When you’re moving, you may be wondering if it’s worth your while to try to break down a swing set, play area, or play house and bring it with you. Your children may be heartbroken that they need to leave behind a beloved play area, but does it make sense to move something that big and cumbersome?
Should I leave it?
Your children, depending on their age, might be upset to leave their favorite play areas behind. However, if you’re picking up and moving quickly, you may have no other choice but to include it with your home. Swing sets and other play areas can take time to disassemble, and, depending on the age of it, can be difficult to take apart. Still, most modern swing sets and play places can be disassembled into easily manageable pieces. If the people who are interested in buying your home write a contingency into the contract that includes the play place, you may be contractually obligated to keep the play areas there.
Should I bring it?
If you want to bring your play place with you, it might be best to have a place for it to land… Literally. If you’re moving during the winter, the ground will likely be too cold and frozen to safely reassemble your play place or swing set (plus, you won’t want to be out there assembling it!), so make sure it has a place to safely sit until spring. If you don’t have a shed or basement to put it in, you may want to enlist the help of a friend, family, or buy a storage unit for it. In addition, even if you are doing a DIY move, professional movers may be able to help with specialty items, and it can be worth the investment for expensive or sentimental items.
Many people opt to DIY moving a playset because of its many parts, and there are lots of tutorials on the internet to show you how to best move a playset. Still, if you can’t find the time to disassemble something like that, you may be better off leaving it.
Think about cost, time, and energy expenditure
Here are some things to consider to help you decide whether you should leave or bring a play set:
- Will it cost more to move it than it would to purchase a new one? Swing sets and small play areas are usually $500-$1,200
- Will you have time to disassemble the play set and pack it up properly so pieces don’t go missing?
- Will you have a place to store the play set if it can’t be reassembled immediately?
- Is there a good spot for the play set at the new home?
- What time of year are you moving? Disassembling in cold, snow, and ice is much harder than disassembling when it’s warm out
- How old is the playset? Bolts and nuts may be rusted in place or very difficult to remove if the playset is very old
- Do the new homebuyers want the playset?
- Is the play set in concrete? You will need a jackhammer or sledgehammer to remove these posts
- Does the new property meet any zoning requirements (such as minimum size) for a play set or swing set to be erected?
If you need help moving your disassembled play set, contact us today!
