Imagine the following scenario: Your large furniture pieces have been packed and you are about to move them one by one.
Then, while you are carrying the large living-room couch with two friends, it happens: the couch doesn’t fit through your door.
When it comes time to move your furniture to another place, you might find that some beds, sofas, or dressers, as well as desks and desks, are too large to fit through narrow corridors, narrow doors, or even narrow staircases. If this happens, it is easy to become frustrated, angry, and even confused – truly baffled about how these large furniture pieces got there.
If your furniture is not able to fit through the doors or hallways, don’t panic. There are approximately 10 steps that you can follow to resolve this problem and allow you to continue your house moving as planned.
This is what you should do if your furniture doesn’t fit through the doorway or hallway.
Step 1. Measure your furniture
It pays to do your research before you move large furniture pieces out of your home or into your new place. This will help you be prepared in case of an unexpected situation. When moving large furniture pieces, prevention is better than cure.
The first step to solving the furniture-won’t-go-through-the-door problem is to avoid that problem altogether. How??
This is an example of how you measure large couches. However, the same process can be used to measure other large pieces of furniture. Grab your measuring tape and measure the furniture.
- Height (H). Measure the distance between the ground and the highest point on the couch (usually its backrest) to determine the height.
- Diagonal height. The distance between the armrest’s front corner and the back of the couch is the measurement. If you know the depth of your furniture’s diagonal, you can determine if it will fit through small openings when it is positioned standing up.
- Width. The distance between the two largest points on the couch sides is measured.
- Depth. The distance between the two highest points, one on the couch’s front and one on its back, is the distance.
- The diagonal depth (DD). The distance between the top left corner (or top right corner) of the armrest and the bottom corner is the measurement.
Make sure you take down the dimensions of large furniture to ensure that they are not forgotten.
Step 2. Measure your doors
The second step in ensuring that large furniture pieces fit through narrower doors and hallways is measuring the openings the furniture must pass through when it travels to the truck or to its destination room.
It’s not difficult to do this. All you need is to measure the width and height of each door, hallway, or elevator along the intended route. When planning your action, remember to take into account the railings if you intend on moving large furniture items down and upstairs.
Once you have the dimensions for the openings, you can compare them with the measurements of any oversized items that you are moving. A quick glance at the measurements will tell you if you are likely to run into trouble and, if so, how large.
Remember, numbers never lie.
Step 3.
As you prepare to move large furniture items out of your current residence or into your new home, it is important to evaluate your options and decide on the best course.
Do not rush to make decisions. You will lose 10x your time if you get stuck with heavy furniture. What about the stress it will cause to your nervous system?
These are the possible scenarios if you analyze and compare the measurements above.
- Scenario 1. Each opening will allow your furniture to fit comfortably. This is great news.
- Scenario 2. Your furniture is slightly larger than the measured hallways and doors. It’s okay, though. There are safe ways to squeeze large furniture through the openings.
- Scenario 3. Your furniture pieces may be larger than the doorways and hallways that lead to the exit. This may be a problem, but it is possible to use the following methods to get furniture through doors. It’s great to know there is still a foolproof way to solve your furniture problem, even if you try everything. See Step 10 for more information.
Step 4.
Friends in need are friends indeed.
This is about making sure that you don’t suddenly find yourself completely on your own when it comes to moving large and heavy furniture. You have made the right decision not to hire professional furniture movers. This will leave you with a significantly reduced workforce on the day of your move.
To move large furniture items from your home or apartment, you will need at least two additional helpers. This will ensure that your property is not damaged or anyone gets hurt. You should consider bringing more than two friends along to help you. However, the minimum requirement of three people is something you shouldn’t ignore.
You will need to have enough strength and manpower in order to maneuver your large couch through a narrow doorway or get that huge dresser through a narrow hallway. Reach out to your friends as soon as possible so they can make a reservation for that time and date.
Remember that you need at least two helpers to move your furniture. If that fails, you should consider calling professional furniture movers.
Step 5.
If you have received bad news from the measurements (Scenario 2 in Step 3 or Scenario 3 in Step 3), then it is time to show your creativity by following these steps.
