How to Move into Self-Storage Without Putting Your Body at Risk - Storage Contents Insurance

If you’re moving items into self-storage, you of course want to accomplish this in the easiest, least strenuous way possible. Throwing out your back is not a part of the process you signed on for, so we’ve compiled tips on how to move without putting your body at risk.

Your moving team

With a reasonable budget, we will always suggest first to hire a professional moving company. This is obviously the easiest way to save your own body from the risk of heavy lifting. The professionals will also be quicker at accomplishing the task while at the same time putting your items into less risk, as they do this every day. If you have the finances to afford movers, then do so.

Without a budget for movers though, you need to make sure you have created a team to help with your move. Do not attempt to move a piano by yourself: this won’t go well. A few helpful friends will be happy to assist for the price of a pizza and a case of beer (afterwards, of course). Confirm your team well in advance of the date to be sure you aren’t stuck by yourself when the time comes, and have a case of cold water ready for the job.

The proper equipment

The equipment you use will be detrimental to the success of your move and the safety of your body:

–       Wear light, comfortable shoes with covered toes that do not come undone easily.

–       For sharp or slippery items, wear gloves that both protect your hands and provide additional grip. Be warry of gloves that become dirty though, and avoid them if you are carrying artwork or upholstered furniture.

–       Have moving blankets and tape on hand to wrap furniture for added protection and cleanliness during their stay in storage.

–       4-wheel dollies are dramatically helpful. Larger items can be moved with ease, and boxes and other smaller items can be loaded on top of the dolly to save on trips.

Having a strategy

It’s easy to start grabbing items and taking them to the storage container or moving truck, but this can come with negative results. Instead, think through the task before beginning it.

Be sure that the item will fit through where you plan to bring it: it’s a horrible state of affairs to carry something through the house only to find out in doesn’t fit through the front door, leaving you to have to bring it back through the house to the back door. Extra trips will simply compound the physical strain on your body.

Don’t get caught carrying a sofa down a hall to then trip on items on the ground or have small console tables or cabinets in the way. Clear the space you need to use before trying to use it.

How to lift

When picking up objects, especially large and/or heavy ones, follow these basic directions:

–       Have your feet shoulder-width apart

–       Always bend with your knees, not with your back

–       Keep your elbows to your side rather than holding objects straight out in front of you

–       Use your legs to lift; never your back

–       Leaving items tight to your chest will increase your ability to balance and put less strain on your back

Forget about strength: worry about your form

The best kept moving secret out there is that moving furniture has less to do with physical strength, and more to do with the form you use to hold the item.

Focus on balancing the item and leveraging your weight against it. Consider how the item is weighted itself, and carry accordingly.

Take a marble table top, for example. Carrying this flat is a bad idea. For starters, marble, while heavy, is a fragile material, and there is a high degree of probability that the top will snap in the middle if you carry it flat. Moreover, the item in fact feels heavier this way.

Carrying the marble top on its side will make it a much more stable item in your hands, and will be much easier to manoeuvre with. Focus on the balance of the object, especially when carrying items with a partner, and your day will be smoother, easier, and less strenuous on your body.

We’re experts at protecting your storage belongings, but we also like to protect you whenever we can. Take your time when moving, and try not to over-work yourself.

Speak to us today about the best protection for your self-storage items.