What is The Best Way to Move a Sofa?

One of the most problematic items to move during a house move is your sofa.

Oddly shaped, large, and heavy, moving a sofa is no easy task, so in this week’s home moving blog we look in detail at how to move a sofa safely.

Whether you are moving home or renovating a room and need your sofa moving, then you would be wise to seek the help of friends or hire a removal company.

As always when moving home, your health and safety, and the protection of your items and home, should be your priority.

One of the most common calls to removal companies is seeking help when people have tried to move a sofa themselves and have wedged it in a doorway or have no idea how to get it into the home.

The last thing you need on moving day is wasting hours trying to move a single item or waiting in the rain for help to arrive.

If you do not have any help or are unsure whether you have the strength and knowledge to physically move the sofa, then seek professional assistance from a removal company sooner rather than later.

Is it Worth Moving a Sofa to Your New Home?

Before we get into how to move a sofa you need to decide if you want to take your sofa with you to your new home.

It could be that it is too big or the wrong shape for the space in your new home, it may be getting old, or just is not the right style for your new place.

In this case, it makes sense to either sell or donate it rather than going through the hardship of moving it.

Make a floor plan of your new home to see whether your sofa will actually fit not only into the space within the room but if it will physically fit through the doorways or along the hallways.

Pay particular attention to low ceilings, narrow doorways, or hallways, or if it can be brought into the home through patio doors for example.

You may also like to read: How to Create a Floor Plan – Step-by-step instructions on how to easily make a floor plan for your new home. Includes tips on how to measure furniture as well as doorways and hallways.

How to Measure a Sofa for Moving

Once you have a scale drawing of your new home you can decide where to put your sofa or indeed if it will even fit in your new home. Here is how to measure a sofa:

• Measure the length of the sofa.
• Measure the widest points from front to back on the sides to get the width measurement
• Measure the diagonal width at the highest point (the lowest point of the frame at the rear of the sofa and the highest point of the armrest at the front).
• From the back of the sofa to the front of the seat will give you the depth measurement

How to Protect a Sofa When Moving

To give your sofa the best protection during a home move you will need the following packing equipment:

• Basic tool kit
• Furniture blankets
• Industrial shrink wrap
• Small bags for nuts and bolts
• Bubble wrap
• Small boxes
• Strong black sacks
• Marker pen

How to Pack a Sofa for Moving

#1 Dismantle as much of the sofa as you can

Remove anything that will make it easier to move the sofa such as the cushions and legs. Wrap the components of the sofa in bubble wrap and pack in boxes or put the cushions in extra strong bags. Be sure to bag and label any fittings you remove such as nuts and bolts so that you do not lose them.

#2 Wrap With Blankets

Ideally, you should use furniture blankets to protect your sofa when moving it, but old, thick blankets or bubble wrap are also good. Pay particular attention to all the corners and parts that protrude from the main body of the sofa. You may wish to add an extra layer of protection to the arms for example with a thick layer of cardboard or an extra layer of blankets. Use industrial cling film to hold the protection in place, this will also protect your furniture should it rain on moving day.

You may also like to read: How to Protect Walls, Floors, Doors, Stairs, and Ceilings When Moving Home – Packing your precious items for moving is vitally important so that they don’t get damaged but equally important is preventing damage to the property you are moving from and to. This guide takes you through each step that will help protect your home from being damaged whilst you move.

How to Pack a Leather Sofa For Moving

A leather sofa is often a huge investment and will require special care during your home move.

#1 Dismantle as much of the sofa as you can

Dismantle and remove any components of the leather sofa that you can. Even just removing the feet will make maneuvering the sofa easier. Wrap the legs or feet in bubble wrap, bag, and label all the fixtures and fittings, and place them in a clearly marked moving box. Ensure they are well packed in the box and cannot move around which may cause damage to them.

#2 Wrap With Moving Blankets

Use proper furniture blankets to wrap your leather sofa in. They offer maximum protection and help absorb any moisture that may form on the leather. Then wrap in industrial cling film ensuring that there are areas left that will allow the leather to breathe and will prevent condensation from forming.

Note that if you intend to put a leather sofa into storage then the unit should be temperature controlled to prevent any mildew from forming on the leather.

Another popular article about How to Protect Furniture When Moving Home – An in-depth guide on how to best protect various items of household furniture during a home move.

How to Disassemble a Reclining Sofa for Moving

Your reclining sofa may have come with a handbook so it is best to refer to that for dismantling instructions.

If you have lost the instructions then you may be able to download a copy from the manufacturers’ website, failing that, most reclining sofas have similar mechanisms and are easy to dismantle.

 It will make it easier to reassemble your sofa if you photograph it before you start dismantling it so that you know how to put it back together again.

Some reclining sofas have the release levers located on the seams of the fabric at the rear of the sofa and can be located just by feeling along the back of the sofa.

