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Once my sister bought a couch from Crate & Barrel without realizing it did not fit in her freight elevator. Eventually, someone lead her to a service that she described as "a bunch of Mexicans who came over and cut our couch apart and put it back together in our apartment." I think she spent a couple hundred bucks, at least, to get it done. She's from Chicago and you could not tell it was cut apart. As scary as it sounds it's probably one of the better options for something like this?

A few years ago a client moved into the Dakota with some large pieces. We used "Auers Moving & Rigging". It was expensive but the service was top notch.

The other option is to use a dismantling service like Z Brothers Trucking. They can dismantle/reassemble just about anything. I've used them a lot in the past as well. They are in Thornwood NY 914 769 3839. I hope they are still around . They were great.

I have family in Holland and every time they've moved they've had their furniture moved through the windows because the tall skinny buildings don't allow for large furniture to go up the stairs. They have large pulleys mounted outside of most buildings and apparently, at least there, it's no big deal. This has to be doable here - it's New Amsterdam after all.

I know you said you live in a duplex but this could be a duplex in a high rise. Is it? Because if it is and you need a crane (so not too high but 6 floors up should be doable) I can help you because I have done this twice. Once to get our sectional in the apt when we bought the piece and once to get it out again when we moved.

You need a city agency (can't remember which - maybe dept of transportation) permit to allow for a crane to be parked and operative outside your building but this permit is a lot of moolah. About $1000. After that the crane and two man crew will cost you somewhere between $500 and $1000. I have heard of some operators will do a very early morning insertion/extraction for you to avoid getting that permit and the inspectors that start patrolling at 7am (yep - 7am!) and that means a 5am start.

Let me know if this will involve a crane and I can give you more detail.

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Szig--

While moving things through windows using pulleys may work very well in Holland, everything has been designed to make that possible: from the permanent pulley, to the windows that work like french doors, to the furniture itself (which is generally smaller).

My sister and her husband in Philly once had a rude awakening changing apts -- their sofa would not fit through the front door -- so it was lifted up through the window -- their unit was on the second floor. The movers didn't use any special equipment or anything.

thanks for your comments, everyone. we're moving into a garden/parlor floor duplex in williamsburg--no hi-rises for us. still it sounds like this may require more cash and derring-do than we had hoped. i wonder, frank, in the case of your sister, did the movers just literally life the sofa up over their heads?

I moved a couch in through a second floor porch. It involved ripping the railing off the porch, sliding the couch up a ladder to the second floor, and then bringing it in through the door which we had taken the hinges off. Just find a few CREATIVE people with at least a little muscle, and you'll be good to go! it can be done...there's always a way.

my boyfriend and I purchased a brand spanking new $4,000 8'long sofa and got it all the way up to our 25th floor but it wouldn't make the turn off of the elevator.

Our options were: send it back and buy an entirely different sofa (no thanks, after waiting 6 weeks for this one), or perform minor surgery.

We called someone to come and cut it, move it in, put it back together... it's an extremely simple process and there are people who do this every day in new york, with no damage at all to the piece or value of furniture.

p.s. we were charged $250

I'm sorry for being dumb, but can someone please enlighten me about how you would go about dismantling a sofa? Cutting a couch apart? How does that even work? :) Details please!

Robbie, what difference does the ethnicity of the folks that helepd your sister with her couch make in in reference to this post? Unless you were pointing out to us that she's a bigot, in which case, point taken.

Robbie, what difference does the ethnicity of the folks that helped your sister with her couch make in in reference to this post? Unless you were pointing out to us that she's a bigot, in which case, point taken.

unfortunately I wasn't there to see it happen, as it was an emergency and my boyfriend so graciously dealt with it. However, I believe it was as simple as turning it over, cutting one or two pieces of the wood of the frame in order to remove the arm, then putting it back together. I'm an interior designer and I spoke with my custom furniture guys about it - they said it's perfectly fine.

call david at 917.607.3153 and ask how he does it.

During my tenure as art director of a TV makeover show, I encountered numerous furniture challenges. I've had sofas cracked and I've hauled them up the outside of the building. First I would ask the vendor if the sofa you're interested in can be cracked (some can't be). They may refer you to someone who is familiar with their product to crack it for you.

Alternatively, you can haul it up the outside of the building - the most I've done personally is 4 floors. Check out your window situation, if they're the newer metal ones, you can pop both panes out. Measure to see if your sofa will fit through, allowing for a little extra bulk.

If it will make it through, you will probably need six strong people upstairs and two on the ground. Wrap the sofa securely with moving blankets (Home Depot sells batches of 3, I think) and lots of tape, then truss it up with sturdy rope.

Have the people upstairs haul it up with a sturdy rope (I also recommend using work gloves) and the two on the ground guide it with 2 more ropes; you might have windowsills in apartments below you that you must work around.

It's just like tug-of-war with people on alternate sides of the rope upstairs, pulling for all they're worth. Sure, it's difficult and a little nerve-wracking, but when you're done you'll feel like you've won the Superbowl! Good Luck!

thanks, sweet t. maybe this is how they built stonehenge--with ropes and work gloves and blankets from home depot. we're going to try it. can't be as hard as commiting to paint colors!

we even have this problem in the 'burbs. i've moved with one roommate four times and two out of four we've had to have someone come take her sofa bed apart and re-assemble it. it was a jennifer convertibles sofa, and she called jc each time to get the name of the guy who did it.

it cost about $250 for the service each time.

What about skipping the window idea all together? Take an ax to the old one, and get a new couch in parts.

Boconcept's sofas (including a style very much like your desired one) are modular ---move it up in pieces, assemble it in place (think Ikea, but higher quality). www.boconcept.com

good luck!

