Will Your Furniture Fit? Access & Measurement Guide

Planning your delivery? Check access first.

Furniture that looks perfect in our showroom or online still needs to travel through your front door, up your staircase, and into your room. A few careful measurements before you order can save a lot of stress on delivery day. This guide walks you through the key checks — but please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any doubts about a tricky access route.

1. Measure your room

Start where the furniture will live, not where it enters.

  • Floor space: Measure the length and width of the room and mark out the footprint of the piece on the floor using masking tape. Check you can still open doors, drawers, and wardrobe doors comfortably.
  • Ceiling height: For tall units, bookcases, and wardrobes, measure floor to ceiling and allow a few centimetres for tilting the piece upright once inside.
  • Diagonal clearance: A sofa or bed frame often has to be tilted at an angle to get through a doorway. Measure the diagonal of the piece (corner to corner) and compare it to the tallest clear height of the doorway or room entry.

2. Check every doorway and hallway on the route

Measure every doorway from the front door to the final room — not just the room itself.

  • Door width: Measure the clear opening width (the gap between the door frame faces, not the door itself). Standard UK door widths are 762 mm, 838 mm, or 914 mm — but older properties often differ.
  • Door height: Measure from the floor (including any threshold or step) to the top of the clear opening.
  • Hallway width: Note the narrowest point, including any radiators, skirting boards, or architrave that protrudes into the space.
  • Hallway turns: A 90° turn into a room is often the hardest obstacle. Measure the width of the hallway and the width of the room entry it turns into. Large or long items may not negotiate tight corners even if each individual measurement looks fine.
  • Doors that open inward: If a hallway or landing door opens toward the delivery route, it reduces available manoeuvring space significantly.

3. Staircases

Staircases are one of the most common access challenges for larger furniture.

  • Stair width: Measure the usable width between the wall and any banister or handrail.
  • Headroom: Check the clear height above each step, especially at the top and bottom where the ceiling often drops.
  • Bend or half-landing: A straight staircase is far easier than one with a turn. Measure the width of the landing and any distance available to pivot a long or bulky piece.
  • Banister removal: In some cases a banister can be temporarily removed to help with access — this is something you would need to arrange yourself before delivery day.

4. Lifts and gate access

If your property has a lift or requires access through a communal gate or door, please check the following before ordering:

  • Lift interior dimensions: Width, depth, and — critically — height. Many flat-pack or assembled items are taller than a standard lift interior allows.
  • Lift door width: Often narrower than the lift itself.
  • Weight limits: Larger items such as sofas, dining tables, and wardrobes can be heavy. Check the lift's stated maximum load and factor in the weight of the delivery team as well.
  • Communal gate codes or fob access: Make sure you or someone at the property can admit the delivery team. Failed deliveries due to access issues may incur a redelivery charge — please see our Delivery page for details.

5. Compare against unpacked dimensions

The measurements you need are the assembled (or unpacked) dimensions of the piece — not the box size. Product pages on our website list height, width, and depth for each item. When assessing access, use whichever dimension combination creates the largest cross-section that will need to pass through each gap.

Some items are delivered flat-packed and assembled in the room, which makes access significantly easier. If you're unsure whether a product arrives assembled or flat-packed, please check the product description or get in touch.

Our white-glove assembly service (available for £40) includes in-room assembly — see our Delivery page for details.

6. Declare access considerations before ordering

If you know your access route has any of the following, please let us know before placing your order so we can advise appropriately:

  • Unusually narrow doors (under 700 mm clear opening)
  • Tight staircase bends or low headroom
  • No lift access and delivery above the ground floor
  • Restricted communal areas or parking limitations for a large delivery vehicle
  • Any other access concern you think might affect delivery

Our delivery team will do their best on the day, but we cannot always guarantee that every access route can be navigated safely for every piece of furniture. It is the customer's responsibility to ensure suitable access is available.

Still not sure?

We'd rather you ask before ordering than find out on delivery day. Contact us with the dimensions of the piece you're interested in and a description (or photos) of your access route, and we'll do our best to advise you.

For full information on delivery, time slots, assembly, and our returns process, visit our Delivery page.