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

If you’re moving items into self-storage, you 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.

Smart Moving Tips to Protect Your Body

Moving or loading can be a physically daunting task. However, it is essential to prevent injuries and discomfort by taking care. These smart moving tips will help protect your body, so peruse them carefully. 

Move your Contents With Experts

With a reasonable budget, we will always suggest hiring a professional moving company first. This is the easiest way to save your 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 at less risk, as they do this every day. If you have the finances to afford movers, then do so.

Without a budget for movers, you need to ensure you have created a team to help with your move. Do not attempt to move a piano yourself: this won’t go well. A few helpful friends will be happy to assist with the price of a pizza and a case of beer (afterward, 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.

Equip With Essential Tools For the Move

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 are not easily undone.
  
• Wear gloves that protect your hands and provide additional grip for sharp or slippery items. Be wary 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 easily. Make sure to pack boxes for self-storage correctly, so that they can be easily loaded on top of the dolly to save on trips.
  
  

Stay Injury-Free When Moving Storage

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 it 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 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.

Follow Smart Steps for Safe Self-Storage

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

Correct Posture: Maintain a stable pose with your feet shoulder-width apart. With this, you can have a solid base for lifting and carrying items safely.

Bend Your Knees: Always bend at your knees when picking up objects, but not at your back. This approach minimizes the risk of back strain and injury.

Keep Your Elbows Near: While holding objects far from your body, keep your elbows close to your sides. Holding such a way provides better control and reduces the strain on your arms and shoulders.

Hold Items Close: Keep objects close to your chest when carrying them. However, it improves your balance and further reduces strain on your back.

Team Effort: For seriously heavy or bulky items, consider asking for help. It’s better to have a helping hand than risk injury. The best approach is to avoid lifting something too heavy on your own.

Use Proper Equipment: Use tools like dollies or hand trucks to move heavy items. These tools can significantly reduce the physical strain involved in transporting objects.

Secure Items With Storage Insurance 

When moving your items into self-storage, it’s vital to consider their protection. While the facility ensures safety, insurance on storage units adds an extra layer of security against the unexpected. Some facilities provide basic coverage against specific damages within the facility itself, or you can opt for third-party insurance.

Storage insurance covers losses, damages, or theft that storage facilities might not. Accidents, unforeseen events, and natural disasters can occur anytime, potentially jeopardizing your stored items. If something goes wrong, your safety net offers peace of mind during the moving process.

Investing in storage insurance may mean more expense, but the peace of mind is worth it. As you plan your move, explore your insurance options to ensure your belongings are fully protected, allowing a smooth and worry-free relocation.

Secure Moves: Self-Storage Without Risk

The best-kept moving secret is that moving furniture has less to do with physical strength and more 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 tabletop, 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 feels heavier this way.

Carrying the marble top on its side will make it a much more stable item in your hands and much easier to maneuver. 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 also like to protect you whenever possible. 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.