METCALF MOVING BLOG
5 Tips to Help Protect Yourself (And Loved Ones) During a Residential Move
With so much to coordinate and prepare for your upcoming move, it’s easy to overlook some of the inherent relocation risks. Fortunately, you can do a few things to protect yourself and your loved ones during your next household move.
1. Practice Safe Lifting Techniques
If you’ll be lifting any heavy boxes or furniture, familiarize yourself with proper lifting techniques. Specifically, you should focus on always bending at your hips and knees when picking up something heavy. Likewise, make sure you are lifting with your legs rather than straining your back—and avoid twisting or turning as you lift. Always maintain firm footing and keep heavy items close to your body as you transport them from point A to point B.
In addition to following safe lifting techniques, know when to ask for help. Some items are simply too heavy, large, bulky, or awkward to carry alone. By understanding what you can and cannot handle on your own, you can reduce your risk of injury.
2. Consider Boarding Your Pets
Moving day can be stressful for pets. Seeing movers relocate furniture and boxes out of the home can trigger worry and anxiety in even the calmest pets. From there, all it takes is for someone to accidentally leave a door open for a pet to escape and risk injuring itself. To keep your pets safe and secure on moving days, consider taking them to a boarding facility or place them in the care of a trusted friend until things have settled down.
3. Find a Sitter
If you have children (especially young children), you may also want to plan loading up the moving truck for a time while they’re in school/daycare or with a trusted caregiver. It can be hard to keep a close eye on small children during the chaos of a move, so having them out of the house may be the safer and easier option for everybody involved.
4. Use the Right Gear
The right clothing and gear can also make a big difference on your moving day. Wear close-toed shoes (such as boots or sneakers) to protect your feet from accidents. Meanwhile, a good pair of work gloves can improve your grip on boxes/furniture while protecting your hands from blisters, cuts, and other injuries.
In addition to suitable clothing and shoes, equipment such as dollies and small hand trucks can also make moving heavy furniture and boxes much more manageable. If you don’t have this equipment already, you may be able to rent it or even borrow it from a friend or neighbor.
5. Hire Professional Movers
Above all else, the easiest thing you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones on your moving day is to leave the heavy lifting and loading to the professionals. By hiring movers, you can simply sit back and relax while your possessions are carefully loaded and transported to your new place. Finding a sitter for your young children and a boarding facility for your pets may still be helpful, but professional movers can be an excellent investment.
Ready to make your move easier and safer? Request a moving quote by contacting our team today!
