How to move a hot tub by yourself

If you happen to own a hot tub, then you surely know what a great source of fun, pleasure, and relaxation it can be.

A hot tub can easily become the hub of entertainment around your house when you need to enjoy a soothing soak after a stressful day at work or have a wild party in and around your home spa with your family or good friends

However, when the day comes for you to move to another home altogether, what you may not know is that the relocation of your personal Jacuzzi will quickly become one of the toughest moving challenges you will have to deal with.

Together with pianos, pool tables, heavy furniture, and large safes, a hot tub is one the most difficult things to move due to its huge size, extraordinary weight, and inconveniently odd shape.

Is it hard to move a hot tub?

You bet it is!

The most important thing to remember is that moving a hot tub is not a joke, nor is it a job for one person. Therefore, you will need to figure out the proper way to move a hot tub that will work best for you.

See also: Why are some things more difficult to move than others?

What is the easiest way to move a hot tub?

How to move a hot tub easily?

Believe it or not, the easiest way to move a hot tub to a new home is to not move it at all.

Due to the numerous time-consuming difficult tasks of getting the home spa ready for moving, and then the real-life risks of personal injury or property damage during the actual relocation, more and more Jacuzzi owners choose to leave their hot tubs behind for the enjoyment of the new owners of the home.

So, it’s time to sit down and weigh your options.

The thing is, when you factor in the money you will pay for the transportation of your home spa, the time you will waste in its preparation, relocation, and then re-assembly, and the efforts and risks involved, you may actually find out that the best option for you (understand more cost-effective too) is to purchase a new hot tub when you move into your new home.

If you happen to be selling the house you’re moving out of, then the most sensible thing would be to include the price of the home jacuzzi in the total sale price of the property. If that is not possible, then what you can do is try to sell the hot tub separately before you move out.

What is the best way to move a hot tub?

On the other hand, if you’ve decided that leaving your favorite home spa behind is not an option, then the next question that comes to mind is about the best way to move a hot tub.

Again, the answer to this relocation puzzle is more than obvious. Considering that moving a hot tub yourself is a rather dangerous affair (the weight of a typical hot tub is approximately 800 pounds!), your best course of action, no matter how you look at it, is to hire someone to move your hot tub for you.

And that someone should be nobody else but specialty movers with rich experience in handling safely household items that have the reputation of being extremely tough to relocate.

However, the price here becomes a major factor to be reckoned with. How much does it cost to move a hot tub by hiring experienced specialty movers?

In most cases, it’s impossible to tell in advance because of the great number of unique circumstances surrounding each house move. And since the relocation price is formed on a case-by-case basis, be sure to request on-site price estimation by a few reputable movers to learn the actual price to move your hot tub.

Must-read: How to find cheap movers near you

What you should know before moving a hot tub by yourself

The most sensible option for you is still to hire professional movers who have extensive experience in moving hot tubs from one house to another. However, under specific circumstances, you may be able to pull off this challenging job without any professional help… but you’re going to have to be well-prepared for the heavy task ahead of you to avoid any type of property damage and prevent personal injuries of any sort.

When you’re thinking about moving a hot tub by yourself, you must be perfectly aware that proper preparation is key to success. Plan things carefully and well in advance and you’ll have won half the battle.

Here’s what you will need to be able to move a hot tub without movers:

• Reliable helpers. You’ll need a bunch of people you can trust to complete the tough task without hiring specialized movers. The magical number here is 4, meaning that you have to secure the assistance of 3 other people to move the hot tub safely. Don’t forget that even small home spas can be extremely heavy to handle. What this means is that if you can’t secure the aid of at least 3 friends, then you shouldn’t risk it.
• Proper equipment. Also, you need to have the right moving equipment to pull it off. In this particular case, you need to secure two furniture dollies (the low 4-wheel platforms) and 1 appliance dolly (aka a hand truck, the L-shaped 2-wheel lever).
• Some experience. You don’t need to know your home Jacuzzi inside out to be able to move it to the new place. However, if you happen to find the manufacturer’s instructions too complicated to follow, then you’d better leave the hot tub moving job to experienced movers.

Useful info: How much does it cost to move a hot tub?

How to move a hot tub by yourself

Having addressed all safety concerns and taken into account all dangers and risks in regard to the relocation of your hot tub, you may decide to try and move your hot tub by yourself with the right amount of initial preparation, careful planning, moving equipment, and priceless help from good friends and loyal family members.

Ready to follow the steps to moving a hot tub by yourself?

• Step 1. Measure the dimensions of your hot tub so that you know what you’re dealing with. In reality, the measurements will help you decide how big the rental truck should be. In most cases, a medium-sized moving truck should be able to fit most home spas but you have to be certain before you rent the vehicle.
• Step 2. Make sure the path to the moving truck is clear of any obstacles, debris, or slippery spots. All openings should be sufficiently wide and tall so that your home spa can fit safely through them.
• Step 3. Cut off the main electric supply to your Jacuzzi hot tub.
• Step 4. Open the spa panel, shut off all water or gas supply lines, and disconnect all the plugs.
• Step 5. Coil up all the cords and wrap them up neatly into their suitable enclosure so that no dangling cords endanger the already risky hot tub moving project.
• Step 6. Drain your hot tub following the manufacturer’s instructions. Observe the local regulations for draining large amounts of water. You may have to let the water directly but gradually into your garden if your spa is located outside, or use a long garden hose if the tub is indoors.
• Step 7. Close the drain cap and secure it once there is no water inside your Jacuzzi.
• Step 8. Dry off the inside of your home spa with towels.
• Step 9. Lift carefully each corner of your super-heavy hot tub with the help of your 3 other helpers, and place a piece of wood underneath the structure to facilitate greatly the next step. Your Jacuzzi should be around 2-3 inches off the ground at that moment, resting securely on the wood pieces.
• Step 10. Be mindful of this: if you have nothing but a flat surface all the way to the moving vehicle, then you may choose not to move the hot tub on its side. In this case, use two furniture dollies, one under the back of the home spa, and the other under the front side for maximum support.
• Step 11. Be careful as you slide the furniture dollies one by one under the structure (the wheeled platforms will let you move your hot tub with ease), secure well your valuable possession with the tow straps, and start moving it slowly towards the awaiting vehicle.
• Step 12. Keep in mind that if your planned route to the moving vehicles includes a number of steps, then your best bet is to use the appliance dolly to move your tub. How to move a hot tub on its side? This dangerous step will require all the manpower that you’ve managed to gather. With one person at each corner of the hot tub, lift the tub up onto its side and slide the appliance dolly underneath it. Then, be sure to fasten the tub to the dolly extremely well and have your friends support it all the way to the truck.
• Step 13. Roll the loaded dolly or dollies up the vehicle ramp and inside the truck before getting in your other pieces of furniture and all the boxes. Leave the hot tub at the back of the truck, with the dolly or dollies underneath it. Cover your expensive item with thick moving blankets, and tie the tub to the sides of the truck so that it won’t move during the haul.
• Step 14. Follow the steps in reverse order once you reach your new home – unload your hot tub, wheel it to its new spot, position it properly, and hook it up for normal operation.

See also: How to load a moving truck?

Word of caution: Moving a hot tub from one home to another is a serious business – it’s risky, dangerous. and really, really tough to pull off without professional assistance. Unless you are absolutely sure that you can manage the challenging relocation job on your own (plus a few reliable helpers, of course), then you are strongly recommended to hire experienced hot tub movers.