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Room to Room Movers: How to Rearrange Furniture in Your Home

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Room to Room Movers: How to Rearrange Furniture in Your Home

Highlights

  • There are many reasons why you may want to move the furniture around in your home.
  • The easiest and safest way to move heavy and large furniture around your home is to hire experienced room-to-room movers.
  • And yet, if you feel like you can manage it without professional assistance, then this guide on rearranging furniture inside a home is for you.

Table of Contents

Planning a major home renovation? Whether you’re installing new flooring or simply redesigning your space, there are plenty of reasons you might need to move furniture around your home.

Moving heavy, bulky furniture can be challenging, and you might be wondering how to go about it.

The safest and most efficient way to move large furniture is to hire professional movers. Experienced room-to-room movers can transport your valuable items quickly and securely, saving you time and effort.

But if you feel confident in your ability to handle the job yourself, this guide will provide you with the essential tips to safely move heavy furniture without causing damage to your home—or injury to yourself.

Decluttering Your Home

Before moving any furniture, take the chance to declutter your home. If you’re already clearing out a large cupboard or wardrobe to move it, why not use this time to get rid of items you no longer need or want?

You can recycle unwanted belongings, donate them to family, friends, or local charities, or even host a yard sale to make some extra cash.

Tackle one room or cupboard at a time, and create three piles: one for donating, one for selling, and one for recycling.

How to Create a Floor Plan

Studying-a-floor-planYou may not have appropriate packing materials;

You may not know how to pack a box the right way;

You may not be familiar with the specific packing techniques for different types of items – clothes, shoes, books, breakables, furniture, appliances, electronics, etc.;

You may commit a major packing mistake, etc.

It makes life a lot easier to work in whole numbers, so work out a scale for your plan.

When creating your scale always round down room measurements, and round up furniture measurements.

So, for example, 2 feet 8 inches becomes 2 feet 10 inches for furniture, and 20 feet 2 inches becomes 20 feet for room measurements.

How to Measure For a Floor Plan

This is what you should do when you want to create a practical floor plan.

How to measure a doorway or window

Measure the height and width of doorways from the inside of the frame to see if your furniture will fit through. When noting measurements on your floor plan or graph paper, measure the outside of the frame.

Use this same approach for hallways, and be sure to consider any tight corners or turning angles that could affect moving larger items.

How to Measure a Couch

Measure the length of the couch from the outer edges of the armrests, which represents the longest part of the couch.

To find the diagonal width, measure from the lowest point of the frame at the back to the highest point of the armrest at the front.

How to Measure a Wardrobe or Cabinet

Measure the diagonal width by going from the top corner to the opposite bottom corner. To measure the depth, go from the back to the front of the unit. For height, measure from top to bottom.

Once you have these measurements, decide on the grid format you’ll use for your floor plan.

How Do You Scale a Floor Plan?

Grab some graph paper and count how many squares there are across the width and height of the sheet. It’s best to use one sheet per room to keep things simple.

Place the longest wall measurement along the longest side of the paper.

For ease, use easily divisible numbers—for example, 1 square equals 1 foot. Scale your rooms to fill the sheet, making the layout clearer and easier to work with.

How Do You Make a Scale Drawing of a Room?

Measure every dimension of the room, making sure to include the outer edges of door and window frames. Note the direction in which doors and windows open, and measure their arc.

Be sure to factor in ceiling heights and the drop of light fixtures. It’s a good idea to make multiple copies of each floor plan in case you want to try different layouts.

Next, create cardboard cutouts of your furniture using the same scale as your grid. Cut squares or rectangles to represent your furniture, and using colored cardboard will make them easier to identify on your floor plan.

Now, simply arrange and experiment with the furniture layout until you find the perfect setup.

Things to Remember When Making a Floor Plan

Note where electrical points, TV, and telephone cables run, and where air vents are.
Consider if the light from a window will reflect upon the TV screen where you plan to place it.
Note ceiling fan drops or how low light fittings hang.
Consider which way cupboard doors, doors, and windows open.
Avoid having furniture placed where it blocks natural light into the room.
Avoid placing furniture near heat sources.
Consider how you will move around the room, will furniture block the natural pathway or are they too close together?
Think about how you will use the room and how the placement of the furniture will affect that.

