METCALF MOVING BLOG

September 21, 2023

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!

RECEIVE A FREE QUOTE










    Yes, I want a virtual survey.
    quote

    Trudy Fingal was my move consultant for the second time and she was nothing short of outstanding both times! She genuinely has passion for making the move as easy for the customer as possible and routinely goes above and beyond!

    - Jill L.

    Message About Covid 19
    We are open for business as usual while we prioritize the health of our customers and employees above all else. We also offer virtual surveys for all of our customers so you can receive a quote while staying at home and practicing social distancing. Read more about our COVID-19 safety precautions..