Handling

Golden Rule: bend your knees when lifting a load, do not lift with your back! Also protect your hands, for example from sharp edges under household appliances: use gloves.

To avoid unnecessary efforts, consider using practical and effective equipment:

• Furniture lifters and sliders or removable castors for moving heavy furniture.
• Trays with wheels to transport other furniture and boxes.
• Trolleys for moving heavy and bulky household appliances (refrigerator, washing machine, dishwasher, cooker, etc.) and piles of cardboard.

Finally, on D-Day, it is wise to start by clearing the passageways of your accommodation: evacuate the furniture, carpets and boxes that are there, you can then move around more easily avoiding breakage.

Loading the truck

To succeed in your loading, start at the bottom and proceed by successive rows that you will climb in height:

• Load bulky and heavy items first: large furniture and appliances; preferably store couches and bedding vertically.
• Then stack the other objects, furniture and boxes to the top, if possible making regular "layers" to even out the load.
• Proceed by decreasing weight: the higher you go, the lighter the objects.
• Do the same for the following rows.

Practical advice :

• Store flat objects (trays, furniture panels) vertically on the sides, tied with a strap or wedged with furniture.
• Don't forget that a moving vehicle moves in all directions: it is therefore imperative to stall everything well as it is filled to avoid damage (2 objects rubbing against each other for a journey of several hours will necessarily be damaged on arrival).
• For the same reasons, protect the surfaces in contact: for example, if you place objects on a table top, place a blanket or cardboard beforehand.
• If necessary, arrange the plants last, making sure that nothing can fall on them.

Storage

The following advice will be useful to you if you are not moving in straight away and are storing all or part of your move in a storage unit or premises.

If you need to access your assets while they are stored:

• Put away the things you'll need most often last, so they're easily accessible.
• Do not fill the entire storage volume, leaving access if possible, a small central aisle for example.

To make good use of the storage space, start at the bottom and proceed by successive rows that you will go up in height:

• Put away bulky and heavy items like large furniture and appliances first; preferably store sofas and bedding vertically; defrost and dry refrigerators and freezers well, then store them with the doors ajar to allow air to circulate; Drain washing machines and dishwashers well.
• Then stack the other objects, furniture and boxes to the top, if possible making regular "layers" to even out the storage.
• Proceed by decreasing weight: the higher you go, the lighter the objects.

Practical advice :

• Do not store perishable products (food) or flammable or dangerous products; if necessary, empty the fuel tanks of appliances or vehicles with internal combustion engines (scooters, mowers, etc.).
• Do not store plants unless the room is naturally lit.
• Indicate the content on all your boxes, number them and make a list with the numbers and the contents that you will keep apart to find your objects easily.
• Store flat objects (trays, furniture panels) vertically on the sides, supported by furniture or boxes.
• Use wardrobe boxes to store your clothes without creasing them.
• Do not place heavy objects or boxes on sofas or mattresses to avoid deforming them.
• Protect the surfaces in contact: for example, if you place objects on a table top, place a blanket or cardboard first.
• If there is a risk of flooding, place pallets on the ground on which you will store your belongings.
• Depending on the environment (possible presence of dust, etc.), place covers or sheets on sensitive furniture (lacquered furniture, fragile fabrics, etc.) to protect them.