The Moving Safety Movement: 7 Moving Safety Tips Everyone Should Know

The twists and turns of moving can burden even the most unshakable homeowners with sweaty palms, clenched jaws, and racing hearts. To make a stressful situation even more unbearable,  pre-moving jitters and their accomplices (better known as trembling hands and racing thoughts) can increase the risk of sustaining a relocation-related injury. Should you fall victim to a moving mishap, you’ll not only have to worry about securely packaging your personal belongings, but you’ll also have to treat a sprained wrist or twisted ankle amidst the chaos.

Fortunately, there are several moving safety tips you can use to sidestep injury. For example,  you can hire a shipping service, enlist moving help, plan accordingly, implement practical packing practices, and utilize adequate moving equipment–to name a few.

While thinking outside the box will serve you well as you decorate your dream home and troubleshoot last-minute dilemmas, moving safety tips is no time to wander from the beaten path. Here are seven moving safety tips that could spare you a mid-move trip to the emergency room.

Opt for a professional car shipping service

If you have to drive cross-country or long distances to get to your new home, you might want to consider looking into car transport services instead of embarking on the journey on your own. When cruising across the country, you must submit to the will of the open road, increasing your chances of succumbing to fatal accidents and life-threatening road debris.

Investing in a car transport service is the safer alternative. A team will either come to your house or, you will meet a driver at a designated drop-off point to collect your vehicle. From there, you only have to book a flight to your destination and reunite with your car there.

Plan everything in advance

Packing everything you own in a spur-of-the-moment frenzy can lead to more problems than results. You might end up dropping things, stacking boxes haphazardly, losing items, or anything else that poses a safety threat. Avoid a potentially dangerous situation and plan your packing attack ahead of time.

When you strategize how to tackle packing in advance, you can follow a structure that explicitly avoids safety hazards. For instance, you can plan out what boxes will go where to avoid unbalanced stacks that might topple over and injure you.

Don’t pack your boxes too full

Like planning your packing strategy, you’ll also want to consider making a prioritized list of what items go in what box to avoid overpacking a single box. If you cram every crevice with personal belongings, a box can quickly become too heavy to carry, leading to avoidable accidents like an injured back.

Plus, you might not be able to lift full or heavy boxes. If you push yourself to lift and carry these items, you might drop one and hurt your feet. Not to mention, you don’t want to risk damaging your personal belongings.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

While you might think you can pack and move all on your own, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Recruiting a crew of friends and family members to help pack up can be fun and will help you streamline the moving process.

Not to mention, having an extra set of hands around will ensure you’re never forced to lug boxes that are too heavy. Additionally, a team of moving volunteers will help you keep an eye out for precarious situations you might not have noticed otherwise.

If you don’t want to burden your friends or if they’re too busy to help, you can always hire a professional moving company to help instead. These moving professionals know what they’re doing and always bring adequate equipment to get the job done. Plus, you won’t have to worry about overexerting yourself and sustaining a potentially debilitating injury with a professional moving team at your side.

Use high-quality boxes

High-quality moving boxes are less likely to tear or break. However, weak containers made from inadequate materials can burst, causing breaks and bodily harm. Even if you purchase high-grade boxes, you might also want to consider doubling up on tape for added security for you and your belongings.

Clear all walkways and paths before moving anything

Before you pack anything, it would be best if you cleared all possible pathways you might take on your way to the moving truck or car. If you don’t, you risk taking a nasty spill.

Clearing your halls and paths means moving any items out of the way that fall below your eye level in case the box you carry obstructs your view. In addition, you shouldn’t stack any boxes to the point where you can’t see the few feet in front of you.

If you have a tall box in your arms that’s unavoidable, clearing the halls is your best course of action, but don’t carry more than you’re physically able.

Use proper moving equipment

Finally, you’ll want to use proper moving equipment to avoid injuries, such as dollies, moving sliders for furniture, and back braces for extra support. Using this equipment can help you move quicker and more effortlessly, as these essentials safeguard you from potential harm.

Before you go

Above all else, assess what you’re capable of before officially relocating. If you already know your move isn’t a one-person job, don’t rest the burden of a full-scale move on your shoulders. Instead, enlist help if you need it, and don’t forget to follow these seven moving safety tips.