How to move a very heavy piece of furniture

Moving poses all kinds of challenges – emotional, physical, financial, organizational, etc.

The physical hardships of a house move may be the most mundane of them all, but they’re definitely not to be underestimated – most moving tasks involve a lot of physical effort and hard work. It’s draining, exhausting, and difficult. And it can be even dangerous, especially when it comes to lifting and carrying heavy items – and heavy furniture, in particular.

Moving heavy furniture is the ultimate relocation-related physical challenge. It requires a lot of strength and a lot of careful planning – in order to move a heavy furniture item in a safe and successful manner, you need to be very well prepared and to know exactly what you’re doing. You need to take measures to protect the furniture, protect your property, and protect your back – and you need to have some help and the right equipment for the job.

Feeling up to the challenge? Find out how to move a very heavy piece of furniture the right way and pull it off without a hitch!

Consider disassembling the furniture

The first thing to do when you need to move a heavy furniture item is to see if it can be safely taken apart.

If you can disassemble the furniture, the separate parts will be much smaller and much lighter than the assembled piece, so you will likely have no problem carrying them around, taking them out of your home, and loading them on the moving truck. You just need to be very careful not to damage or lose any furniture parts during the disassembly and reassembly processes or during the transportation. (See also: How to disassemble furniture when moving)

If the piece can’t be disassembled (or if it will be too difficult or too risky to do so), be sure to at least empty the furniture, remove any items from it, take out any drawers and shelves, and remove furniture legs and other detachable parts.

The more parts you manage to take away, the lighter the furniture will become – and the easier and safer it will be to move.

Ensure moving help

Moving very heavy furniture is not a one-person job – you need a helper (or, even better, several helpers).

So, be sure to reach out to your friends in advance and ask them to give you a hand. Tell them exactly what kind of furniture you’ll be moving and discuss how to accomplish the task. Make a plan, so everyone knows what they will be doing – and so you can prepare everything necessary and get appropriate moving equipment (a furniture dolly, furniture lifting straps, or furniture sliders).

See also: How to get friends to help you move

Plan the route

Decide on the shortest and easiest route to take the heavy furniture out of your home and into the moving truck:

• Measure the dimensions of the furniture and the doorways, hallways, and other areas you will have to pass through when taking the piece from its current location to the moving vehicle to make sure the furniture will fit. Needless to say, if the furniture won’t fit through a certain door, around a tight corner, etc., you’ll need to figure out a different way out of your home;
• If necessary, remove doors from their hinges to free up a few extra inches of space;
• Decide in what position to move the furniture so you have the most maneuvering room.

Clear the pathway of obstacles

Once you’ve mapped out the best route for taking your heavy furniture to the moving truck, be sure to clear it of obstacles to reduce the risk of accidents during the move – remove any miscellaneous items from the areas you’ll be passing through and make sure the path from your home to the moving truck is free of debris, fallen leaves, and other potential hazards.

Bonus safety tip: Make sure pets and young kids don’t get in the way – keep them somewhere safe, away from the moving chaos.

Protect your property

Next, you need to ensure the safety of your property during the moving process:

• Cover the floors with old blankets or rugs, tarps, carpet film protectors, floor runners, pieces of cardboard, etc. Make sure the floor coverings are well secured in place;
• Cover stairs with protective anti-slippery materials and wrap banisters and railings in blankets;
• Cover walls with old sheets or other appropriate protective materials;
• Protect doors with blankets and door frames with foam padding;
• Use corner guards to prevent denting or chipping the corners of walls and stairs.

See also: How to prevent property damage when moving

Protect the furniture

It goes without saying that when moving furniture, you need to do your best to protect that furniture from damage:

• Wrap any delicate and/or protruding furniture parts in bubble wrap;
• Cover glass surfaces (tabletops, showcases, and others) with cardboard pieces and bubble wrap (secure the protective coverings with tape);
• Fold large pieces of corrugated cardboard around the corners and edges of the furniture item;
• Wrap the entire furniture item in moving blankets – or any thick blankets you have at home;
• Use plastic stretch wrap to keep the protective and cushioning materials in place.

See also: How to pack furniture for moving

Dress appropriately

On the day of the move, put on comfortable, sturdy, closed-toed shoes with non-slip soles. Wear weather-appropriate clothes made of breathable fabric that allow flexibility and freedom of movement.

See also: What to wear on moving day

Now that you know how to plan and prepare for moving heavy furniture, it’s time to find out how to actually move the piece.

Lifting and carrying a very heavy furniture item manually is not a good idea – the weight is too great to be handled safely. It will cause too much strain and may easily result in all kinds of injuries – strained back, pinched nerves, pulled muscles, torn ligaments and tendons, joint dislocations, sprains, hernias, etc. Not to mention that you may easily drop the furniture and damage it or cause damage to your property.

So, you need to find another way to move your weighty item. Here are some ideas on how to move a very heavy piece of furniture in a safe and efficient way:

Option 1: Move your furniture with a furniture dolly

A moving dolly is your best friend when moving large and heavy household items. A standard utility dolly, however, won’t do for extremely weighty pieces – the two-wheeled, upright hand truck works only for small, light furniture. When moving a very heavy furniture item, you need a furniture dolly.

The furniture dolly is a flat dolly with a rectangular, wood or steel platform and swivel wheels at each corner. It can handle up to a thousand pounds and can fit items of all sizes as the load is not confined in any way.

