Couch got in the house - can't get it out! archived

If you are set on donating it then I don't have any suggestions. However, if you truly just want it out then I would say go with a sawzall. We had to do this with a BarcaLounger that a tenant had managed to somehow squeeze up into the attic and left behind when they moved. We also did it with my sister's sofa when she wanted to get rid of it and couldn't remember how she had gotten it up the stairs to move it in.

Did the incoming movers remove the footings to get it inside and then put them back on? Is that an option you've already tried?

spontaneous said:

If you are set on donating it then I don't have any suggestions. However, if you truly just want it out then I would say go with a sawzall. We had to do this with a BarcaLounger that a tenant had managed to somehow squeeze up into the attic and left behind when they moved. We also did it with my sister's sofa when she wanted to get rid of it and couldn't remember how she had gotten it up the stairs to move it in.

I'm convinced that this is my solution to how to remove a sofa in one of our second floor bedrooms! I remember all too well how we got it there. Together, hubster and I managed to get it up the stairs, around the landing, up more stairs and twisted into the room--but that was 25 years or so ago.

To the OP, good luck. Perhaps bikefixed's suggestion about removing the feet will help you.

removing footings is my guess too - they may unscrew. but sorry, no recommendation for movers

also, you might have to take the door off its hinges and look at angles and then squeeeeze

My husband and his assistant might be able to give it a shot. LMK if you want him to try.

Cut it up with a chainsaw and throw it away.

Sounds like the movers didn't try very hard. Take off the feet, take the door off the hinges, and squeeze like hell. We had a sofa in our house in West Orange that the movers originally said would NOT go into the house. I told them they had to actually TRY before they were allowed to say that to me. They got it in .

We have a sofa in our basement that needed lots of coaxing. We spent a fortune on the darn thing, then we were relocated here, so we dragged the sofa 800 miles to our new home...there was no way we were parting ways with it. Our movers refused to even try to bring it to the basement, so I had to hire a furniture builder to help dismantle it and rebuild it in the basement. When the time comes, we'll either need to use an ax to remove it or we'll just sell it with the house; the sofa definitely won't be departing our home in one piece.

I bought a sofa once that would NOT fit up the stairs to my apartment in Brooklyn. So I returned it and bought a smaller one that would work. A year later, I moved to a bigger apartment, but the new sofa would not go into the apartment because the door was directly opposite a wall in a rather narrow hallway.

But, because the owners of the building were planning to replace all the windows, the movers actually took the big double window out of the wall in the living room and hoisted the sofa up three floors on the outside of the building and brought it in through the window opening. The owners installed new windows shortly after, and all was well.

Two years later, I was planning to buy a co-op in Bay Ridge. Oops. I wasn't about to take the (new) window out again to move that couch, even though I adored the sofa. So I negotiated with the new renters to take the sofa, ottoman and matching chair for $750, and I bought a new set to work with the new apartment. As far as I know, that old furniture is still in that apartment.

VERY careful measurements were taken before we purchased and tried to move a sofa into the co-op!

The initial movers didn't take off the feet because they are claw wooden feet with nice ridges. The guys today did take off the door but perhaps they weren't as experienced as movers that do this kind of thing every day. I would like to donate it for a good cause. Teneciah - will pm you.

Often you have to remove feet and loose seat cushions. Then stand on end to 'twist' it through the doorway.

If upholstered arms & back, you may have to wrap tightly with saran wrap to compress the upholstery.

tomcat said:

Often you have to remove feet and loose seat cushions. Then stand on end to 'twist' it through the doorway.

If upholstered arms & back, you may have to wrap tightly with saran wrap to compress the upholstery.

Had the same problem. And this worked! But we chipped the paint off the doorframe doing it, but it worked. It took us 5 tries though. Good luck!

I had to get the original movers to do it. It took them three tries ( 5 min) but they are so used to tight spaces. I had to pay ( vs the non profit which was free). the non profit had 3 people try for 30 min and they couldn't figure it out. Moving is definitely an art not science!!

conandrob240 said:

Cut it up with a chainsaw and throw it away.

this

In NY, they will cut the long length of the couch with a saw and then re-join the long length once inside the apartment.

Obviously, you should know what you are doing before you attempt this. But it seems to be a pretty standard way of moving couches in tight spaces in the city.

Pivot!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n67RYI_0sc0&sns=em

Our moving company paid for a guy named "Dr Sofa" to come out and unassemble and reassemble.

http://www.drsofa.com/

Foxy, first thing that came to my mind. Pivot.

A friend couldn't fit their couch into the elevator of their building, so they lowered the car to the basement and loaded the couch onto the roof! Vóila!

The not for profit are not professional movers and one can understand why if it gets complicated they will or cannot do it. My family is in the moving business there are ways of angling and removing pieces that obviously the professional movers did to get it in the house. This will cost so if you don't want an extra expense would consider cutting it up as suggested. As you live in Maplewood you can get free pick up, unlike South Orange. Take a quick look and see if it is easy to remove the feet, etc. and if that will make it out the door, if so do that and recall the charity you want to give it to.
Good Luck!!

For those still making suggestions, the job appears to be done already:

gegreenstein said:

I had to get the original movers to do it. It took them three tries ( 5 min) but they are so used to tight spaces. I had to pay ( vs the non profit which was free). the non profit had 3 people try for 30 min and they couldn't figure it out. Moving is definitely an art not science!!

FYI and future ref:
The backs of many couches detach. I remember this from my teen yrs. The back screwed into the frame.
This is also very common w/ recliners. Since the backs move they can't be attached to the frame. These are usually just pressed on to mounting brachets. These parts just lift off with abit of oomph.
Finally, Spontaneous had it right in the very first reply. If you just want it out... a sawzall and a refreshing beverage after.

for what it's worth -- maybe if you offer the guys coming with the new sofa some cash to relocate the old sofa, that might work...