How to Get Furniture to the Second Floor When Stairs Aren’t an Option

Buying new furniture is one of the most fun parts of moving house, along with refreshing your interiors, but with all the excitement of moving you may have forgotten about how you are actually going to get your new sofas into the house.

The problem with moving furniture upstairs

If the furniture is going to be placed on the first floor, second floor, or even higher – you’ll want to consider how to get it up there from the ground floor via the stairs. If you’re living alone and/or in shared accommodation, for example, or the furniture is simply too big and heavy, it may not be possible.

This problem can also apply to commercial organisations. Lots of interiors companies are finding that online sales are increasing, which is great for business, but hard to keep up with logistically – no one wants to have to repeatedly haul bulky furniture upstairs.

What to consider when moving furniture to above-ground floors

Incorrect manual lifting is one of the most common causes of injury at work, which is why there are certain manual handling regulations you must adhere to. These can also be a good guide to how you should lift furniture when moving house. According to the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 2002, men shouldn’t attempt to lift anything heavier than 25kg, and for women the limit is 16kg. How high an object needs to be lifted will affect its maximum safe weight too, so transporting bulky furniture such as sofas to upper floors via the stairs is pretty much out of the question.

The solution: furniture hoists

Furniture hoists are fast becoming an essential when it comes to furniture removals. If your house or business premises has narrow hallways or you have an upper level flat, you can hire a furniture hoist to make light of heavy furniture and simply have it transported up to a window or balcony, no lifting necessary. This also results in less damage being done to your possessions during the moving process.

How do furniture hoists work?

Also known as external elevators, furniture hoists are hydraulically-powered platform lifts which offer a huge capacity for moving all sorts of bulky furniture items, boosting productivity and keeping any potentially injury-causing lifting to a minimum. The item is simply loaded onto the platform and lifted up to the window.

Our furniture hoists are perfect for the delivery of bulky furniture items and can be used for properties up to 6 floors high. It can work for awkward spaces such as the garden, the side of the house or restricted parking areas, and can even fit through doorways. For both residential and commercial moves, our furniture hoists remove all of the hassle from lifting heavy furniture.

Watch our video below to see how it works:

Established in 1972, Britannia Sandersteads is a comprehensive removals company providing hassle-free residential and commercial moving solutions. Based in Surrey, we also serve London, Croydon, the Home Counties and the entire south of England, carrying out moves all over the UK and worldwide. To enquire about our furniture hoists or our various services, don’t hesitate to get in touch.