Moving large items can be a difficult task, to say the least. Because we all have many heavy and bulky objects, the process takes thorough consideration and planning to avoid any damage to your stuff, as well as injuries. So, to help you make your relocation experience an easy one, we’ve acquired all the tips and tricks and created a guide to take you through all things you should know. Without further ado, let’s get started!
Moving Large Items Can Be Tricky for Those Who Are Not Prepared
Moving large items is complicated even when you’re rearranging some furniture around your home, so preparing them for a local relocation is actually more complicated. That is why it would be wise to hire one of the moving companies in Sacramento to assist you. It will reduce your relocation stress because professionals know how to move efficiently and safely.
When relocating things between houses or storage units in the best Sacramento neighborhoods, people often underestimate the complexity of the task and forget to plan. Yet, to safely move your bulky objects, you have to take precautions, get the right equipment, and of course, a few relocation hacks to help you move successfully.
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Free Quote#1 Take All The Preparatory Steps Required to Lift Heavy Furniture
There are a few things you’ll have to do to ensure the relocation of heavier objects is safely executed, with maximum results. And that includes securing appropriate equipment and then preparing both the objects from your packing list, as well as ensuring the space it will be moved out of. Here are the crucial steps to take if you want to get to move-out cleaning as soon as possible.
Obtain Equipment Suited to Each Type of Item You Want to Move
The first step of your to-do list when attempting to move packed furniture is to obtain the necessary equipment for the process. These will ensure you don’t throw out your back or sustain any kind of injury while carrying bulky objects. We recommend getting the following:
- A dolly,
- Hand trucks,
- A mattress sling,
- Sliders for relocating furniture,
- Relocation blankets and straps.
Make Sure to Prepare Furniture for Moving Adequately
An important thing to do before relocating is to prepare these objects, and by that, we mean making them as light as possible and as easy to carry. That means taking off all the additional parts, such as legs, door handles, and drawers. Let us illustrate. For example, you’ll want to disassemble a piano and pack all the fragile items and additional parts.
Additionally, if you are to move your dressers, you’ll have to pack up clothes first, then take out the drawers, wrap them up and only then relocate the object. Be certain to safely store all the additional items, and label them properly so that the furniture can be easily assembled after you move.
Declutter Your Furniture and Save Cash on Professional Sacramento Movers
If there are any objects you no longer want to keep, try decluttering them. Selling things you no longer need could earn you extra cash for your relocation expenses checklist. You might think about throwing a garage sale or posting your things online. If you are not interested in selling and are considering donating furniture at one of the best Sacramento donation centers, this too will positively impact your relocation budget.
Although you might not earn cash, you will surely save some on employing labor-only relocation service since the packers and movers in Sacramento, CA, most often charge an hourly rate for residential relocation. The fewer hours Sacramento local movers spend taking your things back and forth, the less you’ll have to pay them!
#2 Don’t Forget to Protect Your Home From Scratches
Although you’ll soon be changing your address, if you want to get your deposit back, you’ll have to leave your previous place of residence in a pristine state. That means taking a few additional preparatory and precautionary steps before lifting and carrying out each and every item. Here’s what to look out for:
- Make sure you cover the floors – Unless your apartment is completely covered in tiles, you’ll have to protect the floors. Most materials people use to cover the ground, such as wooden boards and planks, are easily distraught and damaged when pulling or lifting hefty things. So, ensure you place cardboard cutouts or plastic blankets around the room, and you’ll be good to go.
- Protect doors and their frames – It’s not always easy to figure out how a bulky item will go through a door, so it will often take a few tries that might leave the door frame damaged. That’s why you, once again, want to tape cardboard cutouts on the frame, the doorstep, and the knob, so none of them get damaged.
- All corners of the walls should remain intact – Lifting sofas and tables could damage not just the floor but the walls too. So, although you may not have kids and are not relocating with pets either, you still might want to baby-proof the apartment. You don’t have to get special equipment for this – cardboard cutouts will work just fine.
