How to Move Heavy Wooden Furniture and Pianos Safely

The mahogany wardrobe went into that bedroom years ago, before the security door was fitted. Now the truck is downstairs, four people are holding the wardrobe at an angle in the corridor, and somebody has just noticed the doorway is two fingers too narrow.

Solid-wood wardrobes, dining sets, display cabinets and pianos get damaged in predictable ways. The piece did not fit. Too few people carried it. Or it rode across town with bare wood on a metal truck floor. All three are avoidable.

Measure before you request a driver

Do this a few days ahead with a tape measure. Measure each big piece at its widest points, including handles, mouldings and legs, because those are what catch on door frames. Then walk the route out: room doors, the front door, any security door and the gate. On the stairs, measure the width, the ceiling height on the landings and every tight turn.

Do the same at the new place. Plenty of people check that the wardrobe will get out and forget to check that it will get in.

If a piece is wider than the stairwell turn, force will not change that. You either dismantle it, take it out through another opening, or rethink where it is going.

Take apart what was built to come apart

Ten minutes with a screwdriver can save someone's back.

• Wardrobes: take out the doors, shelves, rails and drawers first. Modular and flat-pack ones often break down into panels.
• Dining tables: take off the legs, and remove extension leaves if they detach.
• Bed frames: headboard, side rails and slats, separately.
• Display cabinets: glass shelves out and wrapped on their own.

Put the screws, bolts and brackets from each piece in a labelled bag and tape it to the biggest part of that piece. Throwing the fittings from three pieces into one nylon bag is how you end up with a shaky bed frame at midnight.

Older solid-wood furniture is often glued or jointed. If it was not built to come apart, leave it whole. Prising it open usually does more harm than careful carrying.

Pianos are a different matter

A piano is heavy, top-heavy and full of delicate parts. What follows is general advice. Follow the manufacturer's guidance where you can find it, and if you are unsure about anything, talk to a piano technician before the move.

1. Close and lock the lid over the keys, or hold it shut with tape that will not mark the finish.
2. Keep an upright piano upright. Do not lay it on its back or side unless a technician tells you it is safe.
3. Line up several strong adults for an upright. Stairs make it much harder.
4. Plan to have it tuned afterwards. The move and changes in humidity can both affect tuning.

For a grand piano, or any piano going up or down stairs, a specialist is often the safest choice.

Wrap every surface

Bare wood against a metal truck bed is where most scratches come from. Wrap each piece in moving blankets, old duvets or thick cloth. Fold cardboard into guards for the corners and edges. Wrap mirrors and glass separately and mark them clearly. And never stick tape straight onto polished wood, because it can lift the finish when you peel it off. Tape the blanket to itself.

Ready to move?

Book a truck or van on Sphere

Choose your vehicle, propose your price, and verified drivers in Lagos, Abuja and Ibadan accept or send a counter-offer.

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Enough hands, and a plan

This is the step people skip, and it is the one that causes injuries.

Plan at least two people for every heavy piece, and more for pianos and big wardrobes. Before anyone lifts, agree who calls the lift and who leads on the stairs. Clear slippers, toys and rugs off the route. Keep your back straight, lift with your legs and never twist while carrying.

If you need the driver to help carry, agree loading and offloading help with the driver before you accept an offer. Carrying a three-door wardrobe down four floors is extra work, and the price should reflect it.

Van or truck

A pickup van handles a few big pieces, say one wardrobe, a bed frame and a dining set. Sphere lists pickup vans up to 2,400kg.

For a whole house of solid wood, or when you want everything standing upright without stacking, request a driver a truck. Trucks are listed up to 27,000kg on the app, and our truck size guide explains how to match the vehicle to the load.

Whichever you request a driver, load the heaviest pieces first, against the front wall, and keep them upright where you can.

How to do this on Sphere

1. Open the Sphere app and pick a pickup van or a truck.
2. Add the pickup and drop-off, with floor numbers and whether there is a lift.
3. Describe the load plainly, for example: "upright piano, ground floor; solid-wood three-door wardrobe, dismantled; six-seater dining table, legs removed".
4. Mention tight stairs or narrow gates, and say if you need help carrying.
5. Propose your price, then compare the acceptances and counter-offers from verified drivers.

For a whole-home move, see our Lagos house moving page. If big appliances are coming too, read how to move a fridge or freezer.