Furniture tends to be harder to move than boxes. Some items have a strange shape, making them hard to manipulate around corners, and others are just plain heavy! To make sure you and your helpers don't injure yourselves when moving furniture, follow these safety tips.

If possible, take it apart.

Not all furniture comes apart, but if your pieces do come apart, it's worth your while to spend a little extra time disassembling them. It's a lot easier to carry out a table top and then four separate legs than to carry out a fully assembled table. If you're concerned that you won't know how pieces go back together, take some detailed pictures before you take the furniture apart. You can reference these when it comes time to put the piece back together.

Ask for help.

If you cannot lift something very comfortably, don't lift it on your own. Always have several strong helpers on hand when you go to move furniture. You don't want to be halfway down a staircase when you discover that the dresser really was too heavy! If you are moving furniture down a staircase, always have the stronger person go down the stairs first, as they will have to support more of the weight of the piece.

Maintain a clear pathway.

Before you start carrying items out of the home, clear the pathway from the rooms where the furniture is stored, through the home, and into the moving truck. Put away any toys or other items that are on the floor. If you have children, have someone else watch them in an enclosed space so they don't leave anything else on the floor or run into your pathway while you're moving the furniture. You wouldn't want to trip on anything -- child or object.

Have equipment on hand.

A furniture dolly can really come in handy, especially when transporting overly heavy pieces that you can't disassemble. Sliders are another piece of equipment designed to allow you to slide a piece of furniture across a carpeted floor without creating a lot of friction. You can often rent these items from a company that rents moving trucks. Occasionally, they may even throw them in for free with your truck rental.

If you take a few precautions, moving furniture won't be nearly as dangerous. Make sure you have a few good helpers on your team, and review these safety tips with everyone before you get started.