It is just a case of then lifting the levers and releasing the back of the sofa.

Others have the release levers located under the fabric at the rear of the sofa:

#1 Tilt the Sofa Forward

With the help of a friend tilt the sofa forward so that you have easy access to the rear. Ensure that you put thick blankets on the floor to protect the sofa as you rest it on the floor.

There is usually a Velcro strip that holds the sofa fabric to the frame. Peel away the fabric to expose the frame.

#2 Release the Locking Levers

There should be a release trigger on each side of the sofa, by the sofa arms. Each seat that reclines will have an individual mechanism so you will need to locate and release each one. Using a flathead screwdriver, release the levers upwards, so unlocking the back from the frame.

#3 Gently Return the Sofa Back Onto its Feet

Now you should be able to just lift the back panel away from the sofa body.

Extending footrests can often be removed too. The hardware to release these can be found under the sofa when you tilt it forward.

If you have had to remove any screws or bolts then ensure that you keep them all together in a plastic bag, clearly labeled exactly what they are for.

The backs of the sofa can now be wrapped in bubble wrap or furniture blankets to protect them during the move.

To reassemble your sofa just repeat the above procedure in reverse.

You may also like to read: Common Repairs to Do When Moving Home. In all likelihood, when you move your sofa there will be scuff marks left on the wall behind it. In this guide, we look at quick and easy repairs that may need doing before you move out of your old home.

How to Move a Sofa by Yourself

Can one person move a sofa? That may seem like a herculean task for one person, but if you have the right equipment and are sure that you will not cause yourself any physical damage, then it is possible.

To move a sofa on your own you will need:

• Industrial plastic wrap
• Furniture blankets
• Furniture sliders
• Flatbed dolly
• Furniture straps
• Safety gloves

Although this equipment will certainly make it easier to move a sofa by yourself it will not turn you into a superhuman, so if you have any concerns at all about causing yourself an injury whilst moving your sofa, then leave it to a professional removal team.

If you are sure you can move the sofa yourself safely, then this is the best way to move a heavy sofa:

Having followed the steps above to dismantle as much of the sofa as you can and then having properly protected the sofa, it is time to move it.

• Ensure that your sofa will fit through the doorway and along any hallways that you need to move it through.
• Clear the route so that there are no tripping hazards

You may also like to read: How to Pack a Living Room For Moving Home. This is the ultimate guide to packing all the things commonly found in a living room.

How to Move a Heavy Sofa with Furniture Sliders

Furniture sliders will be your best friend when it comes to easily moving a sofa on your own. Not only do they make moving a sofa easier but they also protect your floor from scratches.

Just place a furniture slider under each leg and slide the sofa along the floor.

You can use thick old blankets, cardboard, or manufactured furniture sliders, they all work equally well on hard floor surfaces.

How to Move a Sofa Using a Furniture Dolly

A flatbed furniture dolly is a platform with wheels used to make the moving of heavy furniture easier.

Slide the furniture dolly under the sofa ensuring that the sofa sits centrally on the dolly. This will keep the load steady and prevent it from slipping off and getting damaged.

Secure the sofa to the furniture dolly using the furniture straps so that the sofa cannot slip off the dolly.

These two methods of moving a sofa by yourself are ideal if you are moving a sofa around within a room to decorate for example or if you have wide doorways and a clear run to the removal van. But it is more likely that you will encounter narrow doorways and stairs.

These obstacles are where accidents usually occur and where huge amounts of time can be lost on moving day.

If you have an awkward journey to the removal van through tight doorways, up and down stairs, or round tight corners, it usually makes the most sense to hire a professional removal firm to move the sofa for you.

But if you are confident you can move the sofa yourself then read on to discover how to move a sofa through a door and how to negotiate stairs.

You may also like to read: Essential Tools for Moving Day. There are always odd little jobs that need doing on moving day and usually your tools are securely packed away somewhere. So in this guide, we suggest a few tools that you may want to keep handy on moving day.

How to Move a Sofa Through a Narrow Doorway

To move a sofa through a doorway on your own is virtually impossible, with the real risk of causing injury to yourself or damage to the sofa or your property.

Always have someone help you move a sofa through a narrow doorway or if that is not possible, then hire a removal team to do it for you.

Having measured the sofa and the doorway as explained earlier, and you are sure the sofa will fit through, it is time to prepare the route to the removal van:

• Remove all the doors on your route to the van if you need an extra few centimeters to get the sofa through. If you remove the door from the hinges be sure to put thick layers of tape over the hinges on the frame so that they do not rip the fabric of your sofa. If you can take the door and hinges off the frame, it is better.
• Remove any tripping hazards and ensure your route is clear
• You may need to remove low-hanging lights if they will hinder you from moving the sofa along hallways for example.