Common Floor Plan Mistakes to Avoid

Not aligning lifestyle with aesthetics: A common mistake is designing a room to look good without considering how it will actually be used. Do you need smaller functional areas, or would a large, open space suit your family better?

Not thinking it through: While open spaces can be great for family life, they can be costly to heat. Plus, will kitchen odors spread into your living area?

Safety concerns: Does the layout create any hazards, such as blocking fire exits? Is there too much furniture, making the room cramped and less functional?

How to Move Heavy and Large Furniture

It’s important to note that moving heavy and bulky furniture can be risky and may lead to personal injury or damage to your belongings.

If you’re unsure about your ability to safely move heavy furniture, it’s best to hire professional movers.

How to Move Heavy Furniture Around Your Home

Couple-Moving-furnitureMake sure the path you’re taking is free of tripping hazards. Double-check that the furniture can safely fit through hallways, staircases, and doorways.

Dismantle as much of the furniture as possible to reduce weight, and remove shelves and drawers. If feasible, slide heavy furniture instead of lifting it.

Use moving equipment like dollies to assist rather than relying on your strength alone. For large pieces like couches and chairs, hook them around corners and door openings—it’s often easier to stand a couch upright to maneuver it through a doorframe.

Lastly, recruit help from family and friends to make the process easier.

Equipment to Move Heavy Furniture

Dolly: Also called a hand truck, this is a very helpful piece of furniture-moving equipment that can be easily rented.

Flatbed Dolly: A platform with four wheels, one at each corner, used to move heavy items. Keep in mind that you’ll need help to lift items onto the flatbed.

Lifting Straps: Also known as moving straps, these are placed around or under the item to lift it, reducing strain on your back. Typically, two people are needed to use lifting straps.

Furniture Sliders: Place these under the legs of the furniture, allowing it to glide smoothly over carpet or hard floors. Leaving them in place makes it easier to move furniture again, such as when cleaning behind it.

How to Use Proper Lifting Techniques

Adopt a stable stance: Keep your feet slightly apart with one leg forward to help maintain balance. Be ready to adjust your feet while lifting to stay balanced.

Ensure a firm grip: Wearing non-slip gloves can help you get a secure hold on the item you’re moving.

Keep the load close: Hold the item as close to your body as possible to reduce strain.

Lift properly: Bend your knees and back to squat rather than stooping down when getting into the lifting position.

Don’t strain your back: Avoid straightening your legs before lifting. Keep your back straight as you lift.

Hold the weight close: Keep the heaviest side of the object closest to your body throughout the lift.

Avoid twisting or leaning: Keep your shoulders aligned with your hips and avoid twisting or leaning sideways to prevent injury.

Look straight ahead: Keep your gaze forward to maintain proper posture and avoid looking down.

Lift smoothly: Avoid quick, jerky movements that can increase the risk of injury.

Know your limits: Test the weight first. If you’re unsure whether you can lift it safely, ask for help.

Tips for Moving Heavy Furniture

Moving furniture over carpet: Slide, don’t drag. Furniture sliders make it much easier to move furniture over carpets. You can use cardboard or plastic lids as DIY sliders to help furniture glide smoothly across the carpet.

Moving furniture over tile or wood floors: Place old towels or blankets under the item. Tilt the item slightly and slide the fabric underneath. This will prevent scratches on your floor and make it easier to move.

High and low lifting method: This requires two people. One person stands behind the item and tilts it backward while the other lifts from the front. The person in the rear supports the weight against their body, and together you can move the item. Be sure to communicate and take breaks as needed.

Rollers: For very heavy furniture, use rollers such as solid pipes or thick round poles. Place the rollers on the floor in front of the item, tilt the furniture back, and slide a roller underneath. Gently lower it back onto the roller and move it forward. As the roller comes out from the back, reposition it in front and continue moving.

Though moving heavy furniture between rooms may seem simple, there are risks involved. Make sure your home insurance covers any damage that might occur during the move.

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