A little bit of planning beforehand can save you a lot of headache when it comes to moving, and especially moving large furniture. Whether you’re moving a bed, a couch, or a large appliance like your refrigerator, getting it stuck in the doorway can be frustrating and damaging, so read on below to learn how to tell if your doors are wide enough for your furniture.
Always measure first
Before moving any piece of furniture you aren’t sure will be able to fit through the doors, it’s always worth taking the time to measure. Measuring beforehand will let you avoid the sticky situation of getting a furniture piece wedged in the door halfway through with no way to get it out.
If your apartment has multiple entrances, measure each of them individually. While two doors might look the same size, an overlooked two-inch difference between them could be the difference between you getting your furniture in or not.
Remove legs and take things apart
Even if it’s a close fit and you think you’ll most likely be able to get something through, it can’t hurt to remove legs or other removable pieces beforehand. This will give you more leeway when moving through your doors, so you won’t necessarily have to worry about carrying everything perfectly straight.
Furniture items that can be easily taken apart are very convenient, so take advantage of this when possible. If you do, be sure to put all related hardware in a bag and label it so you can easily find everything when you go to put your furniture back together.
Take doors off if need be
If removing the legs or other pieces of your furniture just isn’t quite enough for something to fit, you can always squeeze in a little more space by removing your door. There are several ways to do this, but you’ll most likely find that it’s easier to remove and reinstall doors if you take them off by removing the hinge pins instead of unscrewing the hinges.
To do this, place a Phillips-head screwdriver underneath the hinge with the tip pressing up into the bottom of the hinge pin. Use a hammer to knock the hinge pin out through the top. It can help to have someone else with you to hold the door steady so it doesn’t start falling down once you’ve removed one or two of the pins.
Take note of other obstructing features
The doors might not be your only obstructing features with getting furniture into your apartment, so pay attention to anything else that could cause difficulty. If you have two possible entrances and one has a narrow hallway past it while the other is wide open, the second will probably be your best bet.
Plan for the future
Moving furniture isn’t much fun no matter which way you slice it, so plan for the future and make things easy on you in future moves by purchasing furniture that’s easy to haul. If you have a specific piece that’s always a pain to move, consider swapping it out for something lighter, less bulky, or with more removable parts.
The post Moving: Are Your Doors Wide Enough for Your Furniture? appeared first on My First Apartment.
