How to Prevent Property Damage When Moving

There is a lot to deal with when moving house – financial issues, laborious work, emotional challenges, etc. The last thing you want is to deal with property damage too.

When moving out, you need to leave your old home in perfect condition:

• If your old property is going for sale, you will want it to be in great condition so you can get more money out of it;
• If you’ve already sold your old home, you won’t want the new owners to bring a claim for damages against you, because when they first came to see the house, there were no broken banisters or knocked-out door frames, for example – so, you need to keep the place intact;
• If you’re moving out of a rental, you need to leave it in the same condition it was when you moved in in order to get your security deposit back.

When moving in, you want your new place to be in excellent condition, of course.

If any damage is inflicted during the move, you will have to waste a lot of time, money, and nerves on unplanned repair works – so property damage is really bad news. You need to do everything possible to prevent it.

While it’s indeed difficult to keep the floors, walls, doors, etc. safe and intact when hauling heavy items around, with careful planning and proper preparation you can successfully protect your property from damage on moving day. Read on to find out how:

How to Avoid Property Damage When Moving

In order to keep your old property safe on move-out day – and your new property safe on move-in day – you need a safe moving strategy:

Trust a moving company

The easiest way to avoid damage to your property when moving is to hire trustworthy movers to load and unload your items for you. They have the specialized equipment and expert skills required to move household items without causing any damage. Professional movers have enough experience to foresee every potential risk, so they can take adequate measures to ensure the safety of your home and your belongings.

Professional moving services come at a price, of course, but the extra cost is worth it – not only will you not need to worry about property damage, you won’t need to worry about anything at all. The pros will do all the work for you and will guarantee your safe, smooth, and successful relocation experience. You’ll be glad you spent the extra money.

You can use our free moving calculator to get an idea of your approximate moving costs, so you can decide for yourself if hiring movers will be worth it.

Pack your items properly

The way you pack your belongings will considerably increase or decrease the risk of property damage during the move. To reduce that risk to a minimum, you’re advised to:

• Use quality packing materials – sturdy moving boxes (that won’t fall apart and spill their contents during the move), padded moving blankets (that will cushion hits and prevent scratches), quality packing tape (that will keep the protective materials in place), etc.;
• Be careful not to make the boxes too heavy – Heavy boxes are difficult to lift and carry, so they’re more likely to get dropped during the move – resulting in damage to both their contents and the floor. Besides, overloaded boxes can break under their own weight when lifted;
• Reinforce the bottoms of cardboard boxes – just to be on the safe side;
• Wrap larger household items in moving blankets – especially protruding parts and sharp edges that can cause scratches and dents.

Related: Fundamental packing rules for safe and efficient packing

Use appropriate moving equipment

Using specialized moving equipment to take heavy boxes and items in and out of a home is essential for preventing property damage during a move.

Professional movers have the necessary equipment and use it to make things safer and easier on moving day.

If you’re moving without professional moving help, it will be up to you to get the right equipment for the job:

• A moving dolly – You can load bulky furniture and appliances on the dolly and move them without any risk for the floors;
• Moving straps – Furniture lifting straps allow you to lift heavy objects with ease and help keep them secure – and away from the floors and walls of your home;
• Furniture sliders – You can use pads to slide furniture across the floors without scraping or denting them.

Use safe lifting and carrying techniques

When performing a self-move, you will have to do a lot of heavy lifting. It will be very strenuous and may easily result in an accident – and, therefore, in property damage.

To reduce the risk of accidents – and any resulting injuries and damages – when moving heavy items, you need to use safe lifting and carrying techniques:

• Get a firm footing and good grip on the item you’re about to lift;    
• Lift with your legs, not your back;
• Keep the heavy item close and centered to your body;
• Walk slowly and carefully.

See also: How to properly lift and carry heavy boxes and furniture

Provide protection

Last but most importantly, in order to avoid property damage when moving, you need to protect your property with adequate protective materials:

• Furniture blankets – Moving blankets are extremely useful for providing protection during a house move – on one hand, they protect the item wrapped in them; on the other, they can be draped over walls, doors, banisters, and railings to protect them from damage on moving day;
• Plywood sheets – Plywood sheets are great for protecting floors – especially hardwood floors and tile floors that are extremely susceptible to damage. The panels can also be leaned against walls to protect them against scratching, scuffing, and dents;
• Floor runners – Floor runners are especially designed to protect floors during a house move – they provide padded protective covering and have adhesive backing (so they won’t slide around when walked over) and anti-slip surfaces (so they’re safe to walk on);
• Plastic film protectors – Plastic film creates a protective layer over the surface that keeps dust, dirt, and water away. Keep in mind though that it provides little protection against scratching and impact damages;
• Large cardboard pieces – Cardboard pieces can be placed on the floor (or on walls, doors, etc.) and taped together to create an effective protective covering;
• Corner guards – Corner guards protect wall corners from dents and prevent chipping;
• Foam padding – Foam padding provides excellent protection to door frames, wall corners, railings and banisters, etc.

Old blankets and clothes, non-slip canvas drop cloths and plastic drop cloths also work well for protecting floors and stairs from damage during a move.

