There may be plenty of things to be excited about when moving into a new apartment – starting your independent life (if you\u2019re moving out of your parents\u2019 house), starting your family life (if you\u2019re moving in with your spouse\/partner), living closer to work, living in a better neighborhood, having a fantastic view of the city, etc. There is, however, one thing you definitely won\u2019t be excited about – getting your furniture into your new high-rise home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Large and heavy, furniture is quite difficult to move – especially to an upstairs apartment. Maneuvering bulky furniture pieces into a tight elevator or up several flights of stairs is awkward and laborious and downright dangerous. To avoid personal injuries and damage to your items, you need to know how to move furniture into an apartment safely and efficiently – and you need to have reliable help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some tips for moving furniture into an apartment that will make your job easier and less risky:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most high-rise buildings have a service elevator (or a freight elevator) designed to hold more stuff and carry heavier loads than a passenger elevator. It is larger than an ordinary elevator and has larger doors, so it can accommodate large items like furniture pieces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, if there is a freight elevator in your new apartment building, it will be relatively easy to get your furniture to your high-floor home. You must contact the building manager ahead of time to reserve the elevator for the day of your move, ask about weight and time restrictions, and discuss any other relevant details. Once all is settled, you should plan your move accordingly, so you can use the service elevator and take your goods to your new flat without any problems:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If, however, there isn\u2019t a freight elevator available in your new high-rise building, you will have to use the main elevator in the lobby. It will be smaller (so larger items won\u2019t fit in) and you may not be able to reserve it (as other building residents will need to use it too), so getting your furniture upstairs will be much more complicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You will have to disassemble all larger pieces and take extra precautions as to not scratch or damage the elevator (wrap your furniture in moving blankets, make sure there are no protruding parts that could scratch the walls, etc.). You may also need to wait to use the elevator – and if you\u2019re using professional moving services, you will be charged an extra elevator fee for the wasted time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is no doubt that the best way to move heavy furniture upstairs is to use an elevator. Yet, sometimes you may not have access to an elevator – it may be out of service on moving day or the building may not have an elevator at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What then? How to move furniture into a high-rise if you can\u2019t use an elevator? There is little choice but to take the stairs. (See also: How to move into a building with no elevator<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moving furniture up stairs is not an easy task, but with a little knowledge, a lot of careful planning, and enough manpower, you can achieve success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before the move, disassemble your larger furniture items to make them safer and easier to get up the stairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wrap the pieces in thick moving blankets and provide some extra padding around the corners and edges to reduce the risk of damage to your furniture (when maneuvering a bulky piece up the stairs and around tight corners, you can easily hit a wall and scratch, chip, or dent your furniture).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use bubble wrap and foam padding to protect fragile parts, protruding parts, and delicate elements and provide additional cushioning. Then, use stretch wrap to keep the protective and cushioning materials in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Must-read:<\/strong> How to pack furniture for moving<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Getting furniture up stairs is not a one-man job – furniture items are large and heavy and need to be carried by two people. If you try to haul a bulky piece up the stairs on your own, you risk hurting yourself and damaging the item – you need help moving furniture upstairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You have two viable options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bonus tip:<\/strong> If you\u2019re moving furniture to the 3rd<\/sup> floor or higher, you should definitely get professional moving help<\/a> – the job requires too much physical labor and technical know-how to be handled by non-professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are some tools that are extremely helpful when moving heavy items up stairs and can make the job safer, easier, and more efficient – make sure you use them when moving large furniture into an upstairs apartment:<\/p>\n\n\n\n See also:<\/strong> Essential moving equipment and tools to have when moving by yourself<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if you have enough help and proper moving equipment, getting furniture into an upstairs apartment is a laborious and dangerous task. You need to be extremely careful during the entire process – and to know how to lift and carry heavy furniture without hurting yourself or causing damage to your items:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bonus tip:<\/strong> When carrying furniture up stairs, be sure to wear comfortable close-toed shoes with ankle-support and anti-slip soles – to ensure good traction and flexibility and reduce the risk of slipping on the stairs. Put on high-quality work gloves that will provide a good grip and will protect your hands and fingers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n1. Disassemble and protect your furniture<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Get reliable help<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Use appropriate moving equipment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Use safe lifting and carrying techniques<\/h3>\n\n\n\n