Moving into a new apartment is always so much fun – that is, until the moving actually starts. No matter how excited you are about your new place, there's nothing worse than moving furniture up a tight, complicated staircase. We've all seen the iconic couch scene from Friends.
And, in the end, when moving furniture upstairs, you can even damage your furniture. Follow our tips for moving furniture upstairs without scratching and you'll have no problem moving into your new place.
Obviously, you won't be moving a bulky couch up several flights of stairs on your own. But, what you may not have considered is that the more people you have to help, the easier it will be to avoid damaging your furniture.
If you're moving furniture upstairs – especially if the staircase is compact or steep – gather as many friends and family members as you can manage. Having more hands will lend to more stability. This applies to moving the furniture out of your old place and into your new pad.
One way to avoid scratches is to avoid bumping into things in the first place. Since no one does that on purpose, use the other preventative measure you can take is to protect the furniture.
There are a number of ways to wrap furniture to protect it including blankets, plastic wrap, pillows, bubble wrap or some combination of these. Every piece of furniture will need to be wrapped up differently but, if done correctly, this can save the finish or fragile edges of your favorite pieces.
Moving furniture up and down stairs comes with some challenges – especially for bulky pieces. If necessary, you may consider disassembling some large pieces. For example, backs can be removed from recliners, feet can be removed from sofas and you can even cut and fold a box spring in half to make it easier to move.
There are actually specific ways that you can move furniture to give you more control and ultimately keep your furniture safer.
One of these techniques is called the high and low technique. This method requires two people. With the furniture sitting upright, begin tilting it back onto the first mover. This person will hold the furniture from the top while the second person "catches" the bottom and lifts from there. This makes the move easier, more stable and more conducive to going through tight spaces or staircases.
When it comes to moving heavy furniture, a tool that you're likely familiar with is the furniture dolly. Unfortunately, the dolly is basically useless for moving furniture upstairs since it uses wheels. Luckily, there are a number of other tools that can be extremely helpful in navigating stairs.
Tools like moving straps can help you lift heavy or awkwardly-shaped items easier by taking the strain off of your back and using stronger muscle groups. Ultimately, this will increase the chances of moving furniture upstairs without bumping into something and damaging your pieces.
Timothy Harris is a freelance writer based in Albuquerque. He brings a professional background in event marketing, residential real estate and journalism to the table to provide useful and relevant content for the modern renter. Timothy has previously written content for Karsten & Associates in New Mexico and Up 'til Dawn, a philanthropic fundraiser that benefits St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.