Moving heavy items is an activity that could easily lead to mistakes. When paired with sharp packing knives, and other potentially dangerous items, it may result in injury. It’s the reason many chose the hire professional movers such as the team here at Liffey Moving. We take the risks so you don’t have to.

Should you choose to undertake some heavy lifting yourself, then it's important to know at least some safety tips when moving.

Let's check them out!

Safety Tips when Moving Heavy Items

These are guidelines we live by and you should too if you choose to undertake any heavy lifting whether moving or otherwise.

1. Never attempt to lift more than you can carry

The most obvious safety tip when moving, get help rather than doing things yourself. If something seems too big or overwhelming. You are the only one who knows your body and its limitations, so pay attention to what it tells you and don't try to carry more than you are capable of.

2. Maintain a clean route

The importance of leaving a clean passage through which you can travel without having to worry about hitting any obstructions cannot be overstated while packing, hauling, or unpacking. Having a trip or fall is risky enough on its own, but when the surrounding area is cluttered with stuff, the danger is compounded.

Be careful to define and maintain a clear route while carrying heavy objects, both inside and outside. A large part of making safety a priority when lifting heavy objects is avoiding any more potential difficulties inherent in the operation.

When Liffey Moving gets to work our No.1 safety tip when moving is for a clear route. We can get the job done faster and safer when the right route.

3. Keep children and pets engaged in another location

When children and pets are around, the best thing you can do when lifting a heavy item is to keep them occupied and confined in a safe area, or to have someone look after them while you are occupied.

This is one of the most important safety tips when moving that we can give - some things are way more precious than 'stuff'.

4. Consider your options before you lift

Plan for the lift..

What will be the final destination of the load? Do you need assistance with the load? Is there any equipment you might utilize to assist with the lift, such as a conveyor system, that you could use? Get rid of any stumbling blocks, such as unused packing papers.

Consider placing the weight halfway on a table or bench to let you adjust your grasp on it during lengthy lifts, such as those from the ground to shoulder height.

5. A tight grip from the waist

As much as possible, raise while keeping the weight near to the waist to limit back strain. Ensure that the heaviest side of the item is closest to your body.

If getting near to the weight is not feasible, consider sliding it towards your body before attempting to raise it. This is one of the best safety tips when moving to save your back.

6. Wear proper clothing

Clothing should be comfortable and controllable when you're moving heavy items but avoid baggy clothes. Maintain your comfort by dressing in flexible, breathable, and weather-appropriate clothing for the conditions, and be sure to wear footwear that gives the best support possible.

Conclusion

Keep yourself safe while moving by following these safety tips when moving big objects. Moving involves both planning and practical wisdom.

Follow these safety tips when moving to make sure you're doing all you can to avoid accidents and injuries, particularly if you have children with you.

However, if you are looking for a mover in New York to help you - contact us now for a free consultation and quote for your move.

Given that everyone makes commitments during the holidays, why not take some time to prepare early, by booking reliable moving services beforehand?

Liffey are happy to help you move during the holidays when it is feasible.

Here are a few moving tips for moving during the holidays that can make your preparation a little easier.

5 tips for moving during the holidays:

While most of these tips for moving during the holidays are related to winter, they can be applied to most of the big holidays in New York City such as St. Patrick’s Day and the 4^th of July.

Preparation and patience are key to a painless holiday move.

1.   Make a moving plan

For businesses, creating a moving plan is a good idea. The holidays are a great time to relocate your business. Everyone is at home, but you need to plan your move so your business is never offline.

Planning is essential when moving during the holidays to eliminate last-minute rushes and stress. Having a plan in place means you pack correctly.

If it is a home move you are undertaking, then pack according to your needs and label everything correctly.

Remember to leave out some warm clothes and bedclothes.

2.   Start packing early

If you decide to move during the holidays, you should start packing early. Moving often takes up plenty of time and it is easy to get slowed down by other commitments.

Four weeks is usually enough to ensure your items are packed correctly. When arranging and sorting, make sure to keep an inventory of everything. Making a list of all the essentials and writing down their condition will help you account for any lost or damaged items in transit.

At Liffey, we also make our own inventory to ensure everything matches up at the end.

3.   Hire reliable movers

Professional movers take care of all your relocation needs and make the whole process feel like a breeze. Since moving during the holidays may be time-constrained, it is best to go for a moving company with a proven track record.

Conduct thorough research about different moving companies before getting their services. Pay attention to reviews from previous customers or check the FMCA for any complaints made against them.

You will find that here at Liffey Moving, we have an experienced team ready to tackle your home or office moves when the time is right.

