How to Move a Couch or Sofa Safely
Learn how to move a sectional, daybed, and everything in between
- Furniture straps
- Moving blankets
- Measuring tape
- Furniture dolly
- Packing tape
- Heavy-duty plastic wrap
Picture this: You’ve spent hours organizing and packing all your things to move into a new home, and now it’s time to tackle the couch. The couch is usually one of the largest pieces of furniture to move, and it’s likely one of the last things on your mind.
While completing a DIY move can feel overwhelming, getting your couch safely to your next place doesn’t have to be difficult. Of course, it’s helpful to hire professional movers to assist with moving heavy furniture items. If you’re intimidated, rest easy—we’ll give you all the know-how to move your couch without breaking too much of a sweat.
Prepping to Move a Couch
Before you move your couch, take a few steps to make the entire moving process easier. Measure the length, width, and depth of the couch to see how much space it’ll take up in the moving truck. It also helps to determine if it will fit through the door and hallways. Once you’ve taken measurements, outline a path that makes the most sense for moving the couch. Also, check the path you’ve drawn to see whether you’ll need to turn the couch on its side.
Couches often make up the heaviest pieces of furniture to move, so ask for help to make the process easy and prevent injuries. Smaller pieces like loveseats most likely only need two people for the job, while larger sofas may need at least four people.
Pack Your Couch Properly
To keep your couch in its best condition as you move, protect it by packing it properly—wrapping furniture for moving is one of the best ways to keep it safe. Remove all the cushions and pillows, and pack and label them in a separate box. If you have a larger couch, disassemble it and store the screws, legs, and other parts in the same box as the cushions. Cover the couch with moving blankets, and starting from the bottom, use the stretch wrap to pack the couch securely. If you find any loose ends, use packing tape to seal them.
Lift the Couch
With at least one person on either end of the couch, lift the ends. Make sure to communicate so everyone lifts the ends at the same time to avoid injuries. As you lift it, keep the couch closer to the ground and place the weight on your knees and arms.
Getting Around Corners
If you need to maneuver around corners, remove the couch legs. Don’t try to re-configure the couch once you get to the corner; this will only make things more difficult. Instead, use the couch’s built-in padding to push against the wall a bit, squeezing it past the corner.
You may need to rotate and twist the couch as you move it. If there are doors in the area, you can open them and push yourself or the couch into them for extra room. If you can’t maneuver around the corners, find an alternative exit method, including passing it through a window.
Getting Through Narrow Doors
It’s tricky to move couches through narrow doors, but not impossible. Start by measuring the door frame to ensure it’s spatially possible to get the couch into the room. If the couch will fit through the door when positioned vertically, carry it diagonally so the top part goes into the room first. If not, remove the cushions from the couch.
You can also remove the door by tapping open the hinges and lifting it out of the frame, giving you an extra inch of space. You can also remove the hinges; this will give you an extra ½ inch of space. If at this point, the couch won’t fit through the door either horizontally or vertically, you can try to move it diagonally. With one mover gripping each end of the couch, tilt it at a 45- degree angle so the front mover can get the couch arm through the door. Now you can move the rest of the couch in by working in a corkscrew pattern.
Getting In and Out of Windows or Over Balconies
You’ll need two more helpers or pro movers to move a couch in or out of a window or over a balcony. After you’ve wrapped your couch, secure it with heavy duty lifting straps on each end. The straps should wrap completely around the couch.
Two movers should stand on the balcony (or on the receiving side of the window), and two more people should stay on the ground. Stand the couch up vertically, and the inside helpers should pull the lifting straps so the couch rises to the window or balcony. After the couch is halfway up, the second pair of helpers should go to the balcony to finish hoisting it up.
Slide It Onto the Furniture Dolly
If you’re using a furniture dolly, have one person stand on each side of the couch and tip the couch vertically onto one side. Slide it carefully and slowly onto the dolly, then use the furniture straps to tie it tightly onto the dolly.
Roll It Out to the Moving Vehicle
From there, you can transport it to the moving truck. Go slowly and watch out for sharp corners in case you need to adjust your couch to fit. It’s always a good idea to communicate with those helping you, even if it seems obvious—the key is to get the couch out of the house as safely and smoothly as possible.
Load the Couch Into the Moving Vehicle
Depending on the size of your couch, you may need a moving van, pickup truck, or moving truck. If you’re using a moving truck, you’ll most likely be able to use a moving ramp to get it in place. One person should stand on each side of the couch to maneuver it onto the truck.
For moving vans and pickup trucks, have each person lift either side of the couch to load it in. Secure it with straps to keep it in place during the move. Once you’ve gotten to your destination, unload the couch the same way you loaded it.
Move the Couch Into Its New Home
Before the couch arrives at its destination, determine where you want it to live so you won’t have to move it again. You should clear a pathway so that you and your movers have enough room to walk into your home and place the couch down. Once it is in its new spot, unwrap it and vacuum the surface to collect any bits of dirt or crumbs from the move.
DIY Moving a Couch vs. Hiring a Pro
While it’s possible to move heavy furniture with the help of a few people, it requires preparation and still comes with an injury risk. Safety is a priority when it comes to moving, so plan accordingly.
If you plan on moving a couch yourself, the supplies for a DIY move are around $27. If you prefer to let professionals take over, the cost of hiring movers is about $25 to $50 per mover for each hour. You can easily find local movers to help you make the transition to your next home. Plus, the movers can help you quickly transport other pieces of heavy furniture, such as bed frames and bookcases, and save yourself the injury risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you need to move your heavy couch to another part of your home, the safer option is to hire a professional moving team. More complex moving situations require professional services, which will make the move much easier and prevent serious injury.
To move your couch through a narrow doorway, remove the interior door to create more space. Measure your couch and the doorway beforehand to ensure it will fit. Then, tap out the hinge pins with a nail and shift the door sideways to remove it from its hinges.
Start by removing any obstacles in the moving path, such as side tables, lamps, or other furniture. If your couch has legs, unscrew them. Measure the couch and the stairway to ensure you have enough room; if it seems unlikely, examine the shape and size of the couch and decide whether it might fit better up the stairway and through doorways on its side, held diagonally, or moved in an upright position.
Consider putting the sofa on a dolly to go up the stairs. It should be able to fit upright on a standard dolly with wheels. You’ll still need to lift the dolly—with the couch on it—up the stairs, but it will reduce the physical strain. The person holding the dolly should pull the couch up, while the helper should be on the other side, keeping the couch secure and steady.
If you don’t have a dolly, the person in front should lift the couch slightly higher than the person in the back to create more stability. The person in the back should also be the stronger mover, as most of the weight will be distributed there.
Interior and exterior door openings are typically 80 inches high, with openings 29¼ inches wide for interior doors and 35 inches wide for exterior doors. If your couch is smaller than these measurements, it should fit through the door frame.
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