Keep in mind, though, that a furniture dolly cannot be used on stairs – and that you’re going to need someone to help you load the furniture on the dolly and move it to its destination.

Here is how to use a furniture dolly to move a very heavy piece of furniture:

• Position the 4-wheel dolly next of the furniture, just in front of the bulkiest part of the piece;
• Have your partner help you tilt the furniture backward, so the side facing the dolly lifts off the ground;
• Slide the dolly under the furniture with your foot;
• Work with your partner to raise the piece onto the dolly platform;
• Ensure the weight of the furniture is evenly distributed on the dolly and the piece is properly balanced;
• Secure the furniture piece to the dolly with ropes or straps;
• With your helper steering the dolly from the front and steadying the furniture with their hands, push gently from the back (with your hands on the piece) to roll the loaded dolly to its destination. Take care not to run into an obstacle as it will cause the dolly to stop rolling and the furniture piece to topple over;
• Once you get the loaded dolly inside the moving truck, work with your helper to carefully lower the piece to the floor.

See also: The moving dolly

Option 2: Move your furniture with furniture moving straps

Furniture lifting straps take the weight of the load off your body and allow you to lift and carry heavy items with ease.

There are two types of furniture moving straps you can use – forearm moving straps and shoulder moving straps:

1) If you decide to use forearm forklifts, you’ll need to work with a partner:

• Place the carrying straps under the furniture in an “x” pattern;
• Stand on one side of the furniture and position the loops that are at the ends of the straps on your forearms, near the elbows. Have your partner do the same on the opposite side of the furniture;
• Lift the item simultaneously with your partner (keep your back straight and use the strength of your leg muscles);
• Work in tandem with your partner to move the furniture – one of you will have to walk backward and the other – forward. Keep your arms bent and balance the piece with your hands while carrying it. Make small steps and keep the weight centered on your legs;
• Once you get inside the moving truck, slowly put the furniture down onto the floor, remove the loops from your forearms, and remove the straps from under the piece.

2) If you decide to use shoulder straps, you may be able to move smaller furniture by yourself (with a one-person shoulder dolly). When moving a very heavy piece, however, you need a helper:

• Put the harness moving straps over your shoulders (your partner should do the same);
• Place the long carrying strap under the furniture;
• Attach the ends of the carrying strap to your shoulder harness. Have your partner do the same;
• Adjust the length of the carrying strap between the two harnesses so the furniture stands several inches off the ground when lifted;
• Lift the furniture – Place your hands on either side of the piece, push against it and slowly straighten your legs to lift the furniture using the leverage from the straps and the strength of your shoulder and leg muscles. Be sure to stand up simultaneously with your partner and to balance the furniture with your hands;
• Work in tandem with your helper to take the furniture to the moving truck (once again, one of you will have to walk backwards and the other – forwards). Walk carefully and keep your hands on the piece to keep it stable;
• When you get inside the moving truck, lower the furniture to the floor, release the strap from the shoulder harness buckles, and remove the carrying strap from under the piece.

See also: How to use shoulder moving straps

Option 3: Move your furniture with furniture sliders

Furniture sliders won’t help you move a heavy piece up or down stairs or over obstacles, but they’re great for sliding furniture across even surfaces.

There are two types of furniture sliders – felt furniture sliders (felt pads especially designed for gliding heavy items on hard floors) and plastic or rubber furniture sliders (made of durable plastic or rubber and specifically designed for gliding heavy items on carpet). The sliders reduce the friction between the furniture piece and the floor, making it easy – and safe – to move a heavy item around.

When using furniture sliders to move a very heavy piece of furniture, you will once again need a helper:

• Slightly tilt the furniture with the help of your partner to make room between one of its legs (or one of its corners, if it doesn’t have legs) and the ground;
• Push a furniture slider under the lifted leg (or corner) with your foot;
• Using the same method, position furniture sliders under each leg (or corner) of the furniture;
• With your helper steering the furniture from the front, push the piece from the back in the direction where you want it to go;
• Once you reach your destination, remove the furniture sliders, one by one, by tilting the furniture and taking the gliders from underneath.

See also: How to use furniture sliders

There is no easy way to move heavy furniture but the above tips and techniques will help you achieve the feat without too much effort or too many risks.

Bonus tips for moving very heavy furniture

1. The best way to move heavy furniture – with the help of a furniture dolly, furniture moving straps, or furniture sliders – depends on the type of the furniture and the peculiarities of the location. Moving straps are your best bet for moving furniture on stairs, furniture sliders are ideal for getting a piece across an even surface, and furniture dollies offer the perfect solution for moving bulky furniture without legs;
2. Follow the same strategy for unloading the heavy furniture and taking it into your new home – make sure you have moving help, clear the path of obstacles, protect your new property, use appropriate moving equipment, etc.;
3. If you need to lift the heavy furniture during the moving process (to put it on – or take it off – the furniture dolly, to get it over an obstacle, etc.), be sure to use proper lifting techniques;
4. Consider hiring professional movers to take care of your very heavy piece of furniture – the experts have the professional know-how, rich experience, and specialized moving equipment to move your heavy furniture – and all your household items – in the safest and most efficient way possible. Your belongings will arrive at your new home safe and sound – without you lifting a finger, let alone a heavy furniture piece.