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Moving heavy, bulky furniture is difficult to do on your own, but here are a few tips for moving house to help you and your removal men. Shifting your belongings from one residence to another can be exciting, tiring and exhilarating. But you need help. It’s not just the furniture – it’s the route to the van that needs assessing.
Involve your Local Removal Company early in the process. Most companies offer a free, no obligation assessment.
Take note of any difficult corners, measure doorways, gates and lifts. Then size up those big pieces of furniture. Don’t worry too much if it seems impossible as the removal men will have the skills needs to manoeuvre the great armchair round the door, and they may have special equipment for lifting, carrying and maybe a tail-lift for the lorry.
Consider about the path your belongings will need to take – you may need to lever them through a window or take them round through the back garden.
Plan ahead – where will your gear go in the new house? Have a simple labelling scheme and, if a room plan is possible, pin it up in the right room. Colour schemes are easy to see and will save the men putting your heavy things in the wrong place or even in the wrong room.
Make your items as light as you can. Remove drawers, pack and label the belongings. So, it will be easy to return them to the right place after your move. Strip the beds – but mattresses are very awkward to shift. The handles sewn on them are only meant for straightening them on the bed – not for heaving them around. You could make a sling to help – or better yet, leave it to the experts.
If you have to lift – bend the knees. Protect your back. Back injuries are common when people lift unusually heavy items, especially if they bend and twist their back as they do so. This is one of the most important tips for moving house.
It’s often easier to hold the item low at one end and high at the other – it certainly makes stairs easier to negotiate.
However, it is often possible to slide your things along the floor, thus saving your back. But to protect a wooden or tiled floor you need to use a blanket or towel. On soft surfaces such as carpets you need a harder slider like a tray. This can work very well.
Sometimes, there is no alternative but to dismantle some pieces of furniture. This not only protects your belongings, but also saves you gauging holes in the wall as you try to carry them round the corners.
If you feel able to do this yourself, be sure you have the correct tools – and that you know where you pack them for easy access on arrival at your destination. Don’t try to do this on the day of the move – there is just too much else going on.
The problem here is not the dismantling but the reassembling of the furniture. You may need to find the instructions and tape them to the items or pack them with the tools. If you are lucky your removal company in Cheshunt or anywhere will be able to do this for you, and they will have the right tools and plenty of experience.
Think twice before trying to move your piano. They are delicate, often expensive and they are very easily damaged. They are also extremely heavy and you may need as many as eight men to move it safely. A big grand piano can weigh over 1000 lbs – and no one should lift more than 100 lbs. There are special wide dollies to facilitate their moving as rolling them along on their castors is not recommended.
Moving pianos really is a skilled and technical job, best left to the experts.
Use what you have in the way of blankets to protect your furniture and your premises. Large items are easily damaged.
Check whether your insurance will cover your move. Removal companies do have insurance and it may be sufficient, but be certain, speak to your own contents insurers, especially if you have some valuable pieces. In some cases, you may even decide to photograph the item, if it’s big and valuable.
Moving house is an adventure. You will need help with large items of furniture. These tips for moving house, together with some planning and a good removal company will make it an enjoyable and exciting one.