Moving Out of an Old House in Jeddah: A Safe Step-by-Step Plan

1. Entrance and front door: width, height, and whether a step or threshold stops it opening fully.
2. Stairs: width, condition of steps, handrails and turns.
3. Inner corridors: especially between bedrooms and the front door.
4. The street: can a Dyna get in, is it a narrow lane, where can a truck stop?
5. Built-ins: wall wardrobes, timber shelving, kitchens made on site.

These photos decide crew size, truck size and whether we need longer hand carries.

Old stairs can have cracked steps or broken edges, and handrails may be loose and unable to take weight. Before starting we walk the whole route, mark steps that cannot be trusted and pad them. We never use an old handrail as a pivot point when carrying. We also check stair lighting, since many older homes are dimly lit, and bring extra lights if needed. Crew safety is what keeps your furniture safe too.

Removing chandeliers, window or split air conditioners and fixed shelving in an old house can expose fragile wiring or corroded pipes. Our rule is simple: nothing connected to power or water is removed before the supply is isolated, and we do not reconnect anything in the old house after removal. If appliances need an electrician or AC technician, arrange one in advance. See our AC removal and moving and curtain and chandelier removal pages.

Furniture that has lived twenty or thirty years is often heavy solid wood with dried-out or loosened joints, and some pieces have been repaired more than once. They may look sturdy but are easily damaged if handled wrongly. So we:

• Lift from the lower frame, never by edges or handles.
• Remove doors and drawers first to cut weight and protect hinges.
• Do not separate joints set in old glue, which may snap; we move the piece whole with extra padding.
• Wrap carved surfaces in blankets and secure them without over-tightening.

For pieces of historic or family value, see antique furniture moving.

Many older homes have wardrobes, shelving or kitchens built inside the house to fit it. These may not pass through the doors and may not suit the new home. We first ask whether you really want them moved. If so, the carpenter removes them with as little damage as possible, though some will not be quite the same afterwards because their original fixing was part of the structure. If the house is being handed back or demolished, leaving them or taking only good doors and parts may be better.

• Sort store rooms and roofs days before moving and discard damaged items.
• Dust furniture before wrapping.
• Check old timber for tiny holes or powdery wood dust and isolate suspect pieces, as termites travel with furniture.
• Never seal damp items in plastic; let them dry first.

Old paint or varnish can be dry and cracked, and stretch film pulled tight directly onto it can lift flakes when removed. We always put fabric or soft paper between the surface and the plastic and wrap firmly but not tightly. Old glass in cabinets is often thinner than modern glass, so we remove it if possible or tape it in a star pattern and cover it with board. Old mirrors with carved frames need rigid board on both face and back.

Older homes are often on narrower streets, some in lanes a truck cannot enter. We then use a smaller Dyna parked at the nearest point and carry furniture by hand or trolley over a longer distance. Sometimes a small Dyna shuttles between the house and a larger truck on the main road. This needs planning and good knowledge of the location, and it affects crew numbers and time.

1. Arrival and check: review the route, stairs, lighting and hazards.
2. Protection: floors, thresholds and turns, even in an old house that may be rented or for sale.
3. Top down: upper floors and roof first.
4. Dismantling: only what can be taken apart safely.
5. Carrying: one piece at a time on the stairs with a guide in front.
6. Loading: fragile old pieces in a protected spot, strapped.
7. Final walk-through: every room and store before leaving.

Older homes are often full of small items that are priceless to their owners: old photos, letters, family documents and heirlooms. We advise against putting these in the truck. Pack them in small boxes that a family member carries personally, or mark them clearly and load them last so they come off first and go into a locked room at the new home.

Going from an old house to a new one usually means big changes in room sizes, doors and lifts. Some large vintage pieces may not suit the new home, and some may not fit a modern building's lift even though they left the old house through a wide door. We measure the new home first and decide with you what moves, what is stored and what is sold. If the new home is still being finished, see moving into a newly built home.

• Stair and door widths, and narrow lanes.
• Distance from the door to the nearest truck stop.
• Volume stored on roofs and in store rooms.
• Built-ins that need a carpenter.
• Condition of old furniture and special packing.
• Distance to the new home.

See the Jeddah moving price guide and floor and lift fees.

• Leaning on old handrails while carrying.
• Removing fixed items without isolating power and water.
• Sealing damp items in plastic.
• Moving store-room contents unsorted, bringing pests and dust along.
• Not measuring the new home for large vintage pieces.
• Skipping photos of old furniture before the move.