The short answer: measure the couch and every doorway first, take off the legs and cushions, wrap the couch in moving blankets, and carry it with two people, standing it on end to turn it through doorways. Take a sectional or modular sofa apart and move it piece by piece. Don’t try to carry a full-size couch alone.
1. Measure before you lift
Measure the couch’s width, depth, height and diagonal depth, then every door, hallway and stair turn on the route. If the diagonal depth is less than the door width, the couch will fit through on its end. Our measuring guide explains each measurement.
2. Take off what comes off
- Cushions and pillows: bag them separately.
- Legs: most unscrew by hand or with a wrench; this can save several inches of height.
- Sectionals: lift each piece up and off its connector brackets. See how sectionals connect.
- Sleeper sofas: remove the mattress, close the frame and tie it shut so it can’t open while you carry it.
- Recliners: lock or tie the footrest closed; many reclining sofas have backs that lift off.
Put screws, bolts and brackets in a labeled bag and tape it to the frame.
3. Wrap and protect it
- Cover the couch with moving blankets and hold them with stretch wrap or tape on the blanket, never on the upholstery.
- Don’t put plastic wrap directly on leather for long: it traps moisture. Use a blanket underneath.
- Protect door frames, banisters and floors with blankets or cardboard.
4. Lift and carry safely
- Use two people, and agree who leads and which way you will turn.
- Bend your knees, keep your back straight and lift with your legs; hold the couch by its frame, not the cushions or arms.
- On stairs, carry it “high and low”: the person below takes more of the weight, so put the stronger carrier there.
- Furniture sliders, lifting straps and a dolly make flat stretches much easier.
5. Getting a couch through a door
- Stand the couch on one end.
- Slide it to the doorway on a blanket.
- Angle the seat around the door frame first, in a hook motion, then pivot the back through.
- If it is close, take the door off its hinges for an extra inch or so.
6. Loading it in a truck
Load the couch early, against a wall of the truck. Many movers stand a sofa on its end to save floor space, padded with blankets, then tie it to the truck’s rails so it can’t shift. Keep heavy boxes off the cushions and arms.
Moving a couch by yourself
For sliding a couch across a room, furniture sliders under each leg work well on both carpet and hard floors. Carrying one alone through doors or on stairs risks injury and damage; get a helper or hire movers.
Storing a couch
Clean and fully dry it first, cover it with a breathable cotton sheet or blanket instead of plastic, keep it off the floor on pallets or boards, and don’t stack anything heavy on it. Climate-controlled storage is kinder to leather and wood.
Frequently asked questions
How do you disassemble a couch for moving?
Remove cushions and legs first. Sectionals lift apart at their connectors; some sofas have removable arms or backs held by bolts or brackets under the fabric flaps. Check the assembly instructions before loosening anything.
Can a couch fit in a pickup truck or SUV?
A standard sofa about 84 inches long is longer than most pickup beds, so it rides with the tailgate down and must be strapped in. Most sofas don’t fit inside an SUV; loveseats and modular pieces sometimes do.
How many people does it take to move a couch?
Two for most sofas, and three or four for a sleeper sofa or a large sectional piece on stairs.
Buying a couch that is easier to move next time? See modular sofas and couches in a box.