Most furniture movers charge between $80 – $120 per hour for 2 movers. The length of time depends on variables such as: the amount of furniture, the size of your furniture, and how many stairs your items need to go up or down. If you need 5-10 pieces of large furniture rearranged, then it’ll probably only take 1 hour for 2 movers so it would cost around $100. If you need 10-20 heavy items lifted and relocated, then you’ll be looking at 2 hours for 2 movers which will cost between $160 – $240. Moving fees can be a confusing puzzle, so I wrote a blog to help consumers learn how to decode furniture moving costs.

You will need to move all your furniture out of each room and into a temporary spot in the house so the old carpet can be removed. Once the new carpet has been installed, furniture movers will need to move all these heavy items back to their original spot. Heavy items usually include desks, dressers, beds, hutches, couches, recliners, armoires, and bookshelves. It’s one thing to remember what you should do, but it’s another thing to know what you should not do. That’s why I wrote a blog about 7 Mistakes to Avoid When Rearranging Furniture for Carpet Installation.

You should first identify a focal point in the room. This is the first place your eyes go when they enter that space. Your game plan for arranging furniture should be organized around this point. Once you’ve located the focal point, then you can strategize about where all the furniture should go. For further reading on arranging furniture in your living room, check out a blog I wrote which suggests 11 Best Rearranging Furniture Ideas.

You should leave at least 1 inch of space between the wall and your furniture. This will lessen the risk of damages. It’s important to also remember that walkways should be at least 2 feet. This will allow a comfortable gait for the average person. Anything less than that, the walkway will be too cramped for travel.

If you are physically strong enough and you have a friend who can help, then why not save some money and get a workout by doing it yourselves. Be sure to lift with your legs; not with your back. For armoires and hutches, lean them over at a 90 degree angle before you lift so you can see better where you’re going. For items with a flat surface, like an office desk, you can flip it over and push it along the carpet. Want further insight about lifting heavy furniture? Read my recent blog which proposes 9 Clever Hacks for Moving Furniture.

Furniture lifting straps use leverage to allow you to lift more than normal. Moving straps are attached to your shoulders (or forearms) as well as underneath the heavy item so it distributes the weight evenly. They lower the center of gravity for the heavy item being lifted which lessens the need to bend over, thus helping out your back and promoting good posture. Less weight will be on you and more weight on the straps. Learn more about safely using moving straps to maneuver heavy furniture at home.

Start by placing the straps across your chest and shoulders. Lay the lifting strap on the ground in front of you. Then, with your partner’s assistance, tip the heavy item back and glide the lifting strap underneath it. Once the strap is centered in the middle of the item, you should each use both hands to push the item at the same time. This will lift up the item in the air. Then just walk to where the heavy item needs to go.

The easiest solution for moving furniture in a room is by using furniture sliders. They will save your back a lot of strain. You simply put one slider on each side of the heavy item and then move the item to your desired location. This will be especially handy when you need to move the items back in place and want your carpet to be protected from tearing damage. More details on this topic can be found on my blog: How to Use Furniture Sliders on Carpet.

Slowly tilt the item and slip one slider underneath one of the legs. Repeat this process for all four legs. Slowly push the item where you want it to go and avoid pulling it. When finished, tilt the item again to remove each slider until they’re all gone. This procedure is the same for any item you need moved, whether it’s a couch or a recliner.

In general, the average furniture slider holds around 100-120 pounds. However, this does vary depending on the brand you choose. So 4 sliders under 1 heavy item can hold between 400-480 pounds. This is enough to cover all your standard living room furniture and can even handle oversized items like a safe or appliances.

You should try to get a ballpark estimate on the total cost for rearranging your furniture. Count and measure ahead of time so you will be ready to answer questions about the number of heavy items you need moved as well as their size. Ask the furniture moving service how long they’ve been in business and what their process is like. Search for their moving company online to ensure they have good reviews on Google and Yelp. Click here to get a furniture moving quote from His Workmanship.