Measure the stairwell, not the room

We have had to disassemble a finished sofa on a landing in Ile-Ife because nobody measured the turn at the top of the stairs. It is entirely avoidable. Take these five measurements and send them with your enquiry.

1. The narrowest doorway on the route

Not the front door — the narrowest one anywhere between the street and the final position. Measure the clear opening with the door open, not the frame.

2. The stairwell turn

Stand at the turn and measure the diagonal from the outside corner of the landing to the opposite wall. This is the number that kills deliveries.

3. Lift car depth and door height

If you are in a block with a lift, measure the car depth and, separately, the door height. Many lift cars are deep enough and have doors that are not tall enough.

4. Ceiling height in the destination room

Relevant for wardrobes and tall headboards, and for the tilt clearance needed to stand anything upright once it is in the room.

5. The wall you actually want it against

Measure between obstructions — a socket, a radiator, a window reveal — not wall to wall. Then subtract 100mm at each end. Furniture that fits with zero clearance always looks wedged in.

What we do with these

For anything over two metres, our survey team takes these measurements ourselves in Osogbo, Ilesa, Ede, Ikirun and Ile-Ife at no charge. Elsewhere in Nigeria we will walk you through it on a video call.

If the piece will not fit, we will tell you before you pay, and we will redesign it in sections that will.