Moving Heavy Things: 9 Reasons to Leave It to Pros

Moving is a pain no matter how you slice it.

But if you go the DIY route and wrench your back wrestling a double-door fridge, that pain may stay with you for life to remind you of your dogged determination to save a few bucks.

Lifting injuries are common. For someone inexperienced and untrained to handle heavy things, getting hurt is almost guaranteed. So maybe it’s time to put aside your fierce independence and leave the heavy lifting to the moving professionals.

Still not convinced? We invite you to read on.

1. Professional movers have the experience and know-how to lift.

Moving companies specialize in the transportation of heavy objects and can do it without damaging your belongings or their health.

There’s a right way and a wrong way to lift. The wrong way leads to back and shoulder injuries.

The right way engages the legs while the back remains neutral. You should keep the heavy object close to your body and move deliberately to retain control.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? It is easy — in theory.

In reality, it takes practice, discipline, and a level of fitness absent in the average person.

Walsh movers don’t always look like gym rats, but they’re wiry strong, especially in the muscles that matter. They’ve undergone specialized training to understand the risk factors of injury. These include:

• Overweight loads;
• How far the load extends from the body;
• The shape of the load;
• The distance the load will be carried;
• The height of the load;
• The vertical distance lifted;
• The number and frequency of lifts needed;
• If lifting and twisting will occur in combination.

Articles (like this one) and YouTube can’t replace the specialized training that professional movers undergo.

Years of medication and physical therapy can’t restore your back to its original condition.

2. Movers have the right equipment to handle heavy things.

You can rent a dolly or hand truck to move heavy objects, but do you know how to use them? How to pad and pack furniture for the jostling of the journey?

And do you have the right help to negotiate stairs, cracks in the sidewalk, curbs, ramps, and other hazards of the job?

And even if you do, does that mean you won’t drop a load or injure yourself?

Probably not.

A moving company has the necessary equipment and experience to use it safely.

• Moving dollies;
• Hand trucks;
• Furniture pads;
• Sliders;
• Tie-downs;
• Specialized boxes;
• Ramps and lifts.

3. Movers have insurance and financial protection.

On your own, you’re assuming all responsibility for anything that goes wrong.

You’re liable for anything that breaks, including your back. And if you’ve recruited friends to help, you’re liable for them as well.

If you or your friends get hurt during a DIY move, the bills are on you. If they drop anything, the cost comes out of your pocket. To boot, the friends who were helping you for beer can sue for medical expenses.

Professional movers are licensed and insured, which means that they’re covered in case of injury or property damage (for most things). Movers aren’t cheap, but they can save you a penny or two in the long run.

4. You’re not as young as you used to be.

Moving for a college student? It’s a breeze — usually no more than a few boxes of clothes, books, and sundry supplies and knickknacks.

After college? It’s easy enough for the first few years until you accumulate stuff.

Pots and pans.

Pet supplies.

Appliances, large and small.

Furniture.

Maybe you’ve accumulated kids as well, and those kids have accumulated stuff of their own.

Worse, the 30-lb box you handled with ease in your 20s feels like a 60-lb box in your 40s. You’ve been going to the gym, but treadmill work can’t prepare you for the sudden shock of lifting.

Listen to your body when it cries for help. Move over for the movers this time. Call us at Walsh — we’re used to moving heavy things.

5. You don’t have the time.

You’ve got a job, maybe a family, and a life that’s already hectic enough without the added stress of packing, lifting, moving, and cleaning.

The thought of taking several days off work to move is enough to make your head spin. Wouldn’t you rather spend those days on vacation? Or doing nothing at all?

You may not need the professionals to move everything, but what about the heavy living room furniture? The queen size beds? The appliances?

It’s cheaper and easier to hire professional movers when you factor in the cost of renting a truck, taking multiple trips back and forth, and the inevitable breakage that occurs when inexperienced people move heavy objects.

What’s more, they can do the job in half the time — or less.

6. Movers can pack for you.

Packing is easily the most stressful and time-consuming part of moving. Even if you’re good at it, do you really want to spend your time wrapping dishes and packing boxes?

And once everything is packed, do you want to load it all into a moving truck, only to unpack it again at the other end?

Movers can pack — and unpack — your belongings quickly and efficiently. And if anything happens to break during the move, the moving company is usually liable.

7. You don’t have to worry about moving day.

Arranging for time off work, reserving a moving truck, dealing with traffic, worrying about parking — it’s enough to make you wish you’d never moved in the first place.

When you hire professional movers, they take care of everything on moving day. All you have to do is sit back and relax.

8. Movers can clean your old place — and your new one.

Cleaning is the bane of every mover’s existence. It’s hard enough to leave your old place clean for the next tenant. But cleaning before you even move into your new home? That’s just too much.

Most moving companies offer cleaning services as part of their package. They can clean your old place so you don’t have to worry about it, and they can even give your new place a once-over before you move in.

9. You don’t have to lift a finger — literally.

Moving heavy furniture is hard work. It’s also dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Lifting injuries are common, and even if you don’t get hurt, there’s a good chance you’ll damage something — or someone.

When professional movers are on the job, you don’t have to lift a finger — literally. They’ll do all the lifting, carrying, and loading for you.

Walsh Moving & Storage Makes Moving Easy

So, there you have it. Nine good reasons to leave the heavy lifting to the professionals.

Moving is hard enough without having to worry about doing it yourself. When you hire professional movers, you can rest assured that your belongings will be safe and sound — and so will you.

At Walsh Moving and Storage, we have over 50 years of experience moving customers any distance from a few blocks to cross country.

We offer customizable services for local, long-distance, and commercial moves.

Is your office remodeling or downsizing? We can move your equipment out, store it securely for a month or two, and set up the new office according to plan when the new space is ready.

You can even let us take care of the moving for you, and if you are downsizing, we offer the storage solutions you need.

Ask us for a guaranteed quote, which places a cap on your moving costs even if the job takes longer than expected.

Get in touch with us today to find out more about our moving services — and how we can make your next move much easier than the last one.