Moving into a new home always presents some unique challenges, but none is more frustrating than attempting to move awkward items. They’re big, they’re heavy, and some are downright temperamental. Without some careful planning and forethought, you may wind up causing accidental damage to yourself, the item, or the homes you’re moving to and from.
To avoid disaster and minimize the frustration of an already stressful move, consider following our series of simple guidelines, as we walk you through how to move awkward items.
Think Before you Move
Before you begin the big move, there are some steps you should take to ensure a smooth transition between homes. Make sure you…
Consult a Moving Company: A few days before the move, have a company like CLR Movers come to view your home and help you figure out any problem areas or issues.- Plan the Trip: Learn the route between the homes, figure out what sort of vehicle you’re going to use to move your large items, and decide how you’re going to package them to keep them safe in transit.
- Measure EVERYTHING: Doorways, stair width, the measurements of your awkward items, even the rooms you plan to put them in–measure it all. The last thing you want to do is bring an item to your home, only to discover that you can’t even get it through the door.
- Know Where it’s Going: This goes hand-in-hand with planning and measuring. If you can, figure out where the big things are going before your moving day.
Now, the Awkward Items
While there are many awkward items to move, today, we’re going to address a few odd-ball items that are on the light side of difficult.
Floor Lamps
Smaller lamps tend not to present as many problems, as they can fit into boxes and be padded with clothes or bedding. Large floor lamps, on the other hand, can pose a conundrum. In order to safely move a floor lamp without damaging it, follow these simple steps:
Remove the lampshade and bulb from the body of the lamp.- Wrap the lamp with stretch wrap to keep it secure. If any part of it is glass, wrap that part in bubble wrap. Make sure the cord is included in the wrapping so it doesn’t trail and present a tripping hazard.
- Place the lampshade in a box, and cushion it with fabric or packing paper.
- Put the bulb in a bulb box, wrap it in bubble wrap, and put it in the same box as the lampshade, to keep it all together.
Full-Length Mirrors
Though hand mirrors and small wall mirrors can be easily wrapped in bubble wrap or fabric, full-length mirrors aren’t as easy to deal with. They can be very fragile, and expensive to replace. Fortunately, companies such as U-Haul offer specialty full-length mirror boxes to pack them in. Or, failing that, you can make your own:
- Still got that stretch wrap from the lamp? Good! Use it to first wrap the mirror, to provide support.
- Disassemble a box or two, and use them to cover the mirror from top to bottom (one for the face, and one for the back, works very well).
- Tape the cardboard together, and finish it off with another layer of stretch wrap. Plastic wrap also works, if necessary.
Stay Tuned
That’s all for today, folks! Follow along with us as we discuss how to move awkward items, Electronics Edition, later this month.
Do you have any questions about how to move awkward items? Feel free to comment and let us know!
