Will it fit?
Delivery advice
The last few metres are often the trickiest part of a piece's journey home. A few minutes with a tape measure now means a smooth delivery day, and furniture that ends up exactly where you pictured it.
Use this guide for sofas, corner groups, beds, wardrobes, sideboards, dining tables and any other large piece. Measure every point on the route, from the kerb to the spot it will live.
Before you start
What you'll need
A rigid tape is easier to use on your own across doorways and up stairs.
Listed under Dimensions on every product page. Ask us if a measurement is missing.
Two people make stairs, ceilings and diagonals much quicker to measure.
Photograph tight spots so you can check them against your piece later.
Step one
Know your piece
Four measurements tell you almost everything. Width, depth and height are on the product page. Diagonal depth is the one that gets a sofa through a doorway that looks too narrow.
A
WidthThe longest measurement, arm to arm. It decides whether the piece can turn corners and fit in its final spot.
B
DepthFront to back, at the deepest point. Most sofas go through doors on their back, so depth is compared with opening widths.
C
HeightFloor to the top of the back. If height is less than depth, the piece may travel upright instead.
D
Diagonal depthLay a straight edge from the top of the back to the front of the arm. Measure from the bottom back corner up to it. That's how slim the piece becomes when tilted.
Beds, wardrobes and larger cabinets may arrive in parts or need assembly in the room. Check the product page for how each piece is delivered.
Step two
Measure the route, from the kerb in
Walk the journey your piece will take and note the narrowest point at each stage. It's rarely the front door that causes trouble. More often it's a radiator in the hall, a low ceiling over the stairs or a tight turn on the landing.
The route, in section. Measure each numbered point.
Parking & driveway
- Where can a van stop, and how far is it to your door?
- Gates, side paths and archways: measure the narrowest width.
- Steps, slopes, gravel and low branches or porch canopies.
- Parking restrictions or permits on the day.
Front door & porch
- Open the door fully. Measure from the door stop to the face of the open door, not frame to frame.
- Allow for handles, letter cages and draught excluders.
- Note the height of the opening.
- With a porch, measure the inner door and the space to turn between the two.
Hallways
- Measure at the narrowest point: usually a radiator, coat hooks or a console table.
- Check ceiling height, and anything hanging low such as a light fitting.
- Note the length of straight runs before each turn.
Stairs
- Width from the handrail to the wall, at the narrowest step.
- Headroom: the lowest point above the stairs, often where the ceiling of the floor above begins.
- Any turns, winder steps or half landings.
- Spindles and newel posts at the top.
Lifts & communal areas
- Lift door width and height.
- Inside the lift: width, depth, height and the diagonal from a back floor corner to the opposite top front corner.
- Communal doors, corridors and any fire doors on the way.
- Whether the lift needs booking with your building manager.
Corners & turning points
- Measure the width of both passages where they meet.
- Note what sits on the corner: a radiator, newel post or doorframe.
- Check ceiling height at the turn. Long pieces are often stood on end to get round.
Room doorway & final spot
- Measure the internal doorway with the door fully open. Taking a door off its hinges can gain a few centimetres.
- Check the space just inside the door to turn the piece.
- Measure where it will stand, allowing for skirting, radiators and sockets.
Clear the way
Before delivery day:
- Move furniture, plants and shoe racks off the route.
- Take down pictures, mirrors and wall lights along hallways and stairs.
- Lift loose rugs and runners.
- Move your car if it blocks the drive, and keep pets safely out of the way.
Step three
Compare the two
Allow at least 5cm to spare at every point. Walls are rarely perfectly straight, and hands need somewhere to go.
Why corners matter more than doors
A sofa that slips through every doorway can still get stuck where a hallway meets the stairs. At a right-angled turn, the piece has to swing across both passages at once. So the width of each passage, and the length of the piece, both count.
Measure both passage widths at the turn and the ceiling height there. Our checker below uses them to estimate whether your piece can turn, carried flat or stood on end.
Step four
Check your measurements
Enter your piece's dimensions and the narrowest point at each stage, in centimetres. Leave out any stage that isn't on your route.
Your piece
Your route
Our estimate
Add your measurements
Start with your piece's width, depth and height.
A guide, not a guarantee. It can't see radiators, handrails or uneven walls, so measure anything marked Tight again carefully before you order.
Pen and paper
Your measuring checklist
Print it, walk the route and fill it in. Keep it with your piece's dimensions when you're ready to order.
| Point on the route | Narrowest width | Height | Notes and obstacles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gate, path or archwayOutside, from the kerb | ______ cm | ______ cm | |
| Front doorDoor fully open | ______ cm | ______ cm | |
| Porch inner doorAnd the space to turn between | ______ cm | ______ cm | |
| HallwayNarrowest point, ceiling height | ______ cm | ______ cm | |
| StairsHandrail to wall, lowest headroom | ______ cm | ______ cm | |
| LiftDoor, inside width, depth, diagonal | ______ cm | ______ cm | |
| Corner or landingBoth passage widths, ceiling | ______ cm | ______ cm | |
| Room doorwayDoor fully open | ______ cm | ______ cm | |
| Final positionAllowing for skirting and radiators | ______ cm | ______ cm | |
| Things to moveFurniture, pictures, mirrors, rugs |
Measuring in inches? Multiply by 2.54 for centimetres.
Before you order
Measure twice, order once
Every home is different, and checking access is your responsibility. Please measure each point on the route against your piece's dimensions before you place your order.
