Moving a Single Item in Watford | Sizes and Door Widths

Everyday items

SofaThree-seaters, corner sofas and sofa beds, with the stairs measured first.Bed and mattressFrames, divans, ottomans and mattresses, bagged and carried to the right room.WardrobeSolid, antique and flat pack wardrobes, and the ceiling height at the stairs.American fridge freezerThe 90cm fridge and the 76cm door, and how the fridge doors come off.Washing machineHeavier than it looks, and wrecked by a bumpy journey without its transit bolts.Dining tableSolid tops, extending tables and the legs that do or do not come off.Gym equipmentTreadmills, bikes, rowers and multi-gyms, which weigh far more than they look.BicycleRoad bikes, e-bikes and cargo bikes, strapped upright so nothing gets bent.TVLarge screens moved upright and protected, boxed or blanket-wrapped.DeskStanding desks, corner desks and whole home offices, dismantled where needed.

Heavy and specialist items

These need more people, specialist trolleys and a look at the route before the day.

Upright pianoUprights only, with the crew, the piano trolley and the stairs worked out first.SafeHome and small office safes, with the weight, the floor and the bolts checked first.Pool or snooker tableSlate and MDF tables, dismantled, moved and levelled again.

The measurements that decide it

Almost every item that fails to get into a Watford house fails against one of these numbers, and almost every one of those was predictable with a tape measure.

Opening	Size	Where you meet it
Narrow internal doorOlder kitchens, bathrooms and the Victorian terraces north of the town centre	686mm	Older kitchens, bathrooms and the Victorian terraces north of the town centre
Standard internal doorMost Watford houses and flats, and the number to assume if you cannot measure	762mm	Most Watford houses and flats, and the number to assume if you cannot measure
Wide internal or front doorNewer builds and most front doors, which is why things get in but not through	838mm	Newer builds and most front doors, which is why things get in but not through
Door heightTall items go through on the diagonal, about 2.1m on a standard door	1981mm	Tall items go through on the diagonal, about 2.1m on a standard door
Clear openingDoor stops and the open door itself eat into the width. Measure the gap, not the door	about 40mm less	Door stops and the open door itself eat into the width. Measure the gap, not the door
Door off its hingesSounds trivial and decides a surprising number of jobs. We do it as part of the work	gains about 40mm	Sounds trivial and decides a surprising number of jobs. We do it as part of the work

Something not on the list?

These are the items people ask about most, not the only things we move. Our furniture and single item delivery service covers shop collections and marketplace buys of any kind. Send us what it is, where it is and where it is going.

Single item questions

What is the one measurement I should take?+

The narrowest point on the route from the street to the room, which is often not a door. Measure every doorway, the hallway at its tightest and the width and headroom where the stairs turn. The smallest of those decides it.

How do I tell if something will fit through a door?+

Most furniture goes through on its end or its side, so what has to clear the door is the smaller of its depth and height, not its length. A standard UK door is 762mm, with a clear opening nearer 720mm. Tall items use the diagonal, about 2.1m on a standard door.

What if it will not fit?+

Feet off, then the door off its hinges, then the angle, and that solves most tight jobs. After that it is dismantling the item or, rarely, a window. We will not force something through a gap that is too small, because nobody's insurance covers the damage that does.

How much does it cost to move one item?+

It depends on the item, the floor at each end and the distance. Send us what it is, the two addresses and the floors, and we will come back with one fixed price.

Do you collect from shops and marketplace sellers?+

Yes, it is most of this work. The detail people forget is the seller's floor and whether their building has a lift, which matters more than the distance.

Moving One Item in Watford