Now you are ready to move the sofa through the doorway.

How to Move a Sofa Vertically Through a Doorway

• Place a thick blanket on the floor
• Tip the sofa onto its end on top of the blanket. This protects both the sofa and the floor.
• Have a helper hold the sofa to prevent it from falling over.
• Now slide the sofa towards the doorway and slide it straight through the opening or hook the seat or back through the doorway first.
• The seat of the sofa should be facing the way you want to turn through the doorway as the void between the seat and the back of the sofa will give you some additional space to move.

How to Move a Sofa Diagonally Through a Doorway

• Only attempt this if you have the physical strength to lift the sofa. This method requires strength and stamina.
• With a helper at the other end, lift the sofa.
• Tilt it at 45 degrees so that you can hook the armrest through the doorway.
• Then twist the sofa through the doorway.
• You may need many attempts to maneuver the sofa through the doorway as you try to twist the sofa through the opening.

Although you will have wrapped your sofa in a furniture blanket, the soft cushions will compress and give you some extra valuable few centimeters to squeeze your sofa through a tight doorway.

You may also like to read: My Furniture Won’t Fit Through the Door! Now What? – How to prevent this happening in the first place and then what to do when you can’t get your furniture through the door. Tricks and tips to help you out of this predicament.

How to Move a Sofa Down Stairs

Having dismantled and protected your sofa as above, measured, and cleared the route to the van, you are now ready to take your sofa down the steps.

• You will need 3 people to safely move a sofa down stairs
• With you at one end and your helper at the far end of the sofa, lift the sofa from its lowest point.
• Lift using your legs and arms, avoiding putting any strain on your back.
• Have a 3rd person walk down the steps so that they can guide you down.
• Taking one step at a time slowly walk down the steps.
• If you can use the banister to steady and offer additional support to the sofa and you move down the stairs.
• Take rest breaks as you need them, always communicating clearly that you need to stop and are putting  the sofa down
• Alternatively, you can create a ramp to slide the sofa down the stairs.
• This is not recommended for long flights of stairs, but for short stairwells, is an easy method to use.
• Use straps to regulate the speed of the slide of the sofa whilst standing at the top of the stairs, a helper guides the sofa down the steps from in front of it.

How to Move a Sofa Up Stairs

• You will need 3 people to safely move a sofa up stairs
• Whoever is the strongest of your helpers should be the one at the bottom as they will take the brunt of the weight.
• Facing each other lift the sofa from the lowest point at each end.
• The person walking backward up the stairs will be guided by the person at the top of the stairs. The person walking backward up the steps will guide the person at the lowest step.
• Lift the sofa with your legs and arms, not your back.
• Now taking one step at a time walk up the stairs slowly
• Clear communication is vital as this is a very dangerous maneuver to make
• If one of you needs to rest clearly communicate that you need to do so
• Alternatively, you can create a ramp up the stairs
• Attach straps around the sofa and pull it up the ramp
• A second person can be behind the sofa to push and guide the sofa up the stairs

You may also like to read: How to Move Heavy Furniture – This guide offers tips on how to safely lift heavy items of furniture, how to measure various items of large furniture, different lifting methods, and how to use various furniture moving equipment.

How to Move a Corner Sofa

Although larger than a normal sofa, most corner sofas are sectional and easily come apart.

This makes them so much easier to handle during your home move, but they will require the same level of padding to prevent any damage to them.

• Dismantle the sofa into each section
• Keep any fixtures you remove in a plastic bag clearly labeled as to what they are for
• Wrap each part in furniture blankets secured with industrial cling film
• The corner sofa can now be moved using any of the procedures outlined in the previous sections of this guide.

How Much Does it Cost to Move a Sofa?

As you will by now know, moving a sofa is a complex and dangerous operation that can cause stress, damage, and even injury.

In most cases, if you intend to move heavy and large pieces of furniture you are better off hiring a professional removal company to do it for you.

How much this costs will depend on a number of factors:

• How much you have to move
• How far you are moving
• Where in the country you are moving from
• Time of year or day of the week
• If there are flights of stairs
• If there is a long walk from the property to the removal van

When comparing the cost of moving a heavy sofa yourself and hiring a removal company to do it for you take into consideration:

• The hire cost of moving blankets
• The cost of industrial cling film
• Hiring a furniture dolly
• Buying furniture sliders
• Also, consider what it would cost to repair any damage you cause to the sofa or your property
• How would it affect your income if you caused yourself a back injury

The best way to find out how much it will cost to hire a removal firm to move your furniture to your new home is to request removal cost estimates from reputable removal companies.

It takes just a couple of minutes and you may be surprised just what excellent value for money they offer.

However, if you have decided to move home yourself you should visit our home moving blog where you will find a whole library of self-move guides designed to make your home move easier and cheaper.