This is a very logical step. Take apart your huge furniture pieces so that they reduce the overall size. It’s possible to safely break down large furniture pieces into smaller sections.
Any protruding parts, such as legs, arms, or doors, that are easily removed without causing damage, should be removed. Furniture legs are the most problematic in many cases. Make sure you remove them by either unscrewing or pulling them out. Your goal is to keep the furniture at its structural minimum.
For extra protection, wrap the furniture pieces in bubble wrap or blankets.
Step 6. Attempt different angles
How do you get your furniture to fit through the door? Improvise.
Nope. Try another angle.
Simply put, you should be able to identify the problem and the solution if you find yourself stuck with a large piece of furniture in a doorway.
Remind yourself that there is a solution. Those large pieces of furniture were able to pass the first time they were brought into the room. Right?
This step involves improvising when you are in a tight spot. Just think about the best exit angles for the furniture piece relative to the smaller opening.
You can start by moving slowly around the door frame until you reach that angle that allows you to pass unharmed. It is possible to change the exit angle of large furniture that you are trying to move through narrow openings. You should slow down and be calculated in all your movements.
You can also try putting the couch or other furniture piece vertically on its side and then twisting it carefully into the opening. You should be able to fit your furniture into the hallway or doorway if you have the right angle. Slow and precise movements are sufficient.
Step 7.
Sometimes, you will only need a few inches more to fit larger furniture through hallways and doors. What to do if your sofa doesn’t fit through the door? You may be surprised to learn you can squeeze it through.
Sofas and couches have soft sides that can easily be compressed so they can fit through narrow doors. It’s all about getting those extra inches of space with the upholstered furniture.
To prevent things from getting out of control, you should take a few precautions before you try this simple solution.
- Stretch wrap your furniture to protect it from dirt and grime when it’s being rubbed against a door frame.
- Protect your fingers by using high-quality gloves for work and paying attention to where your hands are placed while you move furniture.
Step 8.
Always think before you act.
Even if you follow the steps above to fit furniture through a doorway you might still be stuck with a large sofa, table, dresser, or another bulky household item. Sometimes, you might need a little more space to get it through.
You can remove the door temporarily to make more space for large furniture that is difficult to fit through narrow hallways and doors. This hack might not be always possible but it is definitely worth trying.
Talk about this possibility with your team and decide if it’s worth the effort. You need to be clear about what you are doing so you don’t get a bigger problem than you currently have.
Begin by pushing the door upwards with a friend. Then, move it out of the way. Do this slowly and carefully.
Step 9.
If you don’t think the previous steps worked, you can try one more trick to gain a little extra space. It should not exceed an inch. If you have the option, remove temporarily the door frame.
It sounds desperate to remove the door frame from the door after it has been removed. But, it’s a desperate move that may save you from moving day.
This will only work if your door frame is made from wood. If it’s secured in place with tiny nails that you can reach, see and remove with the appropriate tool, this step won’t work. This is the final step in getting large furniture through the door. After you have taken the big furniture out or put it in, you will need to reposition your door frame.
Furniture is only one of several difficult items to move in your home. Check out the infographic below for tips on moving other notoriously difficult items!
Infographic provided by iHaul iMove, Colorado Springs apartment movers
Step 10.
Just stand back and watch the furniture movers do what they do best.
Sometimes things don’t go as planned no matter what you do. Even though it can be difficult to accept defeat, sometimes you have to do it in order to avoid more complications.
If none of these steps have worked, it’s time for qualified assistance. It is important to know when it is time to stop. Being too persistent could cause property damage or even personal injury.
This post was written by a professional at Black Label Moving Co. which is a full-service moving company specializing in local and out-of-state moves, senior transition, corporate relocation, deliveries, junk removal, and hauling. We are fully licensed and insured. Local and family-owned and providing service for Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties. Black Label Movers can handle any type of residential move, whether it is a large home or a small apartment. All of your belongings are provided with care and each one is wrapped if needed to protect it from being scratched or dinged up. Contact us today to get started on your move!
