A Guide to Moving Large Items to Your Next Home

Moving to a new home generally involves a wide range of emotions and feelings. On the one hand, moving to a new place can be an exciting experience full of new opportunities. You can settle into a new home and meet new people. 

However, you can’t move to a new home without transferring all of your belongings. This can be tedious, time-consuming, and challenging. Transporting your stuff can be even more difficult if you’re moving large items. 

Things like pianos, furniture, safes, appliances, and recreational equipment can be a pain to move. Heavy items can also be dangerous. 

We’re here to help make your life easier. Keep reading for a quick guide on moving large items to your new home.

Ensure You Have a Big Enough Moving Vehicle

First, plan ahead for the day of the move to make sure you have access to a vehicle capable of safely transporting your large items. This could be a friend’s truck, a flatbed or enclosed trailer, or a rented moving vehicle. 

Make sure the vehicle is large enough to handle your big items. For example, if you’re embarking on piano moving, loading it at an odd angle could cause damages. You might need to find a transport solution that allows you to load the item as it’s meant to be. 

If It’s an Option, Consider Dismantling Large Items

While it means more work, dismantling large items can make your life easier in the long run. This is especially true for big, bulky, heavy items. Trying to manipulate these types of possessions through doors, narrow hallways, and sharp corners can have disastrous results. 

If possible, consider moving large items in pieces, even if it means spending extra time taking them apart and putting them back together. This can save you a lot of stress and prevent potential injuries. 

Take Measurements

If you’re not sure whether or not you should dismantle objects before transporting them to your new home, take out your measuring tape to verify your course of action. In some cases, you might not have a choice.

For example, some pieces of large furniture might not make it through the door in one piece. The same can be said about pianos, appliances, and other large items. 

Before you decide what to do, measure the item and make a note of its dimensions. Then, measure doorways, hallways, and any other potential point of conflict. If the item is too big to make it through these choke points (or has the potential to cause damages), you know what you need to do.

Invest in the Proper Moving Equipment

Whether your need to move a piano, a couch, or a washer and dryer, it helps if you have the right equipment. For example, a simple moving dolly can make things much easier. It can also save you from stubbed toes, banged-up shins, and pulled back muscles. 

Additionally, look into two-man lifting straps. These harnesses go up and around your shoulders, under the item, and up and around the shoulders of the other person. Working together, you can safely move large items while protecting your back. 

We also recommend wearing gloves that provide plenty of grip and protection. Sometimes, moving heavy items is difficult simply because it is hard or painful to grip. Moving gloves can solve both of these problems. 

Make Sure You Have Help and Use a Good Lifting Technique

Next, let’s talk about proper lifting techniques. Many people injure themselves while moving or helping other people move because they don’t know how to lift heavy objects safely. 

First, never lift with your back. In other words, don’t bend over to pick up a heavy object. Instead, squat down keeping your back straight, grip the object, and stand straight up pushing through your hips and legs. 

Additionally, avoid lifting and twisting, particularly at the same time. Turning and twisting your body might be unavoidable while loading and unloading items. Just don’t do it while you’re pulling something up off the ground.

These lifting rules also apply when setting items down. You can just as easily hurt yourself while putting objects back down.

Protect the Item During the Move

When moving large items, you also need to think about their safety while in transit. This means taking measures to ensure they won’t move, slide, tip, or fall while on the moving vehicle. 

Whether you’re moving large furniture, appliances, or a piano, we recommend using tie-downs or straps to immobilize your possessions. If the item is valuable, fragile, or has a nice finish, put a blanket, packing foam, or some other layer of protection between the strap and the item.  

Take Steps to Ensure the Safety of the Item and the Home

Keeping your items safe is important before and after the move as well. When moving large items, it’s easy to hit walls, railings, door frames, and other objects. This can cause damage to the home and the item being moved. 

To prevent this from happening, slow down and take your time, particularly through tight spaces. Additionally, if you’re working with a moving partner, make sure you’re on the same page and can communicate clearly. 

Lastly, it might be a good idea to tape packing foam, towels, or blankets around potential points of contact. For example, adding a layer of protection on sharp corners can prevent scraping up paint or punching holes in the drywall.

Consider Hiring Professional Movers

Finally, consider looking to professionals to help you move a piano or other large, bulky, and heavy items. They have the equipment, manpower, and experience to get it done safely and efficiently. 

Moving companies also come with other perks, such as storage units, furniture shipment, and more. Some movers will take care of every step of the moving process, even the packing, and unpacking. 

Check out these happy reviews from homeowners whose piano was moved safely. You can get a good idea about a company based on what their customers have to say about their services. 

Are You Going to Be Moving Large Items?

There’s a lot to think about if you’re moving from one home to another. Planning ahead and making sure everything is in order can save you a lot of time and frustration. It’s especially important if you’re going to be moving large items. 

Consider the advice written above for the best results and don’t hesitate to call the professionals if you need help. For more moving tips, homeowner advice, or consumer insight, stick around and read through some of our other articles. Our blog was created for people like you.