Measuring Up To Your Move
A handy checklist of what to measure before you move house.
2 minute read
“Pivot!”
The last thing you need when moving home is to have a Ross from Friends moment and get your new sofa caught on the stairs because it won’t fit into your new home. To save yourself tearing out your hair, and potentially damaging any of the walls, here’s a checklist of handy measurements to make to ensure you’re fully prepared for move-in day.
Make sure to jot all this information down, though, as measurements kept in your head tend to disappear or get muddled.
Your Stuff
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Sofa: Measure the length, depth, back height and diagonal length and establish whether the legs can be removed. This will give you greater manoeuvrability when tackling difficult corners and tight spaces. |
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Mattresses: Measure the length, width and height. You’ll need to assess if your mattress bends. |
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Appliances: Measure the width, depth and height. Be sure to check if doors or other components are removable. |
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Headboards: Measure the width and height. |
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Drawers: Measure the width, depth and height. Assess whether removing drawers shortens the depth and lightens the load. |
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Tables and desks: Measure the length, width and height. It’s also handy to see if the legs can be removed. |
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Bookcases: Measure the width, height and diagonal height. |
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How to measure diagonal height
The diagonal height of an item lets you know whether it will ‘pivot’ around a doorway or a stairway.
For rectangular furniture such as shelves, you can find the diagonal height by measuring from the lower left corner to the upper right corner.
Sofas require you to draw an imaginary line between the highest point of the sofa’s back and the highest point on the arm. Find the midpoint of this line and measure the distance from the midpoint to the sofa’s back leg.
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Hallways: Measure the width and ceiling height of your hallways, as well as the clearance of connecting doorways. |
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The Biggest Downstairs Window: Sometimes you just can’t fit things through the door and you might need to consider the window as a last ditch effort. Measure the height, width and clearance, as well as its height from the outside. |
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Stairway: Measure the width and ceiling height from the first step (not the ground floor) and the final step, using the smallest width and height measurements. Measure the length, width, ceiling height and clearance of any landings or turns. Take consideration of handrails into your measurements as well. |
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Doors: Measure the height and width of the door opening, taking into consideration any door handles or steps. Also measure the ceiling height inside the entry. Be sure to measure any secondary doors in the same manner. |
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Ceiling Fixtures: Don’t forget about the low hanging ceiling fixtures, as these can become a problem when moving large items. Measure the space from the ground up. |
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*How To articles are intended as advice only. Please refer to your completion documents for specific information on lease and covenant restrictions and maintenance of your home.*