I looked at sleep sofas from Carlyle and Classic Sofa and both were able to deliver in three parts (back, base and springs mechanism) to fit my narrow tenement stairs and turns. I ended up with Classic and delivery worked fine, though they had some trouble getting the alignments correct when assembling (the bed tilted at first) and were grumpy about coming back to fix it. I got the impression that the delivery people were subcontractors of Classic rather than employees.

Another option is to use a ladder as a guide/slide. Growing up in a house built in 1770 they were not made for having large couches on the second floor. But my whole childhood involved moving furniture in and out of the second floor windows. If you can score some ladders, we always used one as a slide for the couch and then 2 others for people to guide the couch up or down while someone pulls from above and pushes from below. The ladder obsorbs most of the weight of the couch instead of your back.

We offer same day, 24/7 emergency services for ( Disassembly / Assembly / Reassembly ), Take Apart, Knock Down, Brake Down, Dismantling, Assembling and Disassembling.

Our office and vehicles equipped with state-of-the-art computer, navigation and telephone systems. Our technicians and office staff must meet with the highest levels of standards.

Working on-site, and on your schedule with guaranteed workmanship.

We use latest technologies and products to service your furniture needs. Our methods and products are chosen to make our repairs permanent, invisible and to return your furniture to its original or even better condition.

Our technicians are experienced and well trained. Each of our technicians carries everything necessary to provide immediate on-site, in-home, and in store furniture repairs on wood, leather, vinyl, fabric, upholstery, and mechanisms.

Our professional team capable of handling a multitude of problems: touch up nicks, dents and scratches, color matching, refill chips, scrapes, glue joints, fill in, regluing, reinforcing, recreating, gold leaf, open seams, defective mechanisms, recliner, connector, gas cylinders, dampers, struts, swivel bases, absorbers, release system, handles, cables, frames, casters, chair base, slides, fasteners, levelers, glides, stretch, zippers, pneumatic, snap, hooks, hinges, damaged and broken frames, sagging seats, foam, padding, dacron, broken springboards, springs, webbing, rips, cuts, holes, burns, stains, ink marks, water and heat rings, spills, pet damages, smoke and water damages, enhancements, worn finishes, laminate, grain matching, repair, restoration, polish, refinish, upholstery, polishing, cleaning, buffing, waxing, knock down, take apart, dismantle, disassemble, (disassembly / take a part) assemble, etc.

All of the above and many other problems can be eliminated adding years and beauty to your new or used, antique or modern furniture (Couch, Sofa, Loveseat, Chair, Ottoman, Sleeper, Sofabed, Recliner, China, Table, Buffet, Bed, Dresser, Nightstand, Armoire, Sofa-beds, Daybed, Wall unit, Entertainment Center, Desk, Mirror, Chandelier, Frames, Kitchen Cabinets, Banisters, Doors, Pianos, Wall Bed, Murphy Bed, Office Furniture, Partitions, Statues, etc.).

Tel: 888-575-6757
347-528-7777

I had a similar situation. Through a local furniture store, I was able to find somebody that dismantled and reassembled couches for a living. It cost $150 and took about 2 hours. The couch was good as new after. That was 3 years ago and no problems to this date. But I wish I had paid a good home improvement guy $75 to remove the window and put it back after the couch had gone outside.

We are from Nyc and had the same problem We rented a loft in the Lower East Side and thought we got a great deal. Until we attempted to move our sofa in, the door only measure 27" We hired EZ Furniture Assembly who took it apart, brough in, and reassembled it to showroom condition, But they costed us $250.00

We offer same day, 24/7 emergency services for ( Disassembly / Assembly / Reassembly ), Take Apart, Knock Down, Brake Down, Dismantling, Assembling and Disassembling.

Our office and vehicles equipped with state-of-the-art computer, navigation and telephone systems. Our technicians and office staff must meet with the highest levels of standards.

Working on-site, and on your schedule with guaranteed workmanship.

We use latest technologies and products to service your furniture needs. Our methods and products are chosen to make our repairs permanent, invisible and to return your furniture to its original or even better condition.

Our technicians are experienced and well trained. Each of our technicians carries everything necessary to provide immediate on-site, in-home, and in store furniture repairs on wood, leather, vinyl, fabric, upholstery, and mechanisms.

Our professional team capable of handling a multitude of problems: touch up nicks, dents and scratches, color matching, refill chips, scrapes, glue joints, fill in, regluing, reinforcing, recreating, gold leaf, open seams, defective mechanisms, recliner, connector, gas cylinders, dampers, struts, swivel bases, absorbers, release system, handles, cables, frames, casters, chair base, slides, fasteners, levelers, glides, stretch, zippers, pneumatic, snap, hooks, hinges, damaged and broken frames, sagging seats, foam, padding, dacron, broken springboards, springs, webbing, rips, cuts, holes, burns, stains, ink marks, water and heat rings, spills, pet damages, smoke and water damages, enhancements, worn finishes, laminate, grain matching, repair, restoration, polish, refinish, upholstery, polishing, cleaning, buffing, waxing, knock down, take apart, dismantle, disassemble, (disassembly / take a part) assemble, etc.

All of the above and many other problems can be eliminated adding years and beauty to your new or used, antique or modern furniture (Couch, Sofa, Loveseat, Chair, Ottoman, Sleeper, Sofabed, Recliner, China, Table, Buffet, Bed, Dresser, Nightstand, Armoire, Sofa-beds, Daybed, Wall unit, Entertainment Center, Desk, Mirror, Chandelier, Frames, Kitchen Cabinets, Banisters, Doors, Pianos, Wall Bed, Murphy Bed, Office Furniture, Partitions, Statues, etc.).

Tel: 888-575-6757
347-528-7777