Moving heavy furniture and large appliances without throwing out your back or paying a small fortune for professional movers can feel impossible.
Moving heavy furniture and large appliances without throwing out your back or paying a small fortune for professional movers can feel impossible.
But with some clever tricks and the right equipment, you can move just about anything without lifting a finger.
As the owner of a moving and storage company for over 20 years, I’ve seen every trick in the book when it comes to maneuvering heavy, unwieldy items.
From furniture sliders to appliance carts, let me walk you through the easiest and most affordable ways to slide, roll, and pivot large pieces from point A to point B without straining yourself.
Leverage Physics with Furniture Sliders
By using the power of physics and reducing friction, furniture sliders allow you to seamlessly slide heavy objects across any surface with minimum effort.
These discs go under the chair and table legs or the bottom of heavy boxes, enabling you to move hundreds of pounds by merely guiding the object across the floor.
We use high-quality polyurethane sliders in various sizes for all in-house moves. Last month alone, we safely transported a 300-pound antique dresser to a third-floor walkup without a ding or scratch!
Benefits of Using Furniture Sliders:
● Requires 80% less effort than lifting
● Protects floors from scratches
● Enables smooth movement of heavy objects
● Available in various shapes and sizes
Appliance Carts Are a Game Changer
In addition to sliders, I swear by heavy-duty appliance hand trucks for shifting large, cumbersome items like loaded file cabinets, safes, pianos, and backyard grills up and down stairs or in and out of trucks.
These sturdy steel carts enable a single person to securely transport hundreds of pounds quickly and safely.
Last week, we had to repo an 800-pound commercial safe from a defunct business.
Thanks to a rugged appliance dolly, my crew managed to load and unload the unwieldy monster by themselves without a forklift or other lifting equipment!
Benefits of Using Appliance Hand Trucks:
● Transport up to 1,000 pounds safely
● Heavy-duty steel construction won’t buckle
● Allows 1 person to move extremely heavy objects
● Various models with straps, rails, and accessories
Say Goodbye to Scratched Floors with Area Rugs
Sliding heavy furniture across tile, stone, or wood with furniture sliders can damage expensive flooring.
An easy fix? Use affordable area rugs as temporary surface protectors across high-traffic moving paths.
We always keep a few 8 x 10 low pile rugs on hand for local moves across floors we want to keep scratch-free.
Just make sure to tape down area rug edges so they don’t slide around and create a tripping hazard.
Don’t Forget Proper Lifting Mechanics
While special equipment enables DIY moving without lifting, you’ll still need to safely squat, bend, and pivot during the moving process. Make sure to rely on your legs rather than your back when handling lighter items.
Safe Lifting Tips:
● Stand close to the load
● Keep back straight and head up
● Tighten core muscles for support
● Use legs to lift by bending at knees
● Avoid twisting – pivot feet instead
Leave back-breaking moves to the history books! With the right gear and techniques, you can reinvent moving day and transport heavy stuff with ease. What game-changing moving tips can you suggest? Let me know in the comments!
