Nothing ruins a moving day faster than standing outside your new house to find out your furniture doesn’t fit through the door.

To have a successful move day, it’s important to not assume that just because something fits through the door of your current home, it will be no problem at your future home.

Here’s how you can ensure a smooth move of your furniture, even if there’s a door in the way. 

Measure the Door Ahead of Time

The easiest way to avoid being in this undesirable situation is to measure everything ahead of time — both in your old and new homes.

It is a simple task yet many people neglect to do it. Keep in mind that you also need to measure hallways, elevators, and stairways, especially those with railings.

This will tell you ahead of time if you need to get rid of your larger furniture or hire someone to pull it through a window.

Remove Pieces

If your furniture has legs, they should be removed. If it is a large bookcase, take the entire thing apart. If you are dealing with a dresser or something similar, sometimes the handles simply need to be removed.

Try Different Angles

If you know a piece should fit based on measurements that you took before your move day, then maybe you just need to try maneuvering it through the door at a different angle.

It is a soft couch or chair that can squeeze through, be careful not to rip the fabric on the door. Take your time as some pieces may need to slowly fit through on an angle.

Remove the Door and Frame

If you really can’t fit the furniture through your door, you can always remove the door from the hinges or remove the entire frame. This will give you about another half-inch, which could be the difference between leaving a piece by the curb or not.

Pro tip: do not be intimidated by this — door frames are quite easy to put back on.

Hoisting

If everything fails and you’re still insisting on bringing that large furniture with you, hoisting is your best and last bet.

It’s important to remember that this kind of work should only be done by professionals. You can destroy the item, damage the balcony, and not mention if it falls, it could seriously injure someone in its path.

Hoisting is usually done using a crane and an experienced operator. Call FlatRate now and learn how we can help you.