According to psychology professionals, moving house can be an extremely stressful experience (and some of them place it as the 3rd most traumatic event following death and divorce). Searching for a home to live in, hiring a removals company or a man and van, packing everything – it can all lead to a lot of anxiety and stress indeed. If you add this to the fact that moving furniture can be physically stressful and that it can even be dangerous for your physical integrity, it’s no wonder why so many people would be more than happy to avoid any kind of removals.
However, if you really want to do this on your own (or with as little help as possible), you definitely have to know that it can be done. You can move furniture and stay safe at the same time – but you will have to learn how to do this.
Following, we have gathered some of the best tips on removing furniture. Follow the movers’ advice, inform yourself further and you will be able to move your furniture in a safe and efficient way.
• Don’t bend down. Our natural instinct when moving furniture and heavy items is to bend down to grab its ends. However, you should definitely not do this, as it is one of the most common mistakes that could lead to serious back injuries. Instead of bending down, bend your knees only (as if you would be squatting) and grab the item this way. Also, while carrying it, try to keep your back as upright as possible to avoid any kind of accidents as well.
• Use moving gloves. If you don’t have any, you should definitely invest in a pair. They will help your hands adhere to the surface of the furniture or heavy item in a much better way. Aside from improper lifting, having items slip out of their hands is another really common issue with people trying to move furniture.
• Use dollies. There are plenty of these for sale or rent and, again, you should invest in at least one. Make sure it’s appropriate for the size of the object you will be moving around because otherwise it can be just as risky as carrying the object in an improper way.
• As you have seen, we have advised on investing in moving gloves and dollies when you need them. It is really important not to try to save money over these things because your health and physical integrity is at stake. Don’t go for the cheapest item and definitely don’t try to avoid investing in it altogether – in the end, you may end up spending much more money on health services, you will waste a lot of time not being able to do the things you want and you will also go through the pain that comes with physical injuries (not to mention the worst case scenario where the effects of an injury are permanent).
• Ask for help when you need it. Seriously, if you need help and if you cannot hire professional movers, make sure at least that you call up some friends or relatives to help you do the heavy lifting. As mentioned before your health is at stake here!
• Don’t try to move things if you are not in proper physical condition. If you are ill or pregnant, you should avoid lifting heavy objects (and consequently you should also avoid moving them around). You may think you are helping with the removals process, but you could end up hurting yourself (and the baby, in case you are pregnant). There are many other ways to help that don’t involve heavy lifting of any kind!
