Getting ready to move? Whether you’re just moving across town or are preparing to relocate across the country, you’ll probably be taking some pretty large and heavy items with you, like furniture and appliances. While we understand how tempting it can be to want to do it yourself and save some money, you need to make sure that you do it safely.
Here are some tips to protect yourself from injury while moving furniture and other heavy items:
Always have help. Trying to move heavy furniture items by yourself is just asking for injury, and it doesn’t bode well for your furniture or floors either. Instead of risking damage to the item you’re moving as well as to your person, make sure you have a buddy or two to help you out. Team lifting is always a good idea to ensure that weight is properly distributed. If you have a third person with you to act as a spotter, you'll be in even better shape.
Learn proper lifting techniques. When you go to lift a heavy object, don’t lean forward. Bend your hips and knees to squat down, keep the item close to your body, and straighten your legs to lift. Don’t twist or turn your body while you are lifting or holding something heavy, and never attempt to lift it higher than shoulder level.
Use the right tools. There are many products available from hardware stores that you may find helpful for moving heavy items. Furniture straps like these make moving large items like refrigerators, sofas, dressers, and washing machines much easier. You may also wish to purchase a dolly or hand truck to easily wheel around stacks of boxes or furniture with ease, both during the moving out process and during the unloading process at your destination. If you’re going the DIY moving route and want to keep costs in check, these items are also usually available to rent from hardware stores and truck rental companies.
Know when to enlist the help of a moving professional. Even if you’re able to move your furniture and appliances without much trouble, there are many other types of items that you really should leave to a professional moving company. For example, if you have a grand piano or an extremely heavy gun safe, it’s best not to attempt to move them; there’s a very high likelihood that your very expensive item will get damaged and it’s really not worth the risk.
Of course, not everyone has the time or energy to pack up a whole house or apartment and move everything themselves, even if they have willing friends who will lend a hand in exchange for pizza. If you’re moving to or from the Mobile, Alabama area, we invite you to contact Griner Moving Services to request a no-obligation quote. Our team offers fair, up-front pricing and is fully insured for your peace of mind.
Click here to provide us with some details about your move, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly!