Moving Furniture: You Can Do It Yourself, but You Don’t Have To!
Shopping for new furniture is fun, as is seeing it in your space for the first time. Moving furniture is not fun, and assembling it may well be one of the most frustrating chores of all time.
Every home makeover, large or small, is probably going to involve visiting some major furniture stores.
Think about your last trip to Ikea. What were the best and worst parts? If you’re like me, the best part was the Swedish food. If you’re like most people, it was the wide selection of stylish furnishings.
I believe we can all agree that the worst part was the aftermath. Assembling your new furniture, using only manuals that look like this, and then somehow moving it to where you want it.
What if there was a professional service that would take care of moving furniture and assembling it? What if these movers would also take care of the rest of your chores?
You can call us at (416) 520-1161 or book our services online. Our lives are dedicated to making yours easier! 😉
We’re No Movers
We are not a professional moving service. We cannot transport your furniture from Ikea to your home. Homeowners interested in such services should contact our friends at Rent-a-Son, one of the best movers in Toronto.
We will move your furniture, however, so long as it is already at your home. If you need it moved through a narrow space, we can disassemble it, move it and then reassemble it.
Reassembling Sanity
Furniture assembly has always been among our company’s specialties, mainly because of popular demand.
It’s no secret that this chore is a pain in the butt – in fact, the frustration experienced by every amateur who has ever attempted it themselves has become one of society’s running jokes.
There have been films, many articles, a popular television series, and even a video game that have lampooned the process. Last year, Ryan Reynolds filmed his own hilariously unsuccessful attempt to build a crib from Ikea.
Because of the large number of requests we’ve received through the years, every member of our team has extensive experience. That desk you’ve been trying to assemble for the last four hours (or days)? I can almost guarantee you our team has assembled it – or a very similar unit – at least twice.
Moving Furniture: D.I.Y. Without H.Y.
For those who would prefer to save money over time and stress, there are right and wrong ways to “do it yourself.” Here are a few tips:
1. Squat, don’t bend. Squat your legs at a ninety-degree angle and support the weight of the object with your knees.
2. Carry high and low. Is it really heavy? Enlist the help of a friend (really) and carry it high and low like so. This will give you and your accomplice more control of the item.
3. Slide, don’t drag. Have you heard of furniture sliders? You position them under the unit and ‘slide’ it where you’d like. These sliders are available at most home centres, although frisbees and bedspreads are often equally effective.
4. Don’t be afraid to disassemble. If you can’t lift it or you’re facing a literal “tight spot,” don’t be afraid to partly disassemble the unit in order to reduce its weight. You can always return to the manual (ugh) when you have it where you want it.
When it comes to moving furniture, most of the tips you’ll find are fairly basic. There are, however, “tricks of the trade.”
Architect Regina Yunghans, a longtime contributor to the popular blog Apartment Therapy, discovered this when the mid-century credenza she and her husband had ordered finally arrived.
They were naturally surprised when they met their mover – not a battle-scarred strongman, but a woman in her sixties.. with a bad shoulder. She told them that she had been a professional mover for many years, and while she could not lend them her arms, she lent them her secrets.
In her article What I Learned from a Pro about Moving Heavy Furniture, Yunghans passed on the invaluable knowledge that had been imparted to her:
Use those blankets! The quilted blue blankets that wrap furniture for protection from scratches and dents are multi-purpose. Once we had the credenza off the truck, the blankets were our primary tool in getting the piece from point A to B. We laid the still-wrapped credenza on a blanket spread out on the ground and simply dragged the furniture to the house (on grass, mind you… it probably would not have moved well over concrete). That saved us from doing any lifting whatsoever and completely eliminated any chance of dropping and damaging the furniture.
Once we reached the front steps, we laid a cushion of several more quilted blankets out over the steps. We then unwrapped the credenza and slid it (on its top) up the “ramp” of blankets laid over the stoop. And voila! It was inside. By retaining one blanket under the credenza once indoors, we simply slid it into place in the dining room on a blanket across the hardwood floors. Once it was aligned with where we wanted it, we just had to flip it off of the blanket and onto its feet.
Why Odd Job?
Why call Odd Job for disassembling and moving furniture within your home? Why not any number of moving companies and have them deliver it straight from the store?
Unlike moving companies, we assemble and maintain your furniture.
Unlike moving companies, our pricing is transparent – no hidden costs.
Unlike moving companies, we only charge a one-hour minimum fee.
Unlike moving companies, our work is covered by a two-year warranty.
Unlike moving companies, we can take care of everything else too.
Just give us a call at (416) 520-1161 or book our services online. Finally, you can shop for furniture without dreading the aftermath! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
