“Pivot, Pivot!” If you have ever seen this classic Friends episode, you will know how difficult it is for Ross, Chandler, and Rachel to move a couch around a tight corner.
If you haven’t seen it, you can still probably understand how hard it is to get any large piece of furniture around tight spaces. These can include doorways or hallways where the width of a space just doesn’t seem big enough for any large item to fit through. You’d be surprised!
That old saying of “where there’s a will, there’s a way” should be kept in mind when moving a couch around a tight corner. While it may seem impossible at first, most of the time, with a little patience and maneuvering, you should be able to get the sofa to your desired location.
Of course, sometimes, it is impossible. Not all hallways or rooms were designed to fit large couches into them. Therefore, we have researched the best ways to get a couch around the corner safely and easily. Don’t worry, you won’t have to saw your coach in half with this guide.
Let’s take a look at some helpful tips to get your couch around a tight spot once and for all.
Getting a couch around a tight corner
Sometimes, even if you measure the couch and corner beforehand, the couch will make life hard for you. If this is the case, here are some tried and tested methods to help get that sofa around any obstacles.
Do not turn the couch around
One common instinct when your sofa isn’t fitting around a corner is to lift it up and turn it around. While you may think this will be a stroke of genius, the sofa’s dimensions will still remain the same, no matter which way up or down you arrange it.
Therefore, you should keep your sofa in exactly the same position that it has been to get this far. You stand a much better chance of fitting your couch around a narrow or tight turn if you allow it to carry on with its first course of action and do not change direction.
Navigating will become more straightforward and there will be less risk of getting stuck midway through the moving process.
Remove the couch’s packaging
When your piece of furniture arrives, it will be encompassed in packaging that is designed to protect it during transportation. However, this packaging can become an obstacle in itself, particularly when you are trying to navigate the couch into certain positions.
This can be especially hard to move if the packaging is made from cardboard or polystyrene as this is rigid and refuses to accommodate any slight movements.
This material is usually quite thick which can add extra inches of volume which you may not have accounted for in your initial measurements.
If it’s a very tight squeeze fitting your couch through a tricky corner, remove the outer packaging. Although it’s there to protect it, the couch should be safe if you’re moving slowly and carefully.
Moving the extra layers around the couch will help it become more flexible allowing you to squeeze through tighter openings and finally reach your couch’s destination.
Remove the couch’s arms and legs
Okay, this may sound drastic but this doesn’t involve any saws or cutting!
Many modern couches come with removable arms or legs, especially if you have a sofa bed. Even if the couch isn’t designed with these removable parts, you may still be able to unscrew the arms and legs for extra leverage.
Taking a little more time to remove these parts limits any risk of damaging the legs and arms by forcefully pushing the sofa against walls or objects while they’re still attached.
Furthermore, the removal of the legs and arms can hugely reduce the overall size of the couch. You will have far more wiggle room when getting around tight spaces. Another option is to opt for armless style couches beforehand if you know your room is difficult to access.
Squeeze
Couches tend to have a lot of padding within them. This can make them appear quite rigid and unwieldy.
However, with some firm pressing and shoving, you may be able to compress some areas of the couch to give you some extra crucial inches to fit through tight corners. Just be careful not to damage parts of the sofa with too much force.
Use another space
Sometimes, there are other ways to get your sofa into or out of your building. If you’re in an apartment block, ask some neighbors if you could open their doors to move your couch around more easily. Most of the time, they will be happy to help.
Consider using another way of access such as a window. Some windows open in such a way that they have a lot more space to allow big items through. In some instances, you could unscrew the window or door from their hinges to give you even more room for maneuver.
Hire professional movers
This may be the easiest option but it can come at a cost. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, a couch just doesn’t want to fit through an “opening.”
No matter how many times you shout “pivot!”, the couch just refuses to go. This is when it may be best to call professional delivery men.
Letting delivery men do their job can be the best way to overcome such hurdles. After all, these guys are professionals who move furniture day in, day out. They make their living by moving large pieces of furniture through tight gaps.
So, put your trust in their experience and leave the professionals to move your couch. If you want to help them, put the kettle on for when they’re finished.
In Summary
Frustrating, hard work, and impossible! These are just some of the words that come to mind when trying to move a couch around a tight corner.
Nonetheless, with trial and error, you should be able to get your couch to its desired location. Once it’s there, take the time to lounge back on it and admire your hard work.
