The key to a successful home move is to make sure that you and your family get through it without accident or injury. When moving house, you are exposed to a higher risk of injuries caused by tripping over obstacles and lifting heavy items incorrectly. Because of this, it is important to take extra precautions to avoid any mishaps when you are moving home.
It is important that you also get advice from your professional removal company, as they will have the experience and knowledge to inform you about how best to pack your items, and what to do on your moving day.
However, there are things you can do too. Here are reallymoving's top tips on avoiding accidents and injuries on moving day.
Tie up all electrical cables
When moving electrical appliances, you should always ensure that power leads and cables are tied together with no trailing wires that can create a tripping hazard. Simple computer ties are cheap and can help you avoid serious injury as a result.
Look after your back
When you are packing your boxes, raise the box off the ground so that you don’t have to keep bending down to put things in it. By placing the box on a sturdy chair or table you can make sure that the items you are packing will be secure and your back will be protected from injury. This will also make it easier when it comes to picking up the box.
It is imperative you do not attempt to lift items that are too heavy for you, whether you are on your own or with someone else. Always take time to assess the weight and shape of an object, ensuring you can take the strain equally without doing any serious long term damage to your back.
If you organise a removal company to undertake your move and provide a packing service, they'll do all the lifting, loading and packing for you.
Don’t block pathways with boxes and clutter
People carrying large objects may not have a clear view of the path ahead of them, so be sensible about where you place items; keep pathways clear and never leave boxes where people might trip over them.
Pack boxes with heaviest things at the bottom
Make sure that the weight is evenly distributed throughout the box. Pack light objects on top of heavier objects and take care not to place all the heavy items on one side of the box as this will make it more difficult to carry.
Pack light objects in big boxes and heavy items in small boxes
Reserve your biggest boxes for your lightest items; this will prevent any boxes becoming too heavy to lift. Items like your CDs and books, for example, will be much easier (and safer) to transport in several smaller boxes than in one huge one, but cushions can be crammed into one large box without it becoming difficult to carry.
Stack boxes with the heaviest items at the bottom
When arranging your moving boxes, it is a good idea to arrange the stack so that the heaviest boxes are at the bottom, for the following reasons:
a) This will prevent your lighter and more delicate items from getting squashed.
b) Disorganised, top-heavy piles are more likely to topple over.
c) You will know roughly how heavy each load will be before you lift it, depending on where it is placed in the pile.
For information on moving the difficult or bulky furniture you have in your home, take a look at our guide to Moving Awkward Items.
If you are using one room to store all your packed-up boxes, make sure that the door is kept shut to keep out small children and pets who could be hurt if any boxes happened to fall over.
The best thing that you can do is to take a step back and give the removal company space to move your possessions. They are professionals and know exactly what to do to make your home move as efficient as possible. They move people almost every day, and have specialist knowledge and skills that they have gained through extensive training and experience.
You will be surprised at just how your removals team will be able to squeeze awkward items through gaps you wouldn’t have believed possible. These are people that are used to leading house moves on a daily basis so you must trust them that they know what they are doing.
Do remember that they are there to help, so they will answer your questions and listen to your suggestions as much as possible.
For tips on how to make your moving day more stress free, take a look at the 10 things to do before your moving and day.
Updated February 2020