Moving Furniture Into Your New Home

Moving house is a major undertaking. In addition to navigating paperwork and agreements, there’s the logistics of the move itself. Some items such as clothing are relatively easy to shift, but larger or bulky pieces such as furniture can prove more difficult.

While there is an argument for selling or donating larger pieces such as beds or couches prior to your move, it’s not always within everyone’s budget to refurnish an entire home, nor is it a desirable option in the case of precious heirloom pieces or items you’d rather keep. If you have larger items of furniture you want to bring with you to your new home, here are some tips on how to make the process smoother for you and the movers.

Call in the Professionals

Moving house is a team effort, so rather than risk injuring yourself by attempting to move your furniture alone, enlist professional help. In addition to removal companies, there are specialist companies offering support with specific tasks. Some companies even offer containers for moving and storage during your move. These can be especially useful if you are moving long distances or are planning to move items in stages rather than all in one day without leaving them at the previous residence.

Safety First

Unless you are exceptionally strong, attempting to lift heavy pieces of furniture could result in damage to your body, making the moving process even more difficult. Here are a few tips on how to move your furniture safely.

• Secure moving bins and other containers that might pop open using zip ties.
• Where possible, disassemble your furniture to make the process easier. For chests, remove drawers and their contents first.
• Dollies, straps, lifts and other devices can help take the weight out of moving heavier items, but only use according to instructions: for example, using straps on staircases should be avoided, since they rely on having an even weight distribution.
• When moving chairs around tight corners, turn them on their side so that they make an “L” shape. Move the back of the chair into the room first before curving the rest of it around the corner. The same applies for couches, but stand these on end first.
• Carry tall items diagonally (with the higher part at the front) to center them and keep them steady (this angle is also useful for moving items up and down stairs).
• Protect your furniture and surroundings by padding them with foam, corner guards or blankets. Door moldings may also need to be temporarily removed so that items of furniture can pass through.
• Use proper handling techniques, clothing and safety gear.

Make a Plan

Before moving to your new apartment or house, it’s a good idea to map out where your furniture will be placed in your new home, instead of attempting to rearrange everything once you have moved in.

To do this effectively, measure the dimensions of your furniture as well as the space ( anything that doesn’t fit in your new home may need to be donated or sold). To assist the moving team, print out a copy of the floorplan for each room so that they know where everything is supposed to go.