Move appliances, safes and other heavy objects

What is included when the removal company moves heavy items?

Bohag 2010 is an agreement between Konsumentverket (the Swedish Consumer Agency) and the moving industry. If you have not agreed on anything else, transport of abnormally heavy objects is not included, nor is disconnecting or reconnecting fixed lighting, computers and other electronic equipment. Therefore, write the white goods, safe and piano into the agreement if the company is to take care of them.

If the removal company damages something, they should repair it or compensate you. The responsibility is limited to 20 price base amounts per household and can be adjusted for temperature-sensitive belongings and sensitive electronics. Complain within a reasonable time and no later than three years after the assignment. How you do it is stated in the guide to damages and complaints.

Source: Konsumentverket: Hire a removal company, tips on what to think about, Bohag 2010: General moving terms for consumers (pdf, published by Cityflytt), Konsumentverket: Problems with removal company. Points 2, 12.3 and 16 in Bohag 2010.

How to move a washing machine?

The drum in a washing machine hangs in springs and is locked during transport with bolts or a transport lock. Miele says that the transport safety device should be reassembled before transport, for example when moving, and that the machine can otherwise be damaged. Bosch says that you should save the transport lock when you install the machine, so that you can use it again if you move. Other manufacturers do not say as clearly what applies when moving, so read the user manual for your machine. Do not forget to remove the safety device again before you run the machine at the new address.

Source: Miele: Instructions for washing machine (transport safety), Bosch: Washing machine with transport lock.

The dishwasher

Disconnect the power and turn off the water. Put a towel under when you loosen the hoses, as there is usually water left, and let the door stay open for at least a day so that the machine dries before it is packed, according to Beko.

Source: Beko: How do I transport the dishwasher when I move?.

How do I move a fridge and freezer?

Empty the fridge and freezer, defrost the freezer so that the ice does not melt and leak during transport, and unplug them a few hours before the move. Transport them preferably standing. Liebherr writes that some models can be transported lying down while others should not, so check your model.

How long the fridge should stand before you plug it in varies between manufacturers:

• Electrolux: at least four hours after transport.
• Liebherr: two hours after standing transport, at least twelve hours if it has been lying down and one day for older fridges.
• Beko: at least four hours upright, and after lying down transport up to twice as long as it has been lying down.
• Samsung: four hours if the fridge has been lying down for a long time.

It can then take up to twelve hours before the fridge is cold enough for food, according to Beko. What you do with the food is in the post about emptying the fridge and freezer.

Source: Beko: How do I transport my fridge when I move?, Electrolux: Transport instructions for fridge and freezer, Liebherr: Transport of refrigerators, Samsung: How to install your fridge/freezer.

Am I allowed to disconnect and reconnect the stove myself?

It depends on how it is installed. To permanently connect or disconnect a permanently connected product is considered electrical installation work, and only an electrical installation company registered with Elsäkerhetsverket may do it. If the stove has a Perilex plug, you can insert it into an existing Perilex socket yourself. If there is no socket, it is a permanent installation. You are allowed to do things like replace fuses and replace an existing wall socket yourself.

Source: Elsäkerhetsverket: What am I allowed to do myself with electricity?, Elsäkerhetsverket: Am I allowed to connect a stove with a Perilex plug?.

How do I move a safe?

Find out the weight before the move and tell the removal company, as unusually heavy items are not included unless you have agreed on it. Floor slabs in homes are dimensioned according to Boverket (the Swedish National Board of Housing) for a distributed load of 2.0 kN per square meter, and the Swedish Insurance checklist for safes covers both the weight on the floor slab and whether the safe can be transported in the building. Ask the property owner or a constructor before a heavy safe is placed in the new home (our advice).

A safe or security cabinet weighing under 150 kilos should be anchored to the wall or floor, according to the Theft Protection Association. What protection is required for the home insurance to apply is determined by the insurance company, so ask them after the move. If you have licensed firearms, the requirements of the firearms law also apply to the safe, see the guide on how to move with firearms.

Source: Bohag 2010: General moving rules for consumers (pdf, published by Cityflytt), Boverket: Useful loads, Svensk Försäkring: FTR 1028, amount limits in safes, Stöldskyddsföreningen: Protect your valuables.

Wing and piano

A piano is not included in the moving assignment according to Bohag 2010 unless you have agreed on it separately. How to order the move, what it costs, and who replaces damages is stated in the guide on how to move a piano.

Source: Bohag 2010: General moving rules for consumers (pdf, published by Cityflytt).

Carrying help and aids

The Work Environment Authority, which writes for workplaces, considers it inappropriate to handle loads heavier than 25 kilos, even close to the body, and recommends rolling instead of lifting and carrying. The same rule of thumb applies when you move yourself: use a sack truck, furniture rollers, or lifting straps and be two on the heavy (our advice).

If you hire help to carry, it gives RUT tax deduction. Skatteverket (the Swedish Tax Agency) counts packing up and down, loading and unloading as moving services, but not the rent for a moving truck, fuel, or boxes. More about it in the guide on RUT tax deduction for moving.

Source: Arbetsmiljöverket: Simplified models for assessing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders, Arbetsmiljöverket: Manual handling and other exertions, Skatteverket: Does the work qualify for RUT tax deduction?.

How to move heavy things

1. 1

   Step 1: Write down everything that is heavy or needs to be disconnected and tell the removal company when you ask for a quote. Appliances, safes, and pianos should be included in the agreement.

2. 2

   Step 2: Empty and defrost the fridge and freezer, and unplug them a few hours before the move.

3. 3

   Step 3: Put back the washing machine's transport safety device if the manufacturer says so. Find the bolts or lock you saved.

4. 4

   Step 4: Turn off the water, disconnect the dishwasher and leave the door open so it dries.

5. 5

   Step 5: If the stove is hardwired: book a registered electrical installation company to disconnect and reconnect it.

6. 6

   Step 6: Use a sack barrow or furniture rollers and roll instead of carrying. Do not lift alone what weighs over 25 kilo. our advice

7. 7

   Step 7: Let the refrigerator and freezer stand up in the new location as long as the manufacturer specifies before starting them.