Safes are one of those things nobody thinks about until moving day is three weeks away. Then the realisation hits: it's bolted to the floor, it weighs as much as a small car, and the staircase in your Victorian terrace is barely wide enough for a large suitcase.
Why Safes Are Harder to Move Than They Look
Most household furniture can be broken down, slid, or carried by two people with the right preparation. Safes can't. They're designed to be immovable. That's the whole point.
A typical home safe tips the scales at between 45kg and 110kg. Larger floor-mounted models can reach 280kg or more. Compare that to the Health and Safety Executive's manual handling guideline of 25kg for men and 16kg for women, and you can see why a safe is a completely different job from moving a wardrobe. Add in an awkward shape with no obvious grip points, a potential floor bolt, and a narrow London hallway, and you've got a challenge that catches a lot of movers off guard.
How Heavy Is Your Safe?
Safe weights vary enormously depending on size and security rating. A small document or cash safe typically weighs between 15kg and 30kg: manageable for a pair of experienced movers with the right trolley. A standard home safe sits in the 45kg to 110kg range, which requires a specialist sack truck, proper padding, and at least two people who know what they're doing.
Large floor safes often weigh 200kg or more, and some commercial-grade models tip the scales at 280kg or beyond. At that weight, a standard removal team cannot safely shift it without specialist lifting equipment and a site survey carried out beforehand. If you're not sure how heavy your safe is, check the manufacturer's documentation or look for a plate on the back or base. Your removal company needs that figure before the job starts, not on the morning of the move.
Does Your Removal Crew Handle It, or Do You Need a Specialist?
This is the question most people get wrong, and the answer depends on the safe itself.
For an unbolted safe under 75kg, a professional removal crew with the right equipment can usually handle it as part of your house move. A well-prepared team will bring a heavy-duty sack truck, protective floor coverings, and straps to keep the safe secured in the van. Our piano and specialist items service covers exactly this kind of heavy, high-value job as standard, with a crew trained and equipped for items that need extra care.
For anything heavier, or anything fixed to a floor or wall, you'll need a specialist safe engineer to manage the disconnection and possibly the reinstallation at your new address. One important detail to be aware of: if your safe has an Anti-Explosive Device (AED), it must be handled by a certified safe engineer regardless of its weight. Moving it incorrectly can trigger the device and permanently destroy the contents. When in doubt, tell your removals company the safe's make, model, and weight at the survey stage, and they'll tell you clearly whether they can take it or whether additional support is required.
How to Prepare Your Safe Before Moving Day
A little preparation makes a big difference. Your crew won't thank you for surprises on the day.
Start by emptying the safe completely. Documents, cash, jewellery and valuables should be transported separately and kept on you during the move, not in the van. Next, lock the door. A safe door swinging open mid-move is a serious hazard for your crew and for anything in its path. If you're also having other belongings professionally packed on the same day, our packing and unpacking service covers this as part of the same job, so everything is sorted in a single visit.
Measure the route through your property. A narrow Victorian hallway or a sharp turn at the top of the stairs can make an otherwise manageable job impossible without prior planning. Share these measurements with your removals company before the day. For the main house removals element of the move, the same team will do a free video survey on request for larger jobs, and it's worth flagging the safe at that stage. Finally, confirm that floor protection is included in your quote. A heavy safe on a wooden floor without sliders or coverings will leave marks. Just Removals London includes free floor coverings on every move as standard.
What If Your Safe Is Bolted to the Floor or Wall?
Many home safes are sold with the instruction to bolt them in place. Rightly so.
According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 245,284 burglaries in England and Wales in 2024/25, which is exactly why many homeowners take installation seriously. Bolting your safe down is good security practice. It does, however, make your removal more complicated.
You'll need a locksmith or safe engineer to unbolt and prepare the safe before your removal crew arrives. Don't attempt this yourself on a heavy floor safe: you risk damaging the safe, the floor, or both. If the safe is set into the floor (an underfloor model), check with your solicitor whether it's classified as a fixture, as this can affect what you're permitted to remove under the terms of your sale. Book the safe engineer to attend at least the day before your move so there's no last-minute delay on completion day.
Can You Put Your Safe in Storage During a Move?
Sometimes the dates don't line up. Completion on your old property and the keys for the new one can be days or even weeks apart.
If you need somewhere for your belongings in the meantime, our secure storage is available for short and long-term stays. For safes specifically, check that the storage facility can handle heavy items, as not all units have ground-floor access or loading equipment suitable for a 100kg-plus safe. Whatever you decide, don't leave an unbolted safe loose in a moving van overnight or in an unsecured location. If you're in any doubt about the chain of custody for your safe and its contents, speak to your crew before the move, not on the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a removal company move my safe?
It depends on the safe's weight and whether it's fixed in place. Unbolted safes under 75kg can usually be handled by a professional removal crew with the right equipment. For heavier or bolted safes, you may need a specialist safe engineer to manage the disconnection first. Always mention the safe at the survey stage so the right team and tools are arranged in advance.
Do I need to empty my safe before the move?
Yes, always. Empty it completely before moving day and carry valuables, documents, and cash separately rather than leaving them inside the safe during transit. A locked, empty safe is significantly easier and safer for your crew to handle.
Will moving my safe affect my home insurance?
It can. If your safe was installed to meet your insurer's security requirements, having it moved and not reinstalled correctly at your new property could affect your cover. Check with your insurer before the move and confirm reinstatement arrangements are in place for your new address.
How far in advance should I tell my removal company about the safe?
At the quote stage, before the survey. Don't leave it until moving day. Your removal company needs the safe's make, model, approximate weight, and whether it's bolted so they can bring the right equipment and allocate the right size crew.