How to move heavy furniture by yourself

The crazy busy period of moving from one place to another is all about successfully completing one challenging task after another. Of course, you must already know that some pre-move jobs are tougher than others, and as such, they will require your utmost attention.

One such extremely difficult task is moving heavy furniture by yourself. By yourself, in this particular case, means without hiring professional furniture movers to help you lift and carry those bulky furniture pieces.  

It’s a potentially painful problem that hides a score of genuine risks for you, for your friends, for the furniture pieces you’re moving, and of course – for your property as well.

If you want to learn how to move heavy furniture on your own – on carpet, on hardwood floors (without scratching the floor!), upstairs, or downstairs, then these very tips for moving heavy furniture to another home are exactly what you need.

What is the best way to move heavy furniture?

Read on to find out.

What equipment do you need to move heavy furniture?

Hopefully, by now you will know perfectly well how to pack furniture for moving – how to develop an efficient furniture moving strategy, how to prepare your own furniture for moving, and how to protect the pieces through clever furniture packing tricks that work.

So far, so good. Once your super-heavy household items are ready to be moved, here’s the equipment you will actually need to get the job done.

1. Furniture sliders

These smart tools to move heavy furniture will come in very handy on your Moving day. The pieces of durable plastic with a hard rubber surface will let you slide your big and heavy pieces effortlessly across hardwood floors, ceramic tiles, and even carpets.

Just place a slider under each leg or corner of the furniture piece you’re about to move and you’ll be able to slide the heavy object easily and safely with minimum effort. In reality, all that furniture sliders do is reduce or almost eliminate the friction between your heavy furniture pieces and the floor, thus keeping things easier for you and for your property.

You can purchase such sliders from your local home improvement stores or directly from a local moving company. Remember that there are separate furniture sliders for hardwood floors and carpets. It’s good to know that some models of furniture sliders are suitable for both surfaces.  

If you can’t really afford to purchase those sliders or you don’t have any time to go looking for them, you may try using Frisbees, pieces of thick cardboard, or durable moving blankets.

2. Moving straps

These furniture lifting straps connect to your shoulders and excel at taking the main weight of the furniture piece off your back and transferring that weight to your much stronger muscle groups.

In case you have previous experience with moving straps and know how to use them properly, you can buy one set online, or rent or purchase them from a local moving company.

3. A moving dolly

It’s not a surprise that moving dollies are movers’ best helpers. Whether it’s a two-wheel hand truck or a four-wheel square platform, a dolly is an excellent way to move heavy furniture without sliders.

The two major rules to follow when using a dolly to move heavy furniture easily is

• secure the furniture piece well on the wheeled assistant with the help of strings, straps, or rope, and
• always have at least one friend to help you navigate safely your way out or in.

Must-read: What is a moving dolly and how to use it?

Move your heavy furniture on one condition only

The most important thing you should keep in mind when moving heavy furniture from one place to another is that you should never attempt to lift and carry those big and heavyweight household items entirely on your own.

If you have the self-confidence that you are a strong person physically and you should be able to manage the task somehow, the risks of personal injuries and property damage are just too high. Your major role during the move is to minimize any risks for you and your family, remember?

A house move is definitely not the proper time to test out your limits – it’s the time to play it safe and be smart about keeping you and the people around you safe and healthy.

You must do the right thing and agree to move your big and heavy furniture only on one condition – to have at least one friend (preferably two) to help you move really heavy furniture pieces. This challenging task is no joke, and the dangers of moving heavy furniture by yourself are just too many to count.

In case you have no friends to count on at that moment, you must hire experienced furniture movers to help you out.

Good to know: Pros and cons of asking friends to help you move

How to lift and move heavy furniture

When moving heavy furniture by yourself, it’s imperative that you are well familiar with the proper lifting techniques in order to avoid personal injuries of any sort.

The principal points to consider when handling heavy furniture pieces are:

• THINK things through before you go ahead and lift any heavy furniture items. You need to have a good plan of action and then discuss it in detail with your helpers. Doing things hastily when you’re about to lift and carry heavy furniture is just not going to work out well for you in the end.
• HAVE a wide and stable base with your feet before you try to lift any heavyweight items. When your feet are about shoulder-width apart, the weight of the heavy furniture piece will be distributed evenly across your body, thus not exerting too much pressure on one specific point.
• KEEP your back straight and your shoulders back. This is the correct back posture that will keep you from sustaining any bad back injuries.
• LIFT with your legs, not your back. Believe it or not, this is the number one safety rule when moving heavy items. While keeping your back straight, bend at the knees and use the unparalleled strength of your lower limbs to lift and move heavy furniture.
• KEEP heavy items close to your waist – that is, centered in relation to your body. This way, the heavy load will be close to the center of gravity and you will be able to maintain a high level of stability throughout the move.
• REMEMBER that whenever possible, it’s always preferable to push heavyweight furniture pieces than to pull them.
• TURN with your feet and not with your hips if you happen to be forced to do so while holding and carrying heavy furniture at home.
• ALWAYS KEEP your eyes in front of you.
• NEVER LIFT heavy furniture pieces above your head.

See also: 10 Proper lifting techniques for moving heavy furniture

How to move heavy furniture on carpet

While some types of carpets will let you slide heavy furniture pieces to some extent, you shouldn’t rely on that possibility to complete the task at hand.

Large furniture with legs such as desks or tables cannot slide on carpet on their own as the legs tend to dig into the fabric and resist any attempts to be pushed or pulled across the floor.

Your best bet? Use furniture sliders that are specially designed for carpeted floors.

Here’s how to do it:

• Lift each corner or leg of the furniture piece;
• Place a slider underneath – the smooth edge of the slider should be pointing towards the floor;
• Push the heavy object in the desired direction from a lower section as opposed to from the top;
• Be sure to have a friend to help you do it to prevent the furniture piece from tipping over while in motion.

Knowledge is power: How to use furniture sliders to move furniture

How to move heavy furniture on hardwood floors

If you have rooms with hardwood floors, then learning how to move heavy furniture without scratching the floor is essential. The thing to remember here is that sliding large and heavyweight pieces of furniture along hardwood floors is not usually recommended because even sliders might leave marks on the floor.

Therefore, it’s best if you use a moving dolly with soft rubber wheels that are known to be floor-friendly. If you don’t have a dolly, you can still use furniture sliders but opt for ones that are specifically designed for hardwood floors. Also, to guarantee a problem-free furniture moving adventure, consider lifting slightly the furniture piece as you’re sliding it, if that’s even possible.

Good to know: How to protect floors when moving

How to move heavy furniture upstairs or downstairs

When moving heavy furniture at home, stairs will surely prove to be the ultimate challenge for you. Oftentimes, the weight of your pieces is not the only thing to worry about – their shapes and sizes come suddenly into play as well.

What you can do when having to move heavy furniture upstairs or downstairs is to first reduce their size by removing any parts that can be taken apart safely and reduce their weight by emptying them (unless you’ve already done these two steps during the furniture packing process as you should have).

Only then should you actually use a proven trick to move heavy furniture – to secure wooden planks underneath the furniture piece to serve as a loading/unloading platform, wrap the planks in moving blankets, and then slide your furniture along the stairs on those sturdy planks with at least 3 other people to help you out.

Practical advice: How to use a dolly on stairs

Keep in mind that that furniture moving technique can be dangerous, so if you’re not entirely sure how to do it safely, don’t do it all. Instead, call in professional furniture movers who have the experience, equipment, and know-how to move heavy furniture quickly and safely.