Measuring Your Space for Furniture Delivery 

You love the look and feel of that chic sectional in the store, and you can already imagine it in your home – but is it a perfect fit? Buying new furniture for your big move or seasonal refresh can be exciting, but have you thought about how that bed frame will fit up the stairs, or if that sofa can squeeze through your doorway? 

Measuring your space before buying furniture is an important and often overlooked step. It’s more than measuring the spot where your furniture will sit – it's measuring the path the furniture has to take before it gets to the room. If your furniture can’t fit in those spaces, it likely can’t make it to your desired room. 

Some spaces you need to account for include: 

• Small doorways 
• Curvy or tight stairwells 
• Narrow hallways 

Most of the time, even an inch of space can determine how quickly your AFW movers can unpack your furniture or whether that dresser will make it into your bedroom.  

Step One: Start With the New Furniture 

Always bring a tape measure with you when you go furniture shopping. If you don’t have one on hand and you spontaneously fall in love with a loveseat (who hasn’t?), you can ask an AFW sales associate for one.  

You will need to measure the height, width, and depth of any piece of furniture you want. Check out our handy guide below! 

Key: 

• W = Width 

• H = Height 

• D = Depth 

• DD = Diagonal Depth 

Step Two: Measure Your Home 

Next, you need to check that the piece you’re purchasing will fit through your entryways and doors. 

Measure the height (A) and width (B) of all doors and hallways. When measuring the doorway, take the measurement from inside the doorframe, because molding and trim can give you less room than you’d think. 

Next, measure the clearance length (C) between the outside and interior walls. 

How to Measure Your Staircase for Moving Furniture 

Spiral staircase? Switchback stairs? Never fear. If your piece needs to be lifted over a banister, measure the distance between the banister and the ceiling. The distance between the banister and the ceiling must be longer than the piece’s depth, diagonal depth, or height.  

If you’re moving a sofa upstairs, measure the width of the staircase at its narrowest point. Make sure you account for any handrails or light fixtures that may be in the way during your move. If the distance is wider than the height of your sofa, then it should fit. 

Step Three: How It Fits Together 

Ideally, you don’t have to force anything when moving furniture. Avoid pushing items through tight spaces. The last thing you want to do is chip your paint or dinge your new furniture! 

Here are some tips to avoid chipped paint on walls and scuffs on leather upholstery: 

• The width of your doorway must be larger than the depth, diagonal depth, or height of the item. 

• Move items horizontally if the entryway clearance is larger than the item’s width. 

• You can move pieces vertically if the entryway clearance is less than the item’s width. In this case, the entryway height should also be larger than the piece’s width. 

If your furniture exceeds both the entryway clearance and height, or if the entryway width is less than all three of the item’s measurements (depth, diagonal depth, and height), then it’s unlikely your furniture can be moved into the space safely. 

What to Remember When Moving Furniture 

AFW delivery teams always appreciate it when you prepare for your delivery by: 

• Creating a clear path for the movers 

• Putting all your pets out of the way 

• Turning off any smart cleaning devices and putting them away 

• Providing accurate measurements to entryways – not just the spot where the furniture will be set down 

Want to see how your new furniture will look in your room once it’s moved in? You can check out our free AFW Room Planner anytime on our website. Go ahead, get your move on! 

For more tips on how to measure your furniture for arranging, including dining tables and more, check out our other blog posts!