Sometimes, the decision to call in a moving company rather than doing everything yourself in a move, comes down to just a few items. While you might be fine moving a few boxes of books, even a dining table, a couch or a small cupboard, things can quickly get out of hand when it's time to move things that are large, heavy or fragile. It may be fun and thrifty to want to do things yourself, but it can lead to losses and injury.

 

It isn't usually about strength -- professional movers aren't much stronger than everyone else. It comes down to knowledge, experience and technique.

First, think of the heavy items

Whether it's a piano, a grandfather clock, a treadmill or a mattress, weight and sheer size can both be serious injury risks. Attempting to handle these items without adequate manpower and experience can also be a damage risk, both to the items themselves and to the homes that you are moving in and out of.

There could be fragile items

Large mirrors and glass tabletops can be very hard to move safely. Not only is glass fragile, it is fantastically heavy as well. Aquariums can be an even trickier challenge. Unlike flat mirrors and tabletops, aquariums take up three-dimensional space. You can have a hard time cushioning them well and making sure that they come close to nothing heavy or hard. If you wish to pack your aquarium yourself, you want to read up on how to do it.

Your plants

The first problem with plants is that even small plants with soil weigh a ton. The other part of the challenge is that plants do not pack well. You can't wrap them in plastic film and put them on a truck. They don't stack well, either. Some movers offer specialized solutions with quick transportation and special racks for plants.

Art

Certainly, large glass-fronted pictures are fragile, and need careful transportation. Elaborate frames tend to scratch and break off easily too. If you have sculptures, life can be even harder. Oddly shaped and fragile, they usually do best with professional movers.

Those electronics

When asked about things that are hard to move, most people right away think of their large-screen televisions. While such fears may have made sense when TVs were made of glass (such as plasmas), they don't anymore. Now that everyone has an LED, these screens only need a moderate amount of care. They aren't as easily broken as older televisions. Desktop computers can be tricky, though. If you bought your computer off the shelf, it's probably good to go. If you've added components such as hard disks or video cards, though, you should make sure that you secure them properly. They can easily shake free.

 

It's important to pick and choose your battles. DIY moving may work well when you don't have awkward items to move. If you do, expert help can be invaluable.