Five Tips for Moving Bulky Furniture Without the Help of Movers

So, you’ve found yourself stuck in that unenviable position. You have to move all your things, including your sofa, table and mattress–and you’re going to have to do it without the help of a mover company.

Maybe you don’t have the money for it, or maybe you’re stubborn, and like proving that you can do things yourself (if that’s the case, we like your grit!) Regardless of your reasons, we’ve been in your position ourselves many times, so we get how stressful this can be.

Here are some tips to make the moving process easier:

1. Ask Friends and Family for Help

Yeah, we know this is an obvious one, and you’ve probably thought of it yourself, but having people to help can make all the difference, so it deserves to be included on the list.

Think about it: if you have thirty items, that’s things you’ll have to carry if you’re striking it alone. Enlist five friends, and each of you will only have to carry six items. Get thirty, and you’ll only have to make the trip from your car to your new home once.

Having more people will also help make heavier items less of a burden to carry (indeed, for some of the heavier items you might find it impossible to carry them on your own). If you feel awkward asking for help, remember that you would do the same thing for your friends if they were in your situation.

2. Consider Removing the Door

Maybe you’ve managed to carry your sofa all the way to your front door. Thinking that things will be easy from then on, you try to bring your sofa into your house, when suddenly you find that you can’t.

If you’re in this situation, don’t despair. In the worst case scenario, you can remove the door entirely, allowing you that inch of extra room that was taken up by the hinges.

This may sound almost impossible, but actually isn’t that hard to do, and it may make all the difference.

3. Wrap the corners of your sharper items

Have a bookshelf with sharp corners? Or maybe a table with sharp legs? If you don’t want to pay a large deposit by the time you leave your new place, this moving company in Portland, OR recommends that you wrap those up.

Any kind of packaging fabric will do, as long as you’re sure the corners of your heavy item won’t mark up the shiny floors of your new home.

4. Hook Couches and Tables around the Door

Sometimes you just won’t be able to get your favorite armchair through the door if you try to push it in upright. Instead of trying harder at a futile effort, turn it on its side and try to slide the corner past the door.

A similar thing can be done with chairs. Just turn them on their sides and get the inner corner of the “L” shape close to the frame of the door.

5. Remove what you can

This is especially important if you’re going it alone. Instead of carrying one heavy item (which may be beyond your capacity, depending on how strong you are), disassemble the piece of furniture until it is several manageable pieces.

You can reassemble it once you’re through the door. This goes for drawers, too–remember to empty them before carrying them! It’ll make all the difference.

Minimalist Moving Tips: How to Declutter for a Smooth Relocation

When you move from one home to another, you don’t want to take more than necessary because you’re going to have to pack everything and then unpack it when you get into the new house. Moving is a good time to declutter your home and get rid of the things that you no longer need or want.

By keeping a few tips from this full service moving company in NYC in mind, you can quickly remove a few boxes so that your move is as smooth as possible.

Take Time

Instead of waiting until the last minute to pack your belongings, you should give yourself a few weeks so that you can sort through and make decisions about what you really want to keep and what can be donated or thrown away. When you wait until you only have a few days before you move, then there might be things that you end up taking with you that are thrown away or donated anyway. Spend about a day or two in each room of your home to sort and pack.

decluttering

Extra Items

The items that you have multiples of in your home should be used before you move. This will keep you from wasting money by throwing them away. If you have several items that you’ve been keeping in your cabinets that you know you’re not going to use before you move or that you don’t want to pack, then consider donating those items to an organization or someone who needs them.

Sort Necessities

When you begin packing for your move, think about the things that are necessary to have in your home right away. Keep special items that have been in your family for years or items that are meaningful to family members. You can also make a small box of toiletries and clothing for a day or two that you can keep in the vehicle with you so that you have everything you need the first day you’re in your new home.

Precious Memories

All of the items that could easily break or the items that are priceless to your family should be packed last so that you know where they are located. Put these items in a box with packing materials to protect them during the move. If you see that there are belongings that are broken or that you might want to give to another family member, this is the time to declutter and remove them from your home.

declutter

Multiple Boxes

Each room of your home should have at least three boxes. Each one should be clearly labeled. One box can hold contents that you want to keep. Another box should be for items that can still be used and that will be donated. The last box should be for trash and broken items that you don’t want to take with you when you move. This is an easy way to declutter each room of your home in a short time.

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