4.   Take care of all your paperwork

Moving out might come with a lot of tedious paperwork. But keep these documents safe since they act as evidence that your goods are being shipped by a given mover and specify the terms of transportation.

From insurance to inventory lists and any contracts, have these on file and make copies. Should the worst happen; you have the evidence to support any claim. This tip for moving during the holidays should be a part of every transaction and not just the holidays.

5. Check the weather

Before settling on moving, check the weather reports first. Mother Nature can sometimes ruin even the best-planned move with bad weather. You can dress appropriately and ensure your items are well-protected.

Moving during the holidays can mean extra precautions if the weather is poor - furniture and electronics might need to be covered with moving pads and plastic wraps.

If the worst weather hits, Liffey will give you plenty of notice and we will make an alternative schedule. More often than not, we can easily get the job done.

Get in touch

Speak to Liffey today to get a free quote and consultation for your holiday move.

You can easily keep your items safe by understanding some of the common moving mishaps and the safety measures to alleviate the risks. Here is a list of some of the most commonly broken items and ways to keep them safe.

1.   Artwork

Artwork is among the most commonly broken items when relocating. They can be damaged easily when in transit and while packing, especially anything that contains glass. This is usually due to insufficient cushioning or improper packaging with spaces between the box and the artwork.

How to protect:

You need to put enough crumpled paper at the bottom of the boxes you use before placing in your artwork. Additionally, add more paper to the sides and the top before concealing the box. Be sure to use a sturdy box with enough paper to make it airtight.

Liffey Moving can supply you with a lot of packing equipment so please feel free to get in touch.

2.   Glassware

You need to take care when moving glassware. It is contained in a lot of items, particularly kitchen materials and picture frames.

Drinking glasses are some of the most fragile items. However, you can prevent them from breaking by following our simple safety precautions.

How to protect:

The key to keeping your glasses safe is using the right box. "Dish pack" is a safe box that you can use to keep your drinking glasses from breaking. This special box offers extra protection with its double-thick walls. Wrap your glasses with packaging papers first and lay them horizontally in the box.

Ensure there is more paper to the sides to prevent any movement during transit. Before sealing the box, ensure you lay a couple of packing papers before adding crumpled paper at the top to fill in the empty spaces.

For even more protection don’t forget to label your boxes correctly so the team here at Liffey Moving know to take added care with your fragile items. Labelling helps avoid using glassware to the list of commonly broken items.

3.   Mirrors and frames:

You can easily prevent mirrors from cracking with the appropriate precaution, whether in a washroom, bedroom, or decorative mirror. Large mirrors can be tricky to move, so it's important to let your moving team know the weight and size of your mirrors.

How to protect:

Packing mirrors and picture frames are very easy. You can decide to put them back into their original boxes, which is the safest. However, if you don't have their original boxes, you can use a soft-form cushion to wrap them and taping in "x" format across all edges. Just ensure that you wrap the mirror with many sheets of paper before taping them tightly to give extra protection.

4.   Plates

People often make the mistake of packing plates with little packing paper. Again, they fail to wrap them individually to prevent breakage.

How to protect:

Protecting plates from damages is often easier than glasses. Simply wrapping each plate with lots of packing papers keeps them from rattling in the box. To keep them well-cushioned, it is advisable to use a "dish pack." Put some crumpled paper at the bottom of the box and arrange the plates vertically. Put more pieces of crumpled paper between the plates and more crumpled papers at the top before taping it all-around to offer extra protection.

If there is little to no rattling then there is a good chance these will not be added to the commonly broken items list.

Conclusion

As you can see most of the commonly broken items are what you would expect and what many tend to break on a day-to-day basis. With some patience, the right packing equipment and proper labelling you can ensure that all your items are safe. Liffey Moving will do the rest.

Should you need tips on packing other items or if you have speciality items, please let the team know and we will be happy to help. We hope our article will help you avoid the commonly broken items list.

However, it is a vital aspect of any relocation. Some mistakes - particularly when moving house or office - are unavoidable.

Whether using Liffey Moving or another moving company to relocate, you expose your belongings to some risk. You need to ensure your belongings are safe and secure by having a backup plan in place.

In this article, we will guide you through some of the basics of moving insurance and what you need to know.

Moving insurance and what you need to know

Among the most common problems during a move, incurring losses due to damages tops them all. To avoid such losses, having reliable moving insurance is a great idea. Moving companies offer different moving insurance packages, and in some cases, you may need to outsource additional coverage.

If you are moving cross country and are concerned about your sentimental items, additional insurance coverage comes in handy.

Feel free to ask Liffey Moving about our insurance packages and additional coverage that we can provide or recommend.

