What if My Furniture Doesn't Fit?

photos courtesy of www.apartmenttherapy.com (Remember that episode of Friends? Pivot!)

Sometimes, no matter how carefully you plan, things just don't fit. A couch won't fit through a doorway or a box spring can't fit up the stairs.

There are a few options when this occurs and its good to have a contingency plan just in case. The first option is to just cut your losses and get rid of the piece that won't fit. This rarely happens, but some customers do decide to either leave it on the curb, have us bring it to Goodwill or have us dispose of it for them (at an extra cost).

Another option is to keep trying. We've removed feet from couches (if they are meant to removed in the first place) and folded mattresses to get them up the stairs, among other things. If we think damage might occur either to the residence or the piece of furniture we make sure to let the customer know the risks involved. If you choose to go ahead then we make you sign a release stating that we told you there might be problems and you decided to go ahead anyway. This releases us from any future responsibility on the matter.

A third option is to hoist. Hoisting involves bringing the furniture up through a window or over a balcony. It costs extra and requires at least three workers for safety reasons. Its not always possible to hoist, though. Sometimes the windows can't be removed or the balcony isn't sturdy enough. I'll go over the particulars of hoisting in its own in the future.

The best way to avoid this problem is to really check out your future residence. Check out the stairs for tight turns and low ceilings and measure the doorways widths. Of course, even with great preparations some things may still not fit, but at least you'll have a good idea of this before the move. This information also allows us to give you a more accurate estimate. And, if you had any trouble getting something in when you moved into your current place its important to let us know that as well.