What are the most difficult items to move?
Navigating the tricky world of moving? We've got you covered with a list of the most challenging items to move, like pianos, aquariums, and bulky furniture, plus some handy tips to make relocating these precious belongings a breeze, whether you go solo or call in the pros.
When moving house, most of us have items that are quite easy to transport. But there are certain items, some ‘normal’ and some more niche, that can be difficult to transport due to various factors, such as them being oversized, fragile, or extremely high value. Let’s take a look at what some of the most difficult items to move can be, and the best way to go about moving these belongings if you don’t want to leave it to the pros.
Pianos
Whether it’s a standard upright piano or a much larger grand piano, large instruments like these are extremely fragile, heavy, and, in most cases, very valuable. Not only is it crucial to ensure that a piano doesn’t get damaged during transportation, it’s also important to bear in mind that it has many moving parts internally which are susceptible to damage. As a result, many pianos need to be re-tuned after they are moved.
Aquariums
Aquariums can be very tricky to move, as they first need to be decommissioned and then prepared accordingly for removal. As most aquariums are made of heavy glass, they are naturally extremely weighty and delicate, not to mention susceptible to scratches and cracking if not transported correctly. In many cases, there’s also a time-sensitive nature to moving aquariums, as any animals need to be moved into temporary storage and must be rehoused within a certain time frame. In the case of those with more expensive saltwater and reef aquariums, the fish can be especially expensive and extremely sensitive to changes.
Televisions
With TVs becoming thinner and larger, most are now extremely delicate and easily damaged. If possible, it’s best to always keep the original box for your TV so you can be sure that you have safe and secure packaging with custom-fit polystyrene in the box to protect it. If you don’t have the original box, you can always purchase a TV box, or ensure the screen is sufficiently protected then wraping the TV in a blanket, ready for removal.
Mirrors & Glass Furniture
Glass furniture and mirrors can be difficult to move due to their fragile nature and weight. In the case of glass furniture such as desks and tables, they are bulky and hard to manoeuvre. As such, extra care needs to be taken as a chip can quickly become a crack that causes irreparable damage. Small mirrors are not too difficult, but medium- to large-size mirrors are susceptible to damage and can also be surprisingly heavy.
Art
Many art pieces are very expensive, but even for those items with less commercial value, there is often a sentimental value to them, making them prized possessions of their owners. Luckily, not all art pieces are particularly heavy, but they can be large and of non-standard sizes. Especially in the case of oil paintings, they can easily be damaged, so it’s essential to package are like this properly and ideally in purpose-built crates or boxes if necessary.
Plants
Plants are another difficult item to move due to their delicate nature. For those with small house plants, they can usually be carefully packed in boxes and transported. But for larger plants (especially those in heavy pots), it can be very awkward to move them, so it’s essential to not only keep the plants protected but the pots and soil they are planted in too.
Sofas, Beds & Wardrobes
Sofas, beds and wardrobes can take up the majority of the space in your home and are often the largest items, too. In the case of beds, even though they can often be disassembled for removal, the parts tend to be bulky, heavy and difficult to move. Some beds have large headboards, which need to be detached from the main frame first, and some frames have individual slats which need to be removed and carefully packaged to prevent damage.
Sofas are also one of the heavier furniture items, and their rigid nature means that they can be difficult to move through doorways, stairwells and other tight spaces. Modular or L-shaped sofas can usually be disassembled to make removals easier, and removing the legs from standard design 3- or 4-seater sofas can help when moving.
Wardrobes are another heavy and difficult-to-move item, as in many cases it’s not feasible to disassemble them for transportation. With most wardrobes being made out of MDF or solid wood, they can easily be chipped and damaged during transit.
Summary
There are a surprising number of items that can be difficult to transport when moving home, and it’s not necessarily due to them being particularly heavy (although this is often the case). The fragile and odd-shaped nature of home objects can make moving these items more difficult.
In many cases, it’s best to hire a specialist removal team, especially with the example of moving a piano or aquarium, as the team will have the necessary equipment and wealth of experience in moving items of this nature. For the more ‘standard’ furniture items, most removal companies are well equipped to carry this out and just need to take extra precautions and care when it comes to moving the more difficult and fragile items like glass furniture, beds and sofas.