Moving a couch/sofa through a narrow doorway is a more common problem than you may think. You have carefully measured your living room, worked out the layout and decided on the perfect couch. But, when it arrives, it won’t fit through the narrow doorways. Nightmare! Or you are moving house only to discover that your beloved sofa won’t fit through your doorway in your new home
Choosing The Right Sofa For Narrow Doorways
If you plan on buying a new sofa, you will want to ensure it fits in your living space. Finding the perfect sofa, especially for smaller spaces, involves not only measuring the room but also ensuring it will fit through the door.
There are many different modular sofas on the market these days that are easy to take apart for ease of transport and fitting in through your small doorways. Just make sure you note down the measurements of each section to ensure that each part will fit through your door.
Corner, left hand or right hand sofas are also often sectional, so again are easier to move. . Check that they will be easy to take apart before buying, and if not, you may need professional help in getting that sofa in to your living room.
A sofa bed or reclining sofa is often easily dismantled for easy moving. Again, check this with the manufacturer before purchasing.
But, if your heart is set on that big sofa that you know won’t fit easily through your doors or corridors, don’t despair, there is always a way.
Preparing the Doorway
Before attempting to move a sofa through a narrow doorway, it’s essential to prepare the doorway to ensure a smooth and safe passage. Start by removing any obstructions that may be blocking the door, such as coat racks, shoe rails, pictures, mirrors, side tables, and door stops. If the sofa still can’t fit through the door, consider removing the door itself. Interior doors are often lightweight and easy to remove. Simply tap out the hinge pins with a nail, then shift the door sideways to take it off the hinges. This will give you extra room to manoeuvre the sofa through the narrow doorway, making the process much easier.
Measuring and Calculating the Fit
To ensure a successful sofa move, it’s crucial to measure and calculate the fit of the sofa through the doorway and any subsequent hallways or stairs. Start by measuring the width and height of the sofa, as well as the dimensions of the doorway, hallway, and stairs. Compare these measurements to determine the best course of action. If the measurements are tight, consider investing in a flat-pack sofa that can be easily assembled and disassembled, or a modular sofa that can be rearranged to fit through narrow doorways. Accurate measurements and careful planning will help you avoid any surprises and ensure a smooth move.
Let The Experts Help
Sofa Assist is here to help. We can analyse your sofa to determine the best course of action. We will assess your property and general layout of the access route. Ensuring that your sofa is safely delivered into the room you intended it for. We will find the solution to your problem.
Here at Sofa Assist we specialise in moving large sofas into homes and properties where there is a narrow doorway or other access issues. If you think your sofa is too big for your door there are other avenues. Your windows are another option, we have specialist equipment to hoist your sofa in through an upstairs window. This is also a good option for people living in flats as moving large sofa’s up tight stair ways is a common problem. Please do not try to move a sofa through an upstairs window or balcony area without the proper equipment.
When moving the sofa into a building in one piece just can’t be done, Sofa Assist can disassemble it and reassemble it perfectly in place. Our qualified and extensively experienced upholsterers put your sofa back together without anyone ever being able to tell it was taken apart.
In short, we can move your sofa into your property or home even when your is too big for your small doorways. For more information and advice, contact our friendly team today.
Fitting a Sofa Through a Small Doorway
There are always things that you can do to fit a large sofa through an opening that may appear too small. With a bit of careful planning and know-how, you would be surprised how often you will be able to squeeze that couch through the doorway.
A sofa often has fairly easily removed or disassembled sections to help you fit them through a narrow doorway. Legs, arms, and seat backs are commonly pieces that can be removed without damaging the sofa.
You Will Need:
- A measuring tape
- Notepad and pen
- Screwdriver
- Wrench/Allen Wrench
- Pliers
Possibly a hammer, nails, a pry bar, a utility knife, safety goggles, work gloves, a towel and lifting straps.
You will also nerd to have at least two strong people as even a small couch can weigh 100 pounds. Sofa beds will weigh much more.
Step One – Remove what you can
Remove any throw cushions and detachable seat/back cushions and throw pillows. If the legs are easy to remove, take those off now too.
Step Two – Measure the sofa
Measure the dimensions of the sofa and jot these down. Make sure you measure the maximum size from the most outermost edges of the couch. Height will need to be from the floor to the highest point on the back of the sofa. Width should be from the outer edge of one arm to the other. Depth will be from the front to the back of the sofa.
Step Three – Measuring all openings
You will need to measure the dimensions of all the passageways that your sofa needs to pass through. The doorways, down hallways, stairwells, elevator doors, etc., which will all need to be measured by the height and width of the opening. Be sure to jot these down, too.
Once you have these measurements, plan out on a piece of paper where the couch will fit and whether it will need to be turned horizontally or vertically. Don’t forget to allow for ‘swing’ around space if you need to turn a corner.
Navigating Stairs and Hallways
Navigating stairs and hallways can be a significant challenge when moving a sofa. If you have good ceiling height in your home, standing the sofa on its end can help you manoeuvre it around corners and along narrow hallways. Before you order, make sure to check that your hallway is wider than the broadest part of the sofa. If you have stairs, consider investing in a flat-pack sofa that is lightweight and easy to lift. Measure the narrowest point of your staircase to ensure the sofa will fit. With careful planning and the right approach, you can successfully navigate these tricky areas.
The Doorway Is Too Narrow
You may find after measuring that the doorway is just slightly too narrow. Even if it looks like it may fit on paper, you may find it easier to remove any interior doors before moving the couch.
Removing an interior door is usually fairly simple. It just requires tapping out the hinge pins with a nail. Tap from the bottom upward. You can then pull each pin out and remove the door sideways to take it off its hinges. This doesn’t require removing the hinges from either the door or the frame.
If this still doesn’t give you enough room to manoeuvre, you can remove the door hinges from the frame and doorstops. Doorstops are the trim inside the door frame that hold the door in place when closed. Removing both of these will give you roughly an extra inch of width and about half an inch in height.
Common Challenges and Solutions
When moving a sofa through a narrow doorway, common challenges include getting stuck, damaging the door frame or sofa, and struggling to manoeuvre the sofa. To overcome these challenges, try angling the sofa, disassembling the sofa, or disassembling the door frame. If these solutions don’t work, consider hiring professional help. Additionally, consider investing in a modular sofa that can be rearranged to fit through narrow doorways, or a flat-pack sofa that can be easily assembled and disassembled. With the right strategies and tools, you can successfully move your sofa into your living space without any hassle.