Totally Must-Have Moving Tools
Between working on a kitchen remodel and helping to reorganize offices, I’ve been moving a lot of heavy objects lately.
After paying close attention to the pros we hired to move the large office furniture, I compiled a list of my favorite affordable moving tools:
• Two-wheel hand truck ($25 and up). If you’re only going to own one cart, this is it.
Perfect for moving stacks of boxes and objects with a small footprint, it’s very easy to maneuver.
Choose a lightweight model.
Models that feature aluminum or nylon (pictured, left) frames are the lightest.
Our favorite around the office is this aluminum model that folds up nearly flat (pictured, right).
If you frequently move lots of boxes, you might want to consider a convertible model that works as both a two-wheel and four-wheel cart, but keep in mind that convertible carts are heavier and require more space to maneuver.
• Furniture slider pads ($15). I used to think these only worked on furniture with legs, but they’ve become my No. 1 choice for moving anything heavy over carpet.
When I called in the pros to move several fully loaded tall file cabinets, I assumed that they’d bring a few huge guys and one of those large commercial furniture dollies with straps.
I was amazed when two average-size men showed up with a small stack of these plastic pads.
They moved five cabinets in about 20 minutes by simply tilting each cabinet enough to slip a pad under each corner and then pushing the cabinets across the floor.
I felt silly for calling the movers — I now push around cabinets myself.
• Lifting straps ($20). These straps are standard equipment for appliance movers.
You and a partner still need the combined strength to lift the object, but these straps eliminate some of the challenges of grip.
They work especially well when you need to maneuver the object in tight spaces, such as through doorways and around corners.
