From Showroom to Home: 5 Ways To Pull Off a Trauma-Free Furniture Delivery

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Wahoo! You’ve finally gotten around to replacing a couch that’s older than you are. Or maybe you’re investing in a king-size mattress that doesn’t leave your back all out of whack.

The only tiny problem with having large furniture delivered? Ensuring that each item is safely placed in the designated room, with your walls (and sanity) intact.

Maybe you live on the fifth floor of a building without an elevator. Or perhaps you have a narrow entryway that’s sure to challenge even the most experienced delivery crew. While some of these logistics can’t be avoided, there are ways to sidestep certain delivery-related pitfalls.

We spoke to furniture-delivery experts and gathered their top tips on how to prepare for the successful delivery of an oversized item—no matter where you live.

1. Take lots of measurements

Always err on the side of caution by leaving wiggle room for furniture delivery.

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The most important thing you can do to prep for a large furniture delivery should happen before you buy anything.

“As a first step, take as many measurements as you can—not only of the furniture itself but of the doors, hallways, and corners you’re hoping to get that furniture through,” says Nick Valentino, vice president of market operations at Bellhop Movers.

Valentino recommends erring on the side of caution by adding several more inches than you need, in every direction.

“Without extra inches, you could get stuck in an awkward turn or pivot point,” he says.

So even if you find a perfect velveteen couch that will just fit down your hall, you might want to keep shopping for a sofa with smaller dimensions.

2. Coordinate the arrival

Help set everyone up for success by clearly communicating any known challenges to your delivery team.

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Another easy thing you can do to ensure a smooth furniture delivery? Communicate well in advance with your delivery crew, especially if you anticipate any challenges related to where you live.

“The biggest pain points in delivering large furniture items in cities often stem from logistics challenges,” says Joshua Mastromatto, co-founder and CEO of the sustainable furniture disposal company, Rego. “And that challenge usually entails ensuring there is enough space for the delivery team to park and to then safely carry the heavy items.”

You can help set everyone up for success by doing some homework. First, check into whether you can reserve a parking space. For instance, many towns and cities allow homeowners and renters to block off parking spots for a few hours for deliveries.

And if you live in an apartment building, clear the delivery with any front-desk staff (or on-site landlords), in case they need to prepare the halls or elevator in advance.

3. Clear a path

To avoid any damage, be sure you’ve cleared an adequate path for your delivery team to use.

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One of the most critical steps to take before your furniture arrives is to ensure an open walkway from your entrance to the spot where you want your new item set up.

“Large-furniture delivery entails maneuvering items through doors, up stairs, and around difficult corners,” says Valentino. “Yet even when homeowners carefully measure the space where their new item is meant to go, they can forget to clear the path from the door to that spot.”

So to avoid damaged walls (or scuffing your new furniture), be sure you create an unobstructed path for your delivery team. This might include things like removing large paintings from walls, temporarily taking doors off, or even having some extra moving blankets around to help navigate tight corners.

4. Create extra floor space

Another critical preparation that often gets lost in the chaos of furniture delivery? Ensuring there’s enough space for the crew to unbox or unwrap an item for set up.

“The delivery team requires physical space to assemble things like bed frames,” says Mastromatto. “It sounds obvious, but often we don’t realize how much floor space is needed to properly assemble furniture, especially if it comes with many pieces.”

So survey your space before delivery and clear out everything—from small side tables to plants—to create extra room.

5. Be friendly to your delivery team

Moving heavy stuff all day long isn’t an easy job. And if you can bring a calm demeanor to the process, it will help immensely

“Do everything possible to try and relax,” advises Mastromatto. “Furniture delivery can be a stressful experience, because there’s a lot of coordination, communication, and potential accidents that can happen.”

Being prepared will help. Yet ultimately, success will depend on how you handle stress, problem-solve, and interact with your delivery team. Be friendly and consider offering them a snack, drink, and a tip after the work is done.

“Mistakes and accidents can certainly happen, so it’s good to remember that we’re all just humans doing our best,” says Mastromatto.

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