Moving a safe

[Caecilius]

I've just bought a property which has a floor-standing safe. I'd like to move this to another house a couple of miles away. Thankfully, both the current and planned locations are on the ground floor, so no stairs involved.

Here's a pic:

I've looked up the model number, and it weighs 550Kg, so about half a ton. So I don't think a sack truck will cut it. And I need to think about getting it over the threshold and into/out of a van.

Is this a specialist job, or something that can be done with some hired equipment and a few helping hands?

[Andrew Mawson]

Crow bar to lift the front up 1" - slip in rollers (old lengths of steel gas pipe is what I use) - roll to outside making gentle ramps etc where necessary over threshold. Bribe a passing skip lorry to pick it up in slings and take it to new location.

AWEM

[Bill Wright]

Check the strength of the floors along the route.

Bill

[Bill]

In message , Caecilius writes

At the local auction I attend there are often safes of this size and the preferred method is a pallet truck and then a fork lift. You will have "fun" firstly tilting it enough to get something underneath it and then secondly moving it through the 2 buildings, some builders boards will help with the thresholds. As the other Bill has said, check the strength of the floors that it will be travelling over.

It might be worth your while asking a business removals company for a quote, then if it goes wrong it's their problem! :-)

[Peter Crosland]

Definitly one for a professional mover with the correct equipment and skills to use it.

[Nightjar]

A machinery moving company is best for that. They will be insured and have all the equipment needed to move and lift the safe.

Colin Bignell

[Brian Gaff]

Couple of things, presumably the floor where it is is strong enough, but have you checked the new venue? I'd not put that in the middle of a suspended wood floor myself. I can recall some bright spark telling me how he moved an anville to inside a house for temp storage and it went through the floor as he was taking it in on rollers. Be careful. Dont drop it on anyones foot!

Brian

[Muddymike]

I helped move one once, not sure how heavy it was but we used an engine crane.

Mike

[charles]

or a local lock firm. I had a safe installed some years ago and the company that supplied and fitted it said they would organise to move it when needed.