Heavy items, assessed first

Most of a move is routine: cartons, chairs, beds, wardrobes. Then there is the item that stops the conversation. The safe in the study, the marble dining table, the solid timber armoire that took four people to bring in, the home gym in the garage. These are the pieces where planning matters most, and where guesswork can damage a staircase, a floor or a person.

Our heavy item removals in Brisbane start with an individual assessment. Every item over 90kg is assessed on its own, and so are oversized or awkward pieces that may weigh less but are hard to grip, balance or turn. Weight and shape both matter. A long, awkward piece can be harder to manoeuvre than a compact one, while a compact heavy piece puts more load on each step and floorboard.

We move heavy and bulky items across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Logan, Ipswich, Redlands and Moreton Bay, subject to assessment, either as a single-item move or as part of a home or office relocation.

Moving a heavy item is a hazardous manual task in the plain sense: high force, awkward postures and a load that can shift without warning. Queensland's Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021 sets out how workplaces should identify and manage risks like these, and on moving day, our crew's workplace is your staircase.

Our assessment looks at:

• Weight: from the manufacturer, the receipt or a product listing, not a guess
• Dimensions: height, width and depth, plus any parts that protrude
• Balance: whether the item is top-heavy, and where it can safely be gripped
• Detachable parts: tops that lift off, doors and drawers that come out, weights that can be removed
• The route: every step, door, turn, floor surface and slope between the item and the truck, at both ends

The outcome is a plan: how many movers, which equipment, what comes apart first and the order things happen in. Sometimes the honest outcome is that an item needs handling we do not provide. We decline work that cannot be completed legally or safely, including exceptionally heavy or specialised items beyond our available equipment, and we would rather tell you that at the quoting stage than on the day.

These are examples of items that get an individual assessment. Being on this list does not mean every version can be moved; it means it gets looked at properly.

Safes

Safe weights vary widely with size and construction, so the manufacturer's specifications are essential. Tell us whether it is bolted to the floor or a wall, and arrange for it to be released before moving day. Empty it, and keep the contents with you.

Stone, marble and glass-topped furniture

Dining tables, coffee tables, consoles and sideboards with stone tops are often heavier than they look. Many tops sit on the base rather than being fixed to it, in which case they travel separately and upright. Let us know if a top is glued or fixed down.

Solid timber pieces

Armoires, wardrobes, dressers and heirloom pieces from family homes. Check whether doors, drawers and decorative tops come off; lighter components make for a safer lift.

Home gym equipment

Treadmills, multi-gyms and weight racks. Remove weight plates and loose components beforehand, and check the manufacturer's guidance on folding or locking moving parts.

Large appliances and outdoor pieces

Double-door fridges, chest freezers, stone planters and heavy outdoor furniture. Appliances carry their own per-item charge, and anything plumbed in or hard-wired must be disconnected by a licensed trade first.

Some items are designed to be dismantled and reassembled by a technician, slate billiard tables being a classic example. Those may need that specialist before and after the move, so mention them early.

A heavy item on a short, flat path to the truck is a straightforward job. The same item going up the front stairs of a Queenslander is a different job entirely.

Brisbane's homes produce some distinctive routes. Queenslanders are high-set, with front stairs up to the verandah, and many have built-in rooms underneath where home gyms and heavy storage tend to end up. Inner-city apartment buildings send everything through goods lifts and loading docks. Hillside streets bring steep driveways and long paths from the kerb.

Before quoting, we want to know:

• The number of steps at each end, their width, and whether they turn or have landings
• Doorway, hallway and gate widths along the path
• For lifts, the internal dimensions and rated load, which building management can confirm
• Floor surfaces on the route, especially polished timber, stone or freshly finished floors
• Where the truck can park, and how far the item must travel to reach it

You arrange lift bookings, loading zones, parking permits and building access at both addresses. Disclose known access issues when booking, so we can allocate the right truck, crew and equipment.

Our standard crew is two to three movers, and additional movers are available for larger, heavier or time-sensitive jobs. Every move includes flat dollies and hand trolleys, ratchet straps, quilted blankets and furniture pads, and the tools for basic dismantling, at no extra charge.

Often the safest way to move a heavy item is to make it lighter first. Lifting a stone top off its base, taking the doors and drawers out of an armoire or clearing the plates off a weight rack can turn one difficult lift into several manageable ones. Basic dismantling and reassembly are part of the job, and the tools are included.

Where an item cannot travel through a building, hoisting may be an option. It is assessed per item, charged at $48 including GST, and only carried out where the item, the building and the conditions allow it to be done safely.

One thing extra movers cannot do is make an unsafe route safe. If a staircase is too narrow, too steep or too fragile for the load, more hands on the item is not the answer. In those cases, the right answer might be dismantling, a different route or a specialist with lifting equipment, and we will say so plainly.

Heavy items are priced on top of the standard moving rate, so you can see exactly what the weight adds:

• Moving time: $125 to $169 per hour + GST, depending on the type of move and truck size, for a moving truck, two professional movers and all standard equipment
• Heavy item charge: $48 including GST for each item over 90kg
• Additional movers: where an item or route needs them, confirmed in your quote
• Travel: depot-to-depot or a call-out fee, depending on the job and location

Other extras of $48 including GST each can apply, depending on access: apartment stairs (per flight), hoisting (per item), a driveway the truck cannot access, additional pick-up or drop-off locations and extra trips between loading and unloading. Parking or permit costs are passed on, and waiting time is chargeable if delivery cannot be completed in a timely manner.

Pianos have their own charge, explained on our piano removals page. Every charge is confirmed before you book, and a deposit secures your date. See the full breakdown on our pricing page.

Most heavy items move as part of something bigger. In a house move, they are usually loaded first, low and close to the front of the truck, with the rest of the load built around them and strapped in place.

Businesses have their own heavy items: safes, stone-topped boardroom tables, commercial fridges and equipment. Our office removals and warehouse removals pages explain how those are planned alongside the rest of a relocation. Anything hard-wired, plumbed in or requiring licensed disconnection needs your own trades before we move it, and we do not transport hazardous goods.

Moving a single heavy piece on its own? That is a small move, charged on the same hourly basis plus the heavy item charge.

When you request a quote, send the item's weight and dimensions, photos of the item and the route at both ends, floor levels and parking details. Our team aims to call new enquiries back within five minutes during business hours (8am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday).