Sofa Delivery & Sofa Movers in London

Will your sofa fit? How to measure stairs and doorways

Most failed sofa deliveries come down to one tight spot — a door frame, a stair turn or a low ceiling over a staircase. Before you buy, or before we collect, measure the sofa and the narrowest point of the route. It takes ten minutes and saves a wasted trip.

Measure the sofa’s height, depth and width, plus its diagonal depth (from the top of the back to the front edge of the seat). A sofa usually goes through a doorway on its side or on its back, so the number that matters is whether the depth or height is smaller than the door’s clear width. Standard UK internal doors are around 76cm wide once open, and front doors are often a little wider — but older London properties vary, so measure rather than assume.

On stairs, measure the stair width, the headroom above the stairs at the turn and the size of any half-landing. Sofas usually have to be stood on end to get round a turn, so the ceiling height over the landing matters as much as the width.

• Sofa: height, depth, width and diagonal depth
• Every door on the route: clear width with the door fully open
• Stairs: width, headroom at the turn and landing size
• Lift: door width plus internal depth and height
• Send photos of the stairwell with your quote request

When the stairs won’t work: hoisting over a balcony or through a window

Some sofas simply won’t go up a London staircase, however carefully they’re handled — typically long three-seaters with fixed arms, corner units that don’t separate, or flats where the stair turn has very little headroom. In those cases the sofa can be lifted over a balcony or through a window that opens wide enough.

Hoisting is available through our Sofa & Furniture Hoisting service, which has its own page. It needs a window or balcony opening larger than the sofa’s smallest cross-section, clear ground below and enough crew to control the lift. Send us photos of the sofa, the stairs and the window or balcony from inside and outside, and we’ll say honestly whether stairs, dismantling or hoisting is the right route.

Taking a sofa apart to get it in

Before anyone suggests hoisting, it’s worth checking whether the sofa comes apart. Many modern sofas have screw-in or plate-mounted feet, and corner and modular sofas usually split into sections joined by metal connectors. Some have bolt-on arms or backs that lift off brackets — removing those can take 10–15cm off the size that has to clear the door.

Our crew removes legs, separates modules and takes off detachable backs and arms where the design allows, then refits everything in the room. If a sofa has a fixed frame with upholstery stapled over the joins, it isn’t designed to come apart and we won’t force it — that’s when hoisting or an alternative route comes in.

Sofa pickup and delivery from sellers and showrooms

For Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree and eBay sofas, ask the seller for the sofa’s measurements and whether it splits before you agree to buy. Pay the seller directly and confirm a collection time when someone will be home, then send us both addresses, the seller’s phone number and the floor at each end.

For showroom and warehouse collections, have your order number and collection reference ready, and check whether the store releases goods to a third party. Most do with a reference and your name, but some ask for an authorisation email.

• Seller’s address, phone number and collection window
• Sofa dimensions and whether it comes apart
• Floor and access at both ends, with photos if possible
• Order or collection reference for shop pickups

Same-day sofa delivery and moving a sofa between homes

Same-day sofa moves are often possible when a van and two crew are free nearby — mid-week mornings are the easiest to fit in. Call early with both postcodes and the sofa size and we’ll confirm a time and price straight away, or offer the earliest next slot if we can’t make today.

Moving a sofa from one place to another doesn’t have to be part of a full removal. We regularly move a single sofa between flats, from a parent’s house or into storage, wrapped in blankets and strapped upright in the van so fabric and leather arrive unmarked.