Safes, pool tables and grandfather clocks are heavy, awkward or delicate, so they need planning and often specialist equipment. Tell your removal company about them early, share photos and measurements and expect a survey. This guide explains how each is moved and how to prepare.
There are some things in a house that make a removal team pause. A safe that has been bolted to the same floor for twenty years. A pool table with a slate bed. A grandfather clock that has been in the family since before anyone can remember. They are heavy, awkward or delicate, and sometimes all three.
We move households across Southampton and Hampshire, and these are the items where a bit of advance notice makes all the difference. This guide explains why heavy and awkward items need special handling, how each is moved, how to prepare for a survey and what to think about for insurance. We have not given weights or prices, because they vary too much, and we have kept to what we can say honestly. Where a detail depends on the item and the route, we ask you to tell us.
Why these items need special handling
Three things set them apart: weight, fragility and shape. A safe is very heavy for its size, and a small mistake can hurt someone or damage the floor. A pool table has a heavy bed that needs to be handled in the right order. A grandfather clock is tall, thin and full of delicate parts. Each has its own risks, and each needs a plan.
The most important thing you can do is tell your removal company early. A surprise on the day, such as a safe nobody mentioned, can mean the wrong team, the wrong equipment or a job that cannot be done.
Moving a safe
Moving a safe is not a job to improvise. Safes are hard to move because of their weight, and because they are often awkward to grip. Some are bolted or anchored to the floor or the wall, and need to be released carefully. The risks are to people, to the floor and to the stairs, and they are the reason a safe should never be a job for a friend with a van.
- Tell us the size, type and location of the safe, and whether it is anchored.
- Tell us about the stairs and the route, including any steps, narrow doors and turns.
- Expect a survey, or at least photos and measurements, so the team can plan the equipment and the number of people.
- Empty the safe if you can, and check whether it is locked, and that you have the keys or the code.
Some safes will be beyond what a general removal team can safely do, and for those a specialist is the right answer. Ask us about your safe when you get a quote, and we will tell you honestly what we can and cannot do.
Moving a pool table
A pool table is not moved whole. It is taken apart in stages: the cushions, the cloth, the slate bed and the frame, and then put back together at the new home, where the bed needs to be level. The slate is the heavy part, and it needs to be handled carefully to avoid cracks.
- Tell us the type, the size and whether it has a slate bed.
- Tell us about the room, the stairs and the doors at both ends.
- Ask about reassembly. Refitting the cloth and levelling the bed are skilled jobs, and some companies use a specialist for them.
- Keep the balls, cues, accessories and instructions together.
Ask us whether we can move your pool table, and what is involved, when you get a quote. We would rather tell you what we can do than promise a full service and fall short.
Moving a grandfather clock
A grandfather clock is tall, delicate and full of moving parts, and it should always be moved upright. Clock specialists such as Premier Clocks advise removing the weights and the pendulum before the clock is moved even a short distance, labelling each weight, because each belongs to a particular part of the clock, and protecting the pendulum and the movement.
- Stop the pendulum, and remove it carefully, holding it by the bob, not the rod.
- Remove and label the weights, and wrap them separately.
- Secure the movement and any loose parts, following the maker's advice or a clock specialist.
- Wrap the case in blankets, and keep it upright throughout.
- Set the clock up at the new home, and ask a specialist to check it and set it going.
If your clock is valuable or antique, ask a clock specialist to take it down and set it up, and tell us about it, so we can plan the move. This is general advice only. We are not clock specialists, and a specialist can tell you what your own clock needs.
These are only three examples. The same approach applies to any heavy, delicate or unusual item, such as a large statue, a big mirror, a gym machine, a piece of specialist equipment or a very large TV. If you are unsure whether something counts, tell us, and we will let you know what we need to know. The rule we work to is simple: the earlier we hear about it, the better the plan.
Preparing for a survey
For heavy or awkward items, a survey is the best way to get a plan. It does not have to be complicated. You can help by having the following ready.
- Photos of the item from several angles, and of where it sits.
- Measurements of the item, and of the doors, stairs and corners on the route.
- A note of any steps, narrow hallways, low ceilings and tight turns, at both ends.
- Details of the parking and how far it is from the van to the door.
- Any instructions, maker's details or specialist advice you have.
Insurance and valuables
Every move we carry out is fully insured, but a high-value or unusual item may need extra thought. Tell us about anything valuable when you ask for a quote, and ask how our cover applies. Check your own home insurance too, and ask your insurer whether a safe, a pool table or an antique clock needs to be declared or specifically covered. We have not stated any cover terms here, because they depend on the item and the policy.
Summary
- Tell your mover early about heavy or delicate items.
- Share photos and measurements.
- Expect a survey for safes and pool tables.
- Declare high-value items for insurance.
FAQs
Sometimes, but it depends on the size, the weight, how it is fixed and the route. Tell us about it early, and send photos and measurements, so we can tell you honestly what is possible.
No. It is taken apart, and the slate bed is moved separately, then rebuilt and levelled at the new home. Ask us what is involved for yours.
Upright, with the weights and the pendulum removed and labelled, and the case wrapped. A clock specialist can advise on your own clock, and set it up at the new home.
Yes, as early as you can. It affects the team, the equipment and the plan.
Every move we carry out is fully insured, but ask us how our cover applies to high-value items, and check your own home insurance too.
One Last Thought
Need heavy or awkward items moved in Southampton or Hampshire? Call K2 Swift Removals on 023 8111 3116 or 07356 097791, tell us what you have and we will give you a straight, free quote.
