale price of $14.99, the original price was $19.99. You don't have to remove them once you're done using them; if you ever decide to move around your furniture, you'll already have them in place.
Plan out where furniture will go
Before you start packing up your furniture and loading it up, make a plan on where you're going to place everything in your new space. When you plan ahead, you avoid being stressed when you arrive at your new place and have to figure out where you want everything to go. CB Blue Matter claims that drawing out a plan will save you time and money if you hire movers to help with your furniture. You'll be able to tell them where to put everything once they arrive with your furniture.
If you figure out where you want the heavier furniture to be placed, then it will be easy to fill in the gaps with all the smaller items. Planning ahead also gives you an idea of the furniture pieces you can keep and should definitely donate or sell, so that you don't end up moving extra unwanted items. It'll lessen the workload of moving some of the bulkier pieces which will also prevent you from storing anything in your garage.