How to Protect Your Property When Moving

Using appropriate protective materials will help you keep your old home – and your new one – safe on moving day, but for best results you need to employ effective protective strategies as well:

How to protect floors and carpets when moving

Floors always suffer the most damage during a move – they’re subject to scratching and scraping every time large furniture and bulky appliances are hauled across the premises. What’s more, whenever a heavy item is dropped, it inevitably causes damage to the floor. Therefore, floors need utmost protection on moving day.

To keep your floors safe during your move, you’re advised to:

• Provide efficient covering – floor runners, plastic film protectors, plywood sheets, large cardboard pieces, old blankets, dropcloths, etc. Make sure any coverings that don’t have adhesive backing are well secured in place (use quality tape);
• Avoid sliding furniture across the floor – use a furniture dolly whenever possible. If you need to slide a heavy piece across the floor, be sure to use furniture sliders;
• If you can roll the carpet and take it away before the move, do so without hesitation. If the carpet is impossible to remove, use carpet film protectors;
• Place a door mat in front of the entrance to your home to catch dirt and mud from yours and your movers’ shoes and prevent the floors from getting soiled or stained.

You can find more detailed tips on how to protect floors when moving here.

How to protect walls and corners when moving

The walls of hallways and other high-traffic areas should also be covered with protective materials – blankets, drop cloths, cardboard pieces, etc. The protective coverings will keep the walls safe from scuffing, scratching, and denting when large and heavy items are taken in or out of the home.

Special care is required for the corners – they can be chipped off if they’re hit during the move. Corner guards are the obvious and most effective solution.

How to protect stairs and banisters when moving

When taking boxes and furniture up or down stairs, you (or your moving helpers) may drop a heavy item or hit the railing – as a result, the railing may break, the carpet on carpeted stairs may get torn, wood stairs may get chipped, scratched, or dented, etc.

To prevent damage to the stairs during your move, you’re advised to:

• Use stair edge guards to protect the edges of the steps;
• Cover the stairs with protective materials – stair runners, drop cloths, cardboard pieces plastic film covers, etc. Be sure to tape down the protective coverings to the stairs;
• Wrap the railings and banisters in moving blankets (or old blankets, clothes, etc.) and secure them in place with tape.

Click here for more detailed information on how to protect stairs when moving.

How to protect doors and doorframes when moving

When large furniture and appliances are taken in or out of a home, doors and doorframes get repeatedly bumped against. This may result in significant damages, so you need to take measures to protect the doorways in your old home when moving out and the doorways in your new home when moving in.

Your best option is to drape a moving blanket over the upper part of the door and use painter’s tape to secure the protective covering to the door. Alternatively, you can use large pieces of cardboard.

Keep in mind though that sometimes it may be best to simply remove the doors – this way, the doors will stay perfectly safe and you will get a few extra inches of maneuvering space when squeezing your larger items in or out of the room.

Either way, the doorframes should be protected with foam padding.

Additional Property Protection Strategies

No matter how well you have protected your property, the best way to prevent damages on moving day is to have a plan in place and use smart moving strategies:

1. Measure the space and plan ahead – Measure your furniture and other larger household items, then measure the doors, hallways, and stairs these large pieces will have to pass through on moving day. Make sure the bulky items will fit and decide how to position them and at what angle to carry them so that you have the most maneuvering room. If needed, consider temporarily taking doors out of their hinges to provide some extra space. (See also: What to do if furniture doesn’t fit through the door);
2. Dismantle large furniture – Take apart larger furniture pieces to make them easier and safer to move – and reduce the risks of hitting doorframes, walls, and banisters, dropping heavy furniture on the floor or stairs, etc. Be sure to take out drawers and move them separately (the furniture piece will be much lighter – and, therefore, easier and safer to carry – and you will eliminate the risk of a drawer falling off during the move and hitting the floor or the walls) See also: How to disassemble furniture for moving;
3. Clear the way of obstacles – Remove miscellaneous items from the hallways and entrance of your home to provide as much maneuvering room as possible and reduce the risk of slips, trips, and falls. Make sure the path between the moving truck and the front door is free of obstacles and potential hazards (such as wet leaves, for example);
4. Get reliable moving help – Hire movers or ask reliable friends to come help you load and unload your items. The risk of accidents – and injuries and damages – will be much smaller when you’re not trying to do all the work by yourself. (The risk will be nearly non-existent if you leave the job to experienced movers) See also: Benefits of hiring professional movers;
5. Nominate a spotter – When there is someone to give warnings, the risk of accidents on moving day will decrease considerably. In addition to alerting of potential hazards, the spotter will also be able to indicate the number of steps left, provide support to an item that is about to fall down, or quickly remove an object you’re about to trip over, etc.;
6. Never rush things – Regardless of how eager you may be to complete the job, rushing will cause only harm. Rash decisions and hasty actions often result in accidents and damages. Be patient, stay calm, plan ahead, and work slowly and carefully – you may lose a bit more time but you, your belongings, and your property will stay safe and sound.

Must-read: How to ensure safety on moving day

Do not forget to give your old property a good cleaning before leaving it for the last time and be sure to thoroughly clean your new home before moving in. (Related: Moving cleaning checklist)

Knowing how to protect your property when moving will save you a lot of money and headaches – and will help ensure your smooth and stress-free relocation experience. Good luck!