Types of moving insurance

The purpose of moving insurance is to ensure that you will be compensated in case of any damages to your items on transit. There are different types of moving insurance covers, but they all serve one primary purpose. The most common types of moving insurance include:

1. The basic carrier package.
2. Declared value protection.
3. Full-coverage insurance

Of all the basics of moving insurance and what you need to know, understanding these three is crucial.

The basic carrier package

The basic carrier package is the lowest coverage you can purchase and is common among most moving companies. Moving companies will often provide this form of insurance for free. However, you can only expect a small return for your goods in case of any damage.

Declared values protection

This is an averagely priced coverage based on the depreciated value of the damaged item. You will need to declare the value of your goods to the insurance company to keep a record of the costs of your belongings. As much as you will require to pay an extra cost for this package, your goods will be well protected.

In this instance perhaps you should enquire about our white glove moving services.

Full coverage insurance

This type of insurance package is the most inclusive and ideal for people with luxurious or sentimental value items. It is the most expensive type of insurance, but it guarantees full compensation if the items are lost or damaged.

Consider all factors, including your moving budget, before settling any of the above moving insurance packages. Any professional moving company should be able to guide you appropriately.

How important is moving insurance?

The answer to this question depends on various factors. One is the moving distance, the value of your belongings, and the number of belongings you plan to move.  Moving is a risky process, and even after hiring the best movers, accidents can still happen, which can be very frustrating.

For this reason, it is advisable to have reliable moving insurance coverage whenever you’re relocating your goods. Moreover, it is more important to hire a trustworthy moving company with a good reputation, check out our reviews to see why we have been in business for so long.

If you feel you may need to outsource your insurance, Liffey Moving have several reliable contacts that we can recommend to you.

It is vital to understand insurance and what you need to know about your move. Talk to the team at Liffey Moving and get all the information you need. Should you have additional questions or wish to learn more about the moving process, check out our blog or contact us today. The decision to have moving insurance is up to you, but as always, prevention is better than cure.

However, there are just some items your moving company won’t move or simply cannot move. Being informed of what can and cannot be moved will save you time and energy.

There is very little that we will not move in New York City, but there are some things we cannot move due to legal regulation.

Before we delve into what items your moving company won’t move, let’s look at why you should hire us.

Why you should use a moving company in New York City

Contracting Liffey Moving offers a host of benefits, including secure transportation, reliability, and speedy relocation.

We offer storage solutions, packing tips on our blog and decades of experience moving in New York City.

We have become accustomed to moving companies that manage everything from furniture, fittings, and heavy machinery, just like we do.

But now let’s look at what items your moving company won’t move for you in New York City.

5 items your moving company won’t move

• Hazardous materials

This covers the entire range of items your moving company won't move that could be potentially harmful due to their chemical composition.

Movers are not allowed to move anything corrosive. These items include paint, cleaning fluids, corrosive dyes, and even nail polish. Any items labelled as ‘hazardous' in any way are prohibited in the moving truck.

We ask you not to pack any of these items and to inform our team of any potential issues.

• Perishable foods

You may be tempted to carry leftovers from breakfast on the day you move, or better yet, your fridge’s contents. This is a no-no.

In addition to the risk of contamination, movers don’t want to bear the responsibility of perishable foods going bad in transit.

Empty your refrigerator and dispose of the contents or throw a party before you pack up. You’ll save yourself a lot of trouble down the road.

If you feel like you will be hungry during the move have a look at our tips on simple meals for moving.

• Explosives and flammables

This should be obvious as far as safety is concerned. Whether you’re an amateur shooter or you enjoy fireworks, nothing explosive or flammable can come aboard a moving truck.

Accidents can happen. Inform the team if you have weapons in the home.

Items your moving company won't move like lighter fluid, gasoline, and ammunition DO NOT play nice together; even the military has special units to transport these.

• Valuables

Your moving company may not accept to manage your expensive jewellery, stock certificates, or family heirlooms of any kind. Rare stamp and coin collections, baseball cards, and paintings should be in your possession during relocation.

These items are worth a lot more than money, so damages or potential loss can be very costly.

It is also important to note that while many of these items can be insured, the insurance may not cover any form of loss or damage during transit.

Talk to the Liffey Moving team about our white glove services and what we can do for you. We aim to not be the moving company that won’t move every item, but some are simply too important for us to manage.

• Special category items

There are some special items your moving company won't move. These are things that may require specialised techniques or personnel to move. These include but are not limited to movable homes, vintage pianos, and large machinery with many moving parts.

Contact us today

Hiring Liffey Moving will make moving a more bearable experience. A good moving company should move most of your stuff safely and with care. Knowing which items go on board and which don’t is the first step to a successful move.

The items your moving company won't move can be sorted quickly. Get in touch with us today.