Moving help: what it covers and what it does not
That desk has to go to the garage, the couch will not fit through the door, and the truck comes Saturday. Moving help is hands-on labor for jobs like these: help moving furniture around your home or business, loading or unloading a rental truck or a moving container, packing, and rearranging furniture. You arrange the truck; local pros bring the muscle and the know-how.
It is not a full moving company. If you need someone to transport your belongings, especially across state lines, hire a licensed moving company that is registered for that kind of move. Think of it as furniture movers for the heavy lifting: strong, careful hands for a few hours.
What to put in your post
- An item list, with the heavy or awkward pieces called out: a sleeper sofa, dressers, a desk, a treadmill, appliances. Very heavy specialty items, such as a piano, a large safe or a pool table, may need special equipment, so say so up front.
- Stairs and access: how many floors, whether there is an elevator, and how far the truck can park from the door.
- Doorways and tight turns you are worried about (see the next section).
- The truck: its size, and whether it is a rental truck or a container.
- The date and a time window, and roughly how many hours you expect.
- Anything to take apart or put back together, such as bed frames or a desk.
Photos of the big pieces and the path help pros bid on the right number of helpers and hours.
How to measure doorways and tight spots
Before moving day, measure the furniture and the path. Many "it will not fit" moments can be solved on paper.
- Furniture: measure the height, width and depth of each big piece.
- Doorways: measure the clear opening with the door fully open, from the face of the open door to the frame on the other side. Taking the door off its hinges adds a little room.
- Hallways and stairs: measure the width, the space at each turn, and the ceiling height over the stairs, where long pieces often get stuck.
If a couch is too wide for the door but its depth or height is smaller than the opening, it can usually go through on its side or stood on end. Taking off legs, feet and cushions buys extra room.
How to prepare for moving day
- Empty drawers, shelves and cabinets. Full dressers are heavy, and drawers slide out mid-carry.
- Take apart beds, tables and desks if you can. Put the screws in a labeled bag taped to the piece, and keep the hex keys with it.
- Protect floors and walls: runners or cardboard on the floors, padding on door frames and banister corners.
- Clear a wide path from each room to the door, and keep pets and kids out of the way.
- Pack boxes so one person can lift them: books in small boxes, light things in big ones. Label each box with its room.
- Empty and unplug appliances ahead of time and defrost the freezer. For gas or water connections, use a qualified pro.
- Reserve the elevator and the closest parking spot, and check your building's moving rules.
How to load a moving truck so nothing shifts
If you are getting help loading a moving truck, a little planning keeps things from sliding and breaking on the road.
- Heaviest first, at the front. Appliances, dressers and other heavy pieces go against the front wall, near the cab, with the weight spread evenly side to side.
- Build in tiers. Load in sections from floor to ceiling and wall to wall, with heavy boxes on the bottom and lighter ones on top.
- Tie off each tier with straps or rope to the rails inside the truck before you start the next one.
- Fill the gaps with cushions, bags of linens and other soft items so nothing can shift.
- Protect the furniture. Wrap pieces in moving blankets and stretch wrap, stand mattresses on their sides along a wall, and keep table tops and mirrors on edge and padded.
- Load last what you need first: a box with tools, bedding, chargers and basics.
Safety: team lifts, dollies and straps
- Plan the route and clear it before lifting anything.
- Use two people for heavy or bulky items, and agree on the lift and the turns before you start.
- Lift with the legs, keep the load close, and turn with your feet, not your back.
- On stairs, keep one person below and one above, move slowly, and keep the heavier end on the low side.
- Use an appliance dolly with a strap for refrigerators and washers, a four-wheel furniture dolly for dressers, and lifting straps or furniture sliders for heavy furniture moving.
- Wear gloves and closed-toe shoes. If a lift feels unsafe, stop and rethink it.
Office furniture moving
Office furniture moving goes smoothest after hours or on a weekend, so the team can keep working.
- Make a floor plan of the new layout and label every desk, chair and cabinet with its spot.
- Empty or lock filing cabinets and desk drawers, and have people pack their personal items.
- Let your own team or IT person disconnect and reconnect computers and phones.
- Reserve the freight elevator and the loading dock. Many buildings ask anyone moving furniture for proof of insurance, so ask your building manager what they need and ask pros if they can provide it.
- Protect hallways, door frames and elevator walls.
Need shelving, repairs or assembly after the move? See office and facility repairs, or a handyman for furniture assembly and TV mounting at home.
Get moving help bids on BidHandyman
List the items, add photos, note the stairs, doorways and truck size, pick your date and post it free. Verified local pros bid to move, shift and load, at home or at the office. Before you hire, ask how many helpers are coming, what equipment they bring, how the time is counted and what happens if something gets damaged. Then compare, message and hire the one you like, with no obligation. Post your moving help job.