All jokes aside, moving your office or home can be dangerous than you think. It is physically exhausting work and experience really does pay when it comes to lifting heavy or awkward items. If you're planning a Do-It-Yourself move it's important to take the steps to protect yourself and your family or employees. Even more important than protecting your belongings. So I've put together some suggestions for you (it's me, Hickory):

1. Pack Smart.

   Just because it fits, doesn't mean it should. You can fit a lot of books in a box, but can you lift it without injuring yourself or having the box fall apart and everything falls on your feet?

2. Wrap Up Knives and Sharp Objects.

   When you're packing the kitchen, it's likely that you're being very cautious of not grabbing that chef knife by the blade. Now you need to make sure the person who is grabbing the box isn't punctured by an errant blade that slipped through that permeable cardboard box.

3. Dress Appropriately.

   Clothes which are flexible, breathable, properly fitted and don't have a lot of accessories are key to ensuring you can easily move around and don't damage your belongings. Footwear is an integral tool in the moving process. Skip style and go for functionality - it's going to be a long day on your feet.

4. Take Your Legs Completely Out of the Equation.

   Only Simpsons fans will catch this reference to when Homer attempted to lift a car with only his legs. He ended up crying on the sidewalk. Avoid this by using proper lifting techniques, only lifting what you can, bending your knees and carrying it close to your body.

5. Use Moving Tools & Equipment.

   Lifting straps and dollies are brilliant pieces of equipment to help speed up the move safely.

6. Keep a Safe Pathway.

   Remove all tripping hazards from the path to the moving truck. That includes dogs and children or anyone else who may get underfoot. Floor runners are a great option to allow you to keep your shoes on without damaging your floors but can be a tripping hazard if not used correctly.

In summary, moves can be done by yourself. Should they? If you balance out the risk of lost productivity by yourself or your staff as well as increased insurance premiums, office moves are a financial risk to a business. Statistically people who work at a desk all day are at an increased risk of back injury, moving magnifies that. When it comes to your home, there are stairs and corners and all sorts of frustrations just waiting for you to find them. Wouldn't it be nice to take the stress of of the move? Contact us to help.