Moving boxes and furniture up a narrow staircase can be challenging. Fortunately, there are several ways to tackle these types of tricky home layouts.
Unless your home has an elevator, you’ll need to think creatively to get all your boxes and furniture from ground level to the second floor. Let’s take a look at how you can move some of these items.
Always check with an expert to keep things safe!
How to get vanity upstairs
A vanity can be quite challenging to get upstairs as it can have a weird shape.
Start out by packing it up properly. This makes sure that nothing falls out while you are moving it.
If you need to hoist a large cabinet or vanity upstairs, you can use this method. First, unload the vanity and wrap it in blankets. Place the wrapped vanity on a sturdy wooden or plastic pallet and secure it to the wall.
Then, use a hooked rope with a counterweight to hoist the vanity up the wall. Make sure the rope is taut, but not to the point of pulling on the wall. Let a professional check your setup as this can be quite dangerous.
The easiest way is to disassemble the vanity and carry the parts upstairs. When moving up a level by using the stairs, you’ll need extra time and space to get everything to the second floor safely and securely. Ideally, you’ll want to clear the path for furniture to be taken up the stairs.
This might mean removing wall decorations from the walls above the staircase and moving heavier furniture, like a dining table. If a room is particularly full, you may also want to consider removing some furniture to make room for movers to navigate the space.
If you can’t clear the area above the stairs, you can try to move items up in smaller loads. But, be sure to use plenty of sturdy packing material to protect breakable items, like glasses and vases. You can also consider hiring professional movers to handle the heavy lifting on this part of the move.
How to get washer (washing machine) and dryer upstairs
Washers and dryers are quite heavy. They contain a piece of concrete to make sure that it stays in place while it is swinging. This makes them harder to move upstairs. Let’s take a look at some options.
If you need to move a washer and dryer upstairs, you can use a hooked rope with a counterweight. First, unload the appliances and remove their hoses. Place the washer and dryer on a sturdy wooden or plastic pallet and secure them to the wall. Then, use a hooked rope with a counterweight to hoist the appliances up the wall. Make sure the rope is taut, but not to the point of pulling on the wall.
You can use a furniture elevator. This type of elevator is designed to lift large pieces of furniture up to the second floor. A furniture elevator consists of a large, wheeled platform with a built-in rack on top.
To lift furniture, you put the platform against a wall adjacent to the staircase, extend the platform’s legs, and secure the rack to the wall. Then, you place the heavy furniture on the platform, wheel it to the top of the staircase, and hoist it up and over the banister.
You can also use carrying straps to lift the washer upstairs. The person that lasts has to carry a lot of weight. This is quite dangerous as the machine can topple over and crush anything on the way down.
A dolly can also help if your stairs and floors are sturdy.
If the stairs are not sturdy, you should just rent an elevator. It is too difficult to carry a heavy item and also take the wobbly stairs into consideration.
Once this is done, you will still have to install your washing machine and dryer. Make sure that the plumber can install drains in the room that you have chosen. This will make it easier to install these items. You also need a water supply in these rooms.
You should discuss this with your plumber in advance to avoid issues. If there is no water access, the plumber might have to drill in your walls to install this.
How to get a divan bed or super king headboard upstairs
Beds can be quite bulky and hard to move. The easiest way to get this upstairs is by disassembling them. Then you can take each piece upstairs. You can use bubble wrap to protect the piece while you are moving them.
If this isn’t possible, you will have to use a forklift or moving lift. These lifts can often be rented for a day. It is necessary to have a big window so that you can hoist the bed inside. If you don’t have this, you can temporarily remove a door or window to make the opening bigger.
You might need a certificate before you can work with a forklift though. For these bigger items, it is often best to hire a moving company.
There are a lot of things that can make bringing a bed upstairs challenging. From raging winds to permits, all of these have to be taken into account.
If you run into problems with one of these, it can delay your move and cost a lot of money. For this reason, it is often recommended to hire professionals to help with these bigger items.
They have all the required safety equipment and can maneuver these items with more precision. These items can be hard to balance and handle.
Wearing special safety equipment such as helmets and gloves can be required. Check your local rules and regulations as well.
To conclude, we can state moving heavy items upstairs can be a challenge. It can lead to dangerous situations. For this reason, you need to plan this in advance.
Hiring the right equipment can help a lot. In some instances, you just need to leave it over to the pros as they make sure that your items and house don’t get damaged.
We have discussed how to carry a water heater here. At the end of the day, it often comes down to the same thing: plan how you are going to move the items, protect the item with bubble wrap and make sure that it is fastened properly. Once this is done, you can use a lift or forklift to get the items moving.
Doing everything by hand can be very difficult and even be dangerous!
