Even at the best of times, moving furniture can be challenging and potentially dangerous. Overestimating the weight of the furniture or even the wrong position can cause injury to you and your home.
So, understanding the challenges of moving furniture, especially in difficult areas like through doorways and on stairs, is important. It’s the first step to learning how to properly manoeuvre furniture while avoiding harm to you and damage to your surroundings.
In this article, we’ll be covering how you should be moving large furniture, providing additional tips, and explaining what to do if the furniture can’t be dismantled. Learning how to safely and efficiently move your belongings is an essential skill if you’re planning a move.
The Challenges of Moving Furniture Around Difficult Areas
Moving furniture is already a challenging task that is made more problematic if you have to get it through, up, or around difficult areas. Moving heavy furniture around is often seen as one of the daunting parts of home (or office) relocation or renovation.
Difficult areas that present unique challenges for moving furniture include doorways, elevators, stairs, and corners. Each type of difficult area poses different challenges, which we’ve outlined below.
Doorways
Moving furniture through doorways can be deceptively tricky. More often than not, larger furniture ends up being either wider, taller, or deeper than the doorway. This will make it impossible to get the furniture through the doorway in its normal orientation.
Any furniture that features awkward shapes, like an L-shaped sofa or furniture with protruding parts, can make it hard to manoeuvre through a standard doorway. A doorway’s trim and the door itself can also make moving furniture around and through it difficult.
Elevators
Similar to doorways, the door width, height and depth of the elevator itself pose unique challenges. Not only does a piece of furniture need to go through the elevator’s doorway, but it also needs to fit inside.
The limited space of an elevator can make it extremely difficult to manoeuvre and reposition furniture, especially if it is a small elevator. It’s also important to consider the obstacles an elevator has, like buttons and handrails.
Stairs
Moving furniture up and down stairs can be particularly daunting and more challenging than an elevator or doorway. Depending on the design of the staircase, you typically have very little space to work with. Obstacles like handrails and even the shape of the staircase can have a massive impact.
The elevation and steps themselves can also be difficult to work with, especially with larger furniture. Compared to other difficult areas, it has a significant risk of injury and potential damage to the furniture being moved. Moving goods up and down stairs requires proper equipment, teamwork, and preparation.
Corners
Moving furniture around corners, particularly corners on stairs, presents unique challenges. They can be difficult because of the tight turns, especially if you’re dealing with awkwardly shaped furniture or heavy furniture that isn’t easy to manoeuvre.
Another difficulty of corners is that they also require coordination for weight shifting and balancing. Visibility is also another problem when trying to manoeuvre furniture around a corner.
Tips For Moving Furniture Up and Down Stairs
Moving furniture up and down stairs requires planning, proper technique, and sometimes specialised equipment. Here are our tips to help make moving furniture on stairs easier and safer:
- Before you start moving anything up or down the stairs, measure the furniture and staircase first. This way, you can preplan if you need to disassemble the furniture or change its orientation and ensure it fits on the stairs without causing damage.
- Having the right equipment can make a world of difference when it comes to efficiency and safety. Lifting straps, furniture dollies and moving blankets are essential if you’re planning to move furniture up and down stairs. It’s possible to find dollies and moving blankets from most hardware stores.
- If you’re moving furniture up or down stairs, it’s important to always have at least one other person there. Teamwork is critical to safely and effectively moving furniture on a staircase.
- If possible, always disassemble large furniture to make them easier to move. This is especially helpful for furniture like beds, tables, and desks. It makes them easier to manoeuvre and safer.
- When lifting heavy pieces of furniture, it’s essential to remember: always lift with your legs, not your back. Also, avoid twisting your body or any sudden movements when lifting heavy items.
If you have any doubts or you aren’t comfortable with moving furniture up or down stairs, hire a professional moving service. They have the experience and equipment to move your furniture safely. It’ll also save you time doing it yourself and money buying (or renting) the equipment.
Tips For Moving Furniture Through Doorways & Around Corners
Navigating through difficult areas, like through doorways and around corners, can be tough, but thankfully, it is still easier than going up and down a staircase. When it comes to doorways and corners, here are our tips to make it easier:
- As with stairs, measure everything. For example, measure your furniture and compare it to the width and height of the doorways. When it comes to the corners, you want to be sure the furniture piece will be able to clear it without getting caught or damaged.
- When it comes to doorways and corners, always make sure the floor and surrounding area are clear of any obstacles. Notice anything on the floor? Clear it out of the way. Any pictures on the wall? Take them down. The last thing you want is to accidentally trip or knock over an object.
- Try the ‘ hook ‘ technique when moving furniture around corners and in doorways, like sofas or desks. To perform this technique, you have to position the furniture at an angle, getting one side around the corner or doorway and then pivoting the other end.
Professional tools like moving blankets are a great way to protect your floors and walls. If you don’t have access to a moving blanket, regular sheets or even cardboard can be a great way to prevent your furniture from scratching or dinging your home.
What To Do If Furniture Can’t Be Dismantled
If you have furniture that can’t be dismantled, we recommend hiring professionals with experience and tools to handle bigger goods. If you have to go through tight spaces like doorways, you might have to think outside the box.
For example, you might have to remove the door itself to navigate the furniture in. Alternatively, you could think of different entry points, like a backdoor or window.
Make Moving Easy With Ready Movers
Is your home or office building multi-floored with stairs? Make moving easier today by contacting Ready Movers and requesting a quote. Our experienced team has the professional tools and equipment to safely transport goods, including heavy furniture, on stairs, tricky doorways, and difficult areas.
When it comes to office relocations—whether it’s within the same building, across the street or even to a new city—think Ready Movers. We pride ourselves on having a professional, punctual and reliable crew. We also offer after-hours and weekend moves, which is perfect for minimising disruption for businesses.
The Ready Movers team is expert when it comes to home removalist services. Whether you’re moving down the road, to a new state or even overseas, we can help you from start to finish. From packing to the transport process, our team can also ensure everything is unpacked and ready to use in your new home.
