A good moving company will unload your furniture in the exact spot you want it in your new home. However, chances are that you might not be completely happy with your preconceived furniture plan and will need to move some of the furniture around yourself. Here are tips to make sure that you and your furniture stay safe while moving it.
Empty It First!
Yes, it might seem like a big hassle to remove drawers and objects from your furniture, but it is crucial that you empty out furniture before trying to move it yourself. This will make it lighter and easier to move. Also, it reduces the chance that something will fall out and get damaged or land on your feet.
Don’t Lift Heavy Furniture
Heavy objects should always be lifted from the legs and thighs, NOT the back. While this might sound simple, a lot of people don’t know how to properly lift furniture and end up with serious back injuries. Or, they might drop the furniture on their toes feet and get injured. Avoid the risk of injury by pushing or pulling your heavy furniture instead of lifting.
Wear Proper Footwear
Don’t be lazy! Take the time to put on sneakers or boots (ideally steel-toe boots if you have them) before you move furniture. Those flip flops are just going to make you trip and won’t provide any protection to your tootsies.
Slip Cardboard Under Furniture When Pushing It Across Floors
We already clarified that you shouldn’t lift heavy furniture yourself – you should slide it instead. But sliding furniture can cause scratching or scuffing to floors. Avoid this problem by slipping pieces of cardboard under the furniture legs. This works on carpets too because it makes it easier to slide the furniture. On hard floors, you can also use towels or rags under furniture legs.
Watch Out for Floor Trim and Carpet Bars
Make sure you note where floor trim is before you start sliding heavy furniture around. Also, watch out for carpet bars (also called transition bars), which are the metal strips which are often put down where carpet and other flooring meet. You will need to lift the furniture legs over this area, or you can put a large piece of cardboard on top of the transition bar so the furniture can slide over it.
Don’t Slide Furniture Over Area Rugs
If you try to slide furniture on top of a large area rug, you will pull and stretch the rug, creating uneven “bubbles”. One solution is to make sure your area rug is anchored down with rug tape before you move it. Or you can slide the furniture into position then have two strong people carefully lift the furniture while another straightens out the rug.