What is the safe way to lift furniture?
- Get close to the item, feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend at the hips and knees — not at the back.
- Grip firmly, keep the load close to your body, and lift with your legs.
- Keep your back straight and your head up throughout.
- Turn with your feet, not by twisting your spine.
- Lower in reverse — hips and knees, not back.
Anything over about 25kg, awkward in shape, or that blocks your view when you carry it should be a two-person lift. Sofas, wardrobes and appliances are all two-person items.
How do I measure doorways and stairs before I move?
- Measure the largest item: width, height and depth.
- Measure every doorway on the route — width AND height.
- For stairs, measure the narrowest point and the ceiling height above the turn.
- For lifts, measure both the door opening and the internal depth.
- Compare against the item's diagonal — many pieces only fit through on the diagonal.
If a sofa or wardrobe is bigger than any measurement on the route, plan the disassembly before moving day — not on the landing at 8am.
Which items should be dismantled first?
- Beds — frames, slats and headboards usually come apart in minutes.
- Wardrobes — remove doors and shelves; some flat-pack wardrobes won't survive a second assembly, so decide before you dismantle.
- Dining tables — remove the legs.
- Modular sofas — split into modules and pull the feet off.
- Desks with attached drawers — remove the drawers to lighten the lift.
How do I protect the floors and the walls?
- Cardboard sheets or hardboard on wooden floors along the carry route.
- Old blankets or moving blankets under any item you have to slide.
- Furniture sliders under heavy items on carpet.
- Corner protectors on doorframes and stair banisters — masking tape works in a pinch.
- Take doors off their hinges rather than force furniture past them.
When should you call in a professional man-and-van?
As a rule of thumb, call in professionals when any of the following are true: the item is over about 40kg, it needs to go up or down more than one flight of stairs, it's going through a window instead of a door, or you don't have a second person who can lift comfortably. Back injuries on DIY moves are common and stubbornly slow to heal.
LV81's furniture removals service handles single pieces from £45 across Birmingham — see our furniture removals page for pricing and booking.
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