Do you love your oven? You don’t need to leave it behind when you move house and can choose to take it with you. Many people assume you have to leave your oven as part of the household chattels, but you can exclude it from the chattels if you’re fond of it and want to keep it.
Here’s why you may wish to move your oven:
- You enjoy cooking and like the performance of your oven.
- It’s an expensive appliance, and you wish to keep it.
- You don’t want to go to the expense of replacing it at your new home.
- You don’t want to settle for a lesser appliance at your new home.
If you ticked any of the above, let’s look at how to move your oven.
First, can you take it with you?
Depending on the type and size of the oven, you may not actually be able to move it. Grab a measuring tape and get the width and depth of your oven. Then check your pathway from the kitchen to the nearest door to where the truck will be parked on moving day. If it doesn’t fit at any point, you’ll save yourself a little heartache on moving day because you’ll need to leave it behind.
Unplugging the oven
Once you’ve decided you’re taking your oven with you, check its connection to the power. Most newer ovens now come equipped with a standard oven plug that goes into a powerpoint on the wall. They’re easy to unplug when it comes time to move.
If you have an older oven, it may be a model that had to be hardwired into the mains. If this is the case, you’ll need to book a registered electrician shortly before moving day to safely detach it from the power.
Clean your oven
Clean your oven inside and out before packing it for moving. While cleaning the oven may not be your favourite task (you’re not alone), even with wrapping, it’s best to avoid any chance of grease or cooking residue from being transferred to other items during the move. There are also many specialist oven cleaning services available these days if you want to save yourself from doing this job.
Check the manufacturer’s manual
Manufacturer’s manuals often have instructions for how to move the oven safely. Get hold of a copy and see if it has any instructions which will make the task easier. You can always get the manual from the manufacturer’s website if you don’t have a physical copy.
Gather your packing materials and equipment
To move your oven, you’ll need the following:
- Moving rollers and a dolly.
- Moving blankets.
- Packing tape.
- Bubble wrap.
Disassembly
Every item that can be disassembled is easier to move, especially with heavy appliances like your oven. Remove the grates, trays, drawer, and loose parts like grills and gas outlets. Wrap and pack these items separately and box them so they’re easy to find when you’re ready to reassemble your oven.
The door
Many models have removable doors to make cleaning the oven easier. If yours comes off, remove it and pack it separately. There’s a lot of weight in the heatproof glass, which will make the body of the oven lighter.
When you pack the door, protect both sides of the glass with thick, impact-resistant materials, like polystyrene. Cover it with bubblewrap and box it.
If your oven door is fixed, secure it in the closed position with strips of packing tape, zip ties or other fasteners.
Use moving rollers
Moving rollers are the ideal solution for picking up heavy objects and moving them without damaging floors. Slide the rollers under the oven, use the controls to winch it from the floor, and wheel it out. If you have a wall-mounted oven, you’ll need to lift it out manually and rest it on the rollers or moving dolly. Make sure you have two strong people ready to take the weight as you remove it from the cavity.
Wrapping for moving
Now you have your oven on the rollers, wrap the sides and top with bubble wrap for protection. Then wrap the oven with moving blankets, which provide better protection against knocks while in the truck. That’s it! Your oven is ready to load, so wheel it to the truck.
As a final tip, moving any large and heavy object is potentially dangerous. If at any stage you feel unsure about what you’re doing, ask a professional for help.