How to Measure Furniture for Your New Home

The moving truck has arrived. The movers start to unload with your large sofa. They barely squeeze it through the front entrance and take the door off its hinges to make it work.

Now, the sofa doesn’t fit in your new living room as you imagined it would. There’s no space for the coffee table, and the armchairs have no clear line of sight to the TV.

Will you have to sell everything at fire sale prices and start over? After you paid the movers to haul your furniture from one county to the next?

You could have avoided the problem with a few careful measurements in advance.

Here’s how to handle things the next time around.

Measure Your Furniture

• You’ll need a tape measure, a notepad, and a pen or pencil. Use your smartphone to take reference photos of each piece of furniture.
• Measure the height of each piece of furniture from the floor to the tallest point, the width from one side to the other, and the depth from the front to the back. Note these measurements down.
• If your furniture has extendable parts, such as a pull-out bed or drawers, measure these, too. Include the furniture’s dimensions when compact and fully extended.
• Allow for some clearance space when positioning furniture. Measure the wall area where each piece will be placed and allow adequate room for movement around the furniture.

Measure Your New Home

• Measure the width and height of your new home’s doorways, hallways, and stairwells. Account for any turns or narrow areas that could make maneuvering difficult.
• Measure the width and height of each room where you plan to place furniture. Note any fixtures, such as windows, doors, fireplaces, or built-in shelves, that could impact the placement of your furniture.
• Consider the layout and flow of your new home. Will certain pieces of furniture need outlets for electronics? Do you want a clear path from one room to another? Factor these things into your plan.

Compare & Plan Ahead

• Compare the measurements of your furniture to those of your new home. Note any pieces too large or long to fit through doorways or in certain rooms.
• Decide on a furniture layout based on your measurements and the flow of your new home. Use your reference photos and measurements to visualize how each piece will fit.
• If necessary, consider selling or donating furniture that won’t fit in your new home. Or, look into professional furniture disassembly and reassembly for larger pieces.

Making Measurements Easier

• A laser measuring tool can give you quick and accurate measurements, especially for larger furniture or expansive spaces.
• Drawing a scaled floor plan of your new home can help you visualize how each piece of furniture will fit.
• Consider online tools and apps to help you make accurate layouts.
• Download smartphone apps that can take precise measurements and create virtual room layouts. These can eliminate manual errors.

Ensuring Accurate Measurements

• Don’t rush through measurements or rely on rough guesses. Take your time to measure accurately and double-check your notes.
• Measure each dimension twice. Small errors can add up and ruin the fit of your furniture.
• Use a sturdy tape measure or a precision laser measuring tool. Inaccurate or flimsy tools can produce unreliable measurements.
• Take photos with your smartphone while measuring. These reference photos can be invaluable for planning your layout.
• Write down each measurement carefully and clearly. Include additional notes about peculiarities, such as irregular shapes or built-in features that may affect placement.

Adjusting for Clearance & Movement Space

• Leave enough space for people to move comfortably through each room. Avoid placing furniture in ways that obstruct natural walkways.
• Think about how you’ll use the space. For instance, allow extra room near dining tables to pull out chairs.
• Be aware of the space required for doors, cabinets, and appliances to open without hitting or obstructing other furniture.
• Factor in built-in fixtures like radiators, vents, or power outlets that may limit where you can place your furniture. Adjust your plan to ensure these elements remain accessible.

FAQs: Measuring Furniture

Q: How much clearance space should I leave when placing furniture?

Ideally, allow at least 3 feet of open space around each piece of furniture for easy movement.

Q: What if my furniture is too big for my new home?

Consider selling or donating the pieces that won’t fit, or look into professional disassembly and reassembly services. Planning and measuring accurately can help you avoid this issue.

Q: How do I measure furniture with extendable parts?

Measure both the compact dimensions and the fully extended dimensions. For example, if you have a sofa with a pull-out bed, measure the width, height, and depth when the bed is folded in and fully pulled out.

Q: Can I use a blueprint of my new home for measurements?

A blueprint or floor plan can be a helpful reference. However, we recommend verifying measurements on-site with a tape measure or laser tool. Actual dimensions may vary due to construction inaccuracies or renovations not reflected in the blueprints.

Q: Should I measure my furniture before or after moving?

Measure your furniture before you move. This allows you to plan the layout of your new home and decide if you should sell or give away any pieces before the move.

Q: What tools are best for measuring oddly shaped furniture?

A flexible tape measure is ideal for following contours and curves on oddly shaped furniture. Additionally, a laser measuring tool can give accurate distances.

Q: What’s the best way to ensure the fit of large furniture through doorways?

Measure the dimensions of doorways and compare them to the furniture’s height, width, and depth. Consider the largest dimension of the piece and check if it can pass through the door at an angle. For particularly tight fits, removing doors from hinges can create extra space.

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