#3 Use the Right Lifting Techniques So That Relocating Heavy Objects Isn’t Dangerous
When you are dealing with large items by yourself, things can easily go south. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that can go wrong if you are not careful about how you lift the objects. So, it’s important to adopt the proper lifting techniques and be careful about how you position your body. Here is what to look out for when relocating your bulky objects to a new Sacramento suburb home:
- Always bend the knees when dealing with heavy furniture – Whenever you have to change your body posture, whether it’s because of picking up an object or carrying it down the stairs, you don’t want to move your hips, but the knees. A general half-squat position is much more natural and comfortable for the body, so be aware of how you move.
- Maintain balance by keeping your stuff close – Hefty things can throw you off balance easily, so it’s wise to keep them close to you. This way, your upper body will take up more weight than your forearms and not only make lifting easier but more secure in multiple ways.
- Keep your back straight when carrying – You might feel the urge to bend your back when doing the task, but actually, it should be as still and as straight as possible. That’s the best way to distribute the weight evenly through your body, as well as not injure yourself by sudden movements.
- Squat carefully when lifting objects – Another thing to remember is to squat to the ground properly, safely, and slowly when dropping your load (with a straight back, of course). Remember all you were taught in P.E. and evocate those memories – they will serve you well in these times.
For more information on how to safely go about lifting heavy weight, check out the following video. The animations might help you visualize and understand the proper positioning of the body:
#4 Make Sure You Really Know How to Move Something Heavy
Now that you’ve taken all the necessary preparatory steps, it’s time to get to relocating your objects. First, though, you’ll want to park the truck as near as possible to your home door. This is a great hack that will ensure you don’t go around carrying things for a second more than you have to. And trust us, when you have to relocate all the packed dishes, artwork, and furniture, every spare minute (and an ounce of strength) counts.
A Hand Truck and a Dolly Should Become Your Best Friends
When you have all the equipment and a plan, the task becomes a piece of cake, thanks to all the tools you can employ. To move your objects free of any lingering back pain, start by placing your stuff on a dolly or a slider so that you can easily move it around the apartment.
Dollies and hand trucks will be true life saviors in this situation. No matter how much strength you have, with these, you can wheel even the heaviest piano to the door. When using them, however, be certain to secure the item with straps, especially when you are going down the stairs.
Beware of Going Up and Down the Stairs
The main problem with apartment relocation is having to carry bulky objects up and down the stairs. The best way to do this is with a little assistance and company from a friend or family member, and of course, a trusty hand truck. If you are relocating a sofa, there’ll have to be at least two people carrying it. The person at the bottom will take up most of the weight, while the person standing above them will direct the movement.
Be ready to, at times, take the object above the railing so that it can circle around corners. Once you take your things down, be sure you put the heaviest ones in the truck first and spread the boxes and objects around so that the weight is evenly spread out. You might even get to play real-life Tetris and turn some things around, so there is enough space for everything.
#5 If You Don’t Want to Hire Sacramento Moving Services, at Least Ask Your Friends for Help
You might not want to hire moving services in Sacramento, but figuring out how to move heavy items on your own can be more trouble than it’s worth. Bulky, hefty objects will always require a helping hand or two if you don’t want to do harm to yourself or your stuff, of course. That being said, you should keep in mind that friends are for more than having fun at a going-away party.
They can also be a great help in relocating to a safe Sacramento neighborhood. So before you decide on taking your things down five flights of stairs by yourself, see which of your gym buddies would feel like having an extra workout in your relocation week. You might be surprised how much their assistance will mean to you.
Use the Assistance of Professional Sacramento Movers for the Ultimate Helping Hand
Friends are great, and it’s important to have them in your life. However, sometimes the best thing you can do is get help from professional moving companies in Sacramento. And out of all the Sacramento moving companies, we know the best one to help you with any packing service and relocation assistance you might need.
Our professional movers specialize in commercial relocation, so you know that they are trustworthy experts that would never pull a relocation scam on you. We can pack your hefty objects, load them on a truck, and take them anywhere you want. That means we can take them to a residential address of your choice or to a storage facility if you decide to hire our in- and-out-of storage relocation. Whatever your relocation needs and wants might be – we have your back. So contact us today to get a free quote and book your relocation dates. We are waiting for your call.