How To Move A Couch By Yourself

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1. Home>
2. How to Move a Couch By Yourself>

Moving by yourself always seems so easy until it comes time to start the heavy lifting. While it’s definitely better to have an extra set of hands (or five) to help you out when you’re tackling a move, life doesn’t always work out that way. And if you haven’t sprung for a professional moving company and all of your friends are mysteriously sick or busy, you’re going to have to figure out how to get all of your belongings out of your old home and into your new one—and that probably includes having to move a couch all by yourself.

Moving a couch on your own isn’t impossible, despite the fact that it probably sounds that way. So while it may seem easier to just leave your old couch behind and wish it the best, first see if you can hone in on your inner strength, embrace the challenge, and get to work. Here’s how to move a couch all on your own.

Equipment you will need to move a couch by yourself

Have two arms? You’re almost there. Here’s what else you’ll need to get that couch from point A to point B:

• Plastic wrap
• Moving blankets
• Oversized furniture sliders or a flat furniture dolly (if you live in a managed building you may be able to borrow a flat furniture dolly, otherwise you can rent one from most hardware stores)
• Furniture straps

If you don’t think you can move your couch on your own even with all of this stuff, then it’s time to consider in bringing in some sort of reinforcement. You can use a site like Taskrabbit or Thumbtack to find someone who can help you out with single item furniture moves.

1. Break it down into all of its parts

   Your very first step is going to be to prep the sofa for a move, which includes taking it apart as much as you possibly can. Remove cushions and legs, and detach each of the sections if the couch is a sectional. Keep in mind that you don’t want to force anything off that isn’t designed to detach. For example, if there’s no way to unscrew the legs from the base, leave them on there instead of trying to rig some way to remove them (which will just lead to broken couch). If you remove any nails, screws, or other tiny parts when you’re breaking down your couch, store those in their own little baggie and make sure to note where you put them.

2. Wrap it up

   Once your couch is broken down into its attendant pieces, you can get to work prepping each part for the move. Wrap cushions and pillows in plastic wrap or toss them in a large garbage bag. If you were able to remove the legs, either wrap those separately or put them in the bag with the cushions to keep everything together.

   You have a couple options for wrapping up the base of your couch. If you’re super worried about damage you can use plastic wrap around the whole thing and then cover it in a moving blanket, or you can skip the plastic and go right to the blanket — whichever makes the most sense for you. You may also want to consider providing extra protection for armrests and any sharp corners by putting cardboard over them and securing with either packing tape or additional plastic wrap.

3. Get to sliding

   If you’re using sliders: Furniture sliders are one of the magic tricks of the moving trade. In addition to protecting your floors when you’re sliding heavy furniture across them, sliders help you glide your furniture from one room to another with much less effort than would be required otherwise.

   Depending on the size and shape of your sofa (as well as your own capabilities), it may be easier for you to tip your sofa so it’s standing vertically and put the sliders under one end that way. This helps distribute the weight in your favor, though it can be a bit unruly. Only attempt this if you’re confident you can hold your couch in place when it’s standing on its end.

   If you’re using a flat furniture dolly: A flat furniture dolly is short, wide, and designed to help you move large furniture. Don’t attempt to move a couch with just any type of dolly—such as the kind you might use to move appliances or luggage—since those aren’t made for the same purpose. If you don’t have a flat furniture dolly, however, a utility dolly (also called a hand truck) could work for you.

   To move a couch with a dolly, tip it on to its end and slowly maneuver it onto the platform. Use furniture straps to secure it in place. From there, you’ll just have to push and let the dolly’s wheels do the rest.

4. Getting your couch into the truck

   Once your couch is outside you’re going to have one last moving mountain to climb: getting the couch into the moving truck. Fortunately, if you rented a truck it almost certainly came with an attachable ramp that you can use to wheel your couch up with either the furniture sliders or dolly. When you call to order your rental be sure to request that a ramp is included, and double check that it’s there when you pick up your truck on moving day.

   If you don’t have a ramp you’ll have to get a little bit more crafty. Wheel the couch up to the truck bed and, if it’s not vertical already, move it so it’s standing up on its side. Then carefully hoist it from the bottom and tilt it onto the truck. If it feels too heavy, don’t try to do it on your own and enlist some help instead.

General heavy lifting tips

Any time you are lifting something heavy you need to take extra special care to protect yourself from injury. These include:

Knowing your limits. Don’t push it! If something feels like it’s too heavy for you to lift, then move on to Plan B. Never put your body at risk just to move something.

Squatting, not bending. When you reach down to lift something like the end of your couch, be sure to squat at your knees instead of bending over at your waist. This will help protect your back when you lift up.

Lift with your legs and abs. Your back shouldn’t be taking on any of the brunt of heavy lifting. Focus your efforts in your legs and your core, and if you start to feel strain on your back, put the item down and either change your stance or find someone who can help you.

What if you have stairs?

If you need to move a couch up or down stairs, you’re going to need assistance. It’s simply too dangerous to try to do it on your own, and sliders and dollies won’t work on them. Once again, your best bet is to hire someone to come over just for that task—it will cost you a lot less than hiring professional movers and you’ll get that extra set of hands you so disparately need.

No couch is worth putting yourself in danger or at risk of serious injury. Assess the situation and be realistic about what you can and cannot do. And if you need to bring in the pros, go ahead and do it.

Related Articles:

• How to Wrap and Move a Couch
• The Intelligent Mover’s Guide to Using a Moving Dolly
• How to Use Moving Straps
• How to Move Heavy Furniture By Yourself
• The Do’s and Don’ts of Moving in the Summer
• Summer Moving Tips: Your Ultimate Guide to a Smooth Move
• What Size Moving Truck Should You Get?
• Important Things to Consider When Renting a Moving Truck
• When Is the Best Time to Move?
• Why Summer Is The Most Expensive Time to Move

Author: Laura Mueller

Laura Mueller is a professional writer with nearly five years of experience writing about moving. She is particularly interested in topics around organization, home design, and real estate, and definitely has a few tricks up her sleeve after moving eight times in eight years during her 20s. Laura believes that moving should be as stress-free of an experience as possible, and is always working on new tips and shortcuts that she can share with readers on Moving.com.View all posts by Laura Mueller

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