How to Move a Couch Through a Narrow Door

Moving a couch through a narrow doorway can be complicated by attached cushions, protruding legs, and more. However, with a little know-how and planning, you just might be able to squeeze your sofa through a doorway that doesn’t look like it will allow the furniture to pass through. Here’s what you need to know to move a couch through a narrow door.

Tools and Supplies You Will Need

• Measuring tape
• Notepad and pen
• Cordless drill and driver bits
• Nail or another sharp item
• Hammer
• Safety glasses
• Utility knife
• Pry bar
• Pliers
• Work gloves
• Large towel
• Lifting straps

Instructions

Remove Cushions and Other Parts

If the legs can easily be removed, do so first. If not, leave them attached for now. Remove cushions, throw pillows, and all other unattached items from the sofa.

Measure the Couch's Dimensions

With the measuring tape, measure the outer dimensions of the couch, and write them down. Since you are interested in the couch's absolute maximum size, use leading edges as your reference points. For height, extend the measuring tape from the floor to the highest point on the back of the couch. For width, measure from one couch arm to the opposite arm. Be sure to identify the farthest possible points, and measure between them. For depth, measure from front to back.

Measure the Size of All Openings

Whether you need to move your couch through a narrow space, such as a doorway, or through a hallway, stairwell, or elevator doors, you'll need to know the dimensions of the passageways. Use your tape measure to measure both the height and width of the openings. Write down the dimensions on a notepad.

Correlate Couch and Opening Sizes

Compare the measurements you took for your couch versus the measurements of the openings. It is vital to plan on paper, prior to picking up the couch. This helps you avoid injury and damage to the home.

If the couch is less than 80 inches wide, it is a good candidate for moving vertically because interior and exterior door openings are usually 80 inches high, including door stops. If the couch is either 29 inches high or deep, it can usually be moved horizontally through a door because interior door openings are usually 29 1/4 inches wide and exterior door openings 35 inches wide, including door stops.

Remove the Doors

It is usually best to remove interior doors before moving the couch. Interior doors are lightweight and easy to remove without unscrewing the hinges from either the door or the door frame.

To remove a door, tap out the hinge pins with a nail or other sharp item, tapping upward from the bottom. Pull each pin all of the way out, and then shift the door sideways to take it off of its hinges.

If you do not want to remove the door or feel that it is unnecessary, you will need to take your initial measurement from one doorstop to the door's closest edge when opened as far as possible. Keeping the door in place reduces door opening width by as much as 1 1/4 inches.

Remove Door Stops and Hinges (Optional)

If you still need extra room to move the couch through the opening, you can remove doorstops and door hinges.

Doorstops are the strips of trim on the inside of a door frame that holds the door firmly in place when it is closed. Removing the doorstops on the sides can gain you 1/2 inch if one doorstop is removed and 1 inch if both doorstops are removed. Vertically, removing the top doorstop will help you gain another 1/2 inch of height.

Removing door hinges will help you gain 1/2 inches of door width. Also, removing the hinges helps prevent damage to tight-fitting couches. Use the cordless drill and driver bits to remove the screws, and set the hinges aside.

Move the Couch Horizontally or Vertically

Each mover should wear gloves and lift the couch by the frame whenever possible. For heavy couches, it might be necessary for both movers to wear lifting straps. If you have determined that the couch can be moved vertically, stand the couch on end with a towel underneath to protect the couch fabric. Slide the couch toward the door, and then move it through the doorway straight or in a hooking motion with either the back or the seat entering the door first. If the couch can be moved horizontally and level, simply carry the couch straight out in a level position.

Move the Couch Diagonally (Optional)

If other methods fail, a couch can sometimes be moved in a diagonal fashion. First, both movers pick up the couch at each end. Then, the couch is tilted forward 45 degrees so that the first mover is able to hook the leading couch arm around the door. The rest of the couch follows in a type of corkscrew motion. This method requires extreme strength and might be impossible for many people to accomplish because much back-and-forth maneuvering is required.

Additional Couch Moving Tips

• In a pinch, if your house has wall-to-wall carpeting and you need extra vertical height, you can strip back carpeting around the door area. Baseboards will first need to be removed. Carpet seams might need to be parted.
• Often you can hire a mover or a furniture technician to partially or fully dismantle the sofa, move it, and then reassemble it inside of the desired room. Also, if you find that the couch is too heavy, hire professionals to do it for you.
• It helps to have a third person on hand to clear the way as you and another person move the sofa.