dontlifttoomuchMoving in New York City can be a tough undertaking even if you know the city already, and if you’re new, it can be downright intimidating. You have to contend with tiny apartments, the proverbial third-floor walkups, narrow stairways and cramped elevators. Add to that the general lack of available parking spaces and moving restrictions, and you have a nightmare scenario waiting to happen. Add to that, the challenge of fitting a sofa through doorways, and well, you might just want to give up and stay where you are. However, it is possible to make a fairly painless move in New York, even if you’re moving a big sofa through a doubtful doorway opening. Here are some helpful tips on how to fit your sofa through a doorway opening.

Get your ducks in a row.

If you’re using furniture movers (which is wise), you should schedule your moving day well in advance. It might be a good idea to check to see if your moving day coincides with a large nearby event that could slow traffic or cause problems. If you’re moving your sofa with the help of friends, line up commitments well in advance, and ask more friends than you will need to cover the likely cancellations. Check your new building for moving hours (some limit them) and if you’re moving yourself, be sure to check the available parking near your new place.

Measure first.

The first tip for moving your sofa through a doorway is not to get stuck. You should measure everything before you move. This includes not just the doorway to your new place, but all the openings through which it must pass to get there. If it’s a close call, you can remove obstacles such as the door to your new apartment, or the sofa legs, if they can be removed. Cover your sofa to protect it from scuffing and scraping during the move, and remove parts that you can easily carry, such as sofa cushions. If you don’t, your sofa might be damaged during the move, and then you would need to call for furniture repair; NYC has many such shops, but there is a faster way to move your furniture; one that saves you the potential risk of damaging your sofa (and having to buy an expensive new one.)

Consider an alternative.

If you don’t want the hassle of measuring everything, and having to worry about whether the sofa will get through a narrow opening, you can call furniture pros who specialize in sofa disassembly. These pros will disassemble your sofa, move it easily to your new place, and reassemble it inside your apartment. You can save time, and bypass all the hassles and risks of moving a big sofa through a small space, with one call to the furniture pros.

We hope these tips will help you on your move! If you have any more to add, feel free to share them in the comments section below.