Measure the whole route your furniture must travel, at both homes. A sofa can fit the new living room and still face a tight entrance, a turn beside the stairs or an elevator that is too shallow. Gather the dimensions and photos before moving day so your mover can assess the difficult pieces.
This checklist is a way to flag access problems, not a guarantee that an item will fit. Tight clearances, furniture construction and the room needed to turn a piece deserve a closer assessment before anyone starts carrying it.
1. Start with the furniture that has the fewest options
Make a short list of your largest or least flexible items: a sofa, sectional sections, tall cabinet, dining table, bed frame or oversized desk. Include anything that was assembled inside the room or brought in before a renovation changed the entrance.
Record the item’s widest, deepest and tallest points, including fixed projections. Check its model information or assembly instructions for components designed to come off. Photograph the entire piece and the connections you are unsure about; do not assume that a leg, arm or cabinet top is removable.
For a sectional, list each transportable section separately. For a bed, identify the frame, headboard, mattress and any rigid foundation as separate pieces. One overall room dimension does not describe everything the crew has to carry.
2. Walk the route from the truck to the final room
Make one route list for the old home and another for the new home. Number each access point in the order the furniture will pass it. Include outside gates, entrance steps, vestibules and interior doors, as well as shared building spaces.
At doorways and hallways, record the usable width and height, accounting for trim, handles and other fixed projections. Note the space facing a doorway and any immediate turn. For stairs, record width, landing size and overhead clearance. For elevators, record the door opening and the cabin’s height, width and depth. Room & Board’s measuring guide illustrates these checks, including stair and elevator obstacles.
Take photos that show how adjoining spaces connect. A close-up of a tape measure across a door is useful, but a wider photo showing the hallway on either side explains the turn the furniture must make.
3. Copy this measurement worksheet
Use the same unit throughout and label every number. Add one entry per item and access point in your phone notes or spreadsheet.
Furniture entry
- Item name and destination room:
- Overall width × depth × height:
- Separate sections or removable parts confirmed by instructions:
- Model or assembly instructions available:
- Photo filenames:
- Question for the mover:
Access entry
- Address and route point number:
- Opening or passage dimensions:
- Space available before and after the opening:
- Fixed obstacles or low overhead areas:
- Photos showing the approach and exit:
- Building contact, if permission or access must be confirmed:
For example, “Sofa — 86 × 38 × 34 inches; legs not yet confirmed removable; destination hallway turns immediately after front door” is useful information. It does not establish whether that sofa will fit. The next step is to share the route measurements and photos for assessment.
4. Separate room layout from delivery access
Marking the proposed furniture footprint on the floor can help you decide where it belongs. Check that doors can open and the room has a usable walking path. Use a floor plan or surface-safe markers if you cannot apply tape.
Pottery Barn’s furniture measuring guidance distinguishes checking the room from checking all the passages into it. Its sofa guidance also shows why orientation matters: a piece may need to turn or tilt. A diagonal measurement alone is not a substitute for assessing the complete route.
Avoid concluding that “the sofa is narrower than the door, so it fits.” Padding, fixed projections, nearby walls and the space needed to handle the item still affect the move. Flag anything close rather than rounding measurements in its favor.
5. Ask about disassembly before the appointment
Send the worksheet with your inventory and ask which pieces need an in-person review or more photos. Confirm who will handle agreed disassembly and reassembly, whether instructions or special tools are needed, and how the work appears in your estimate.
If a different entrance might help, ask the property owner or manager whether it can be used. Do not remove building fixtures or plan a window or balcony move yourself. An alternative route or specialized handling needs permission and a separate assessment.
If access is still uncertain, discuss the options before loading: a further inspection, different placement, agreed disassembly or a storage plan. Keep those decisions with your booking so they do not depend on a hurried conversation outside the new home.
Teddy Bear Moving & Storage handles local moves across New Jersey. Contact our team with photos of the furniture and its route so we can discuss the access details before moving day. For an apartment, also use our building access guide to coordinate elevators and entrances.
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