Whether you’re moving or just rearranging, moving heavy furniture is a huge undertaking. Use simple techniques to move heavy objects without damaging your back, house, or furniture. Use ideas in your head to move any heavy furniture, not your back.

Bring High and Low Items
The first stage is the high low way. Tall dressers, cabinets or shelving units are difficult to handle. Make it two people’s work. The way to lift it is to tilt the item and have one person carry the top while the other carries the bottom. This concentrates the weight and prevents the item from moving out of control. It is also easier to transport it up or down the stairs, because the angle of transport will be approximately the same as the incline of the stair.

Move The Sofa or Couch
If you have to move the sofa through the hallway and doorway, you may find it nearly impossible to carry it horizontally and turn into the room. Before you enter the hallway, place the sofa at the end and slide it into the doorway. You will be able to hook it through the door. If it is slightly higher than the door opening, start the top away from the door and leave it a few inches apart.

Lifting Furniture With Ropes
Look for lifting straps that can be adjusted for objects of different lengths as well as for different sized drives.

Make a Mattress Sash
Trying to grapple with a heavy floppy mattress anywhere is difficult. Many mattresses have handles, but are not meant to be carried. They are actually made to help you arrange the position of the mattress, so they are not too firm. Make a simple strap sash that will give you and your workers more control. Thread the rope through the mattress handle. Tuck the PVC pipe over the end of the rope then loop and tie each end to create a comfortable sling grip. Turn the mattress so that the sash is underneath and you are ready to go.

–sh