How to Measure a Room Before Buying Furniture

The most common furniture-buying mistake is skipping the tape measure. The second most common is measuring the room but not the way in. This takes about ten minutes and saves a return.

You will need a tape measure, a pen, and ideally a second person to hold the other end.

Step 1 — Measure the room, not just the gap

Measure wall to wall in both directions and write the numbers down. Then measure the specific space the new piece will occupy, and subtract anything that eats into it: radiators, skirting boards, plug sockets, window sills, a door that opens inwards.

A gap that looks like 200cm on the wall is often 188cm once the radiator is counted. That difference is exactly the size of most disappointments.

Step 2 — Leave walking space

Furniture that fits is not the same as furniture that works. As a rough guide for UK rooms:

• 60–90cm of clear walking space around sofas and dining tables.
• 30–45cm between a sofa and a coffee table — close enough to reach, far enough to pass.
• 75cm in front of a wardrobe so the doors open fully and you can stand there.
• At least 50cm in front of a sofa bed so it can be opened and made up.

If taking those numbers off leaves you short, the piece is too big for the room even though the tape measure says it fits.

Step 3 — Measure the delivery route, not just the room

This is the step people skip, and it is the one that causes failed deliveries. Walk the route your furniture has to travel and measure:

• The front door — width and height, with the door fully open.
• Any internal doorways on the way.
• Hallway width, especially at corners.
• Staircases: width, head height, and the turn at the top or on the half-landing.
• Lifts, if you are in a flat — the door opening and the internal depth.

The narrowest point on that route is your real limit. Large pieces can sometimes be turned diagonally, which buys you a few centimetres, but never count on it for a tight stair turn.

Step 4 — Mark it out on the floor

This costs nothing and tells you more than any number. Use masking tape, newspaper or a few boxes to mark the exact outline of the piece on the floor, then live with it for a day. Walk past it. Open the door. Sit where your chair will be.

People who do this almost never return furniture for being the wrong size. It is far easier to picture 210cm on your own carpet than in your head.

Step 5 — Check the height, not only the footprint

Width and depth get all the attention, but height catches people out too:

• A tall wardrobe needs clearance to be stood upright in the room, which is more than its finished height.
• A high sofa back can block a radiator or a window.
• A TV unit has to suit your seated eye level, not just the wall.

For sloped or loft ceilings, measure the height at the exact spot the piece will stand, not at the highest point in the room.

What to measure for each kind of piece

• Sofas and sofa beds — width, depth, height, and for sofa beds the open length as well.
• Beds — the frame's outside size, which is bigger than the mattress size, plus room to walk at the sides.
• Wardrobes — width, depth, height, plus the door swing or sliding clearance.
• Dining furniture — table size plus 60cm per chair for pulling out and sitting down.
• TV units — the unit width should be at least as wide as the TV stand, ideally wider.
• Coffee tables — roughly two-thirds the length of the sofa looks right in most rooms.

Write it on your phone before you shop

Keep a single note with: room width, room length, the gap for the piece, front door width, narrowest hallway point, and stair turn. Six numbers. With those in your pocket you can check any listing in seconds, and you will never have to guess.

Every product page on our site lists full measurements. If a number you need is missing, ask us — we would rather measure it again than have you send something back. Our size guide has the standard UK sizes, and you can see how delivery works on our delivery and returns page.