Buying secondhand furniture? Plan the pickup first

Finding the right secondhand sofa can happen quickly. Getting it out of the seller’s apartment takes a little more coordination. Before you promise to collect it tomorrow, make sure the furniture, the seller and both buildings are ready for the same plan.

Confirm exactly what you are buying

Save the listing and ask for current photographs, including the back, underside and any visible wear. Confirm that cushions, shelves, drawers, hardware and other pictured parts are included. A dining table shown with chairs may be listed on its own; make the agreement explicit.

Ask for dimensions rather than relying on a description such as “fits a small apartment.” If the seller knows the manufacturer and model, request those too. For a piece that comes apart, ask for the instructions and photographs of its current assembled condition.

Arrange an inspection before committing if you need to assess condition in person. Settle the purchase with the seller so the collection team can identify and take the agreed item.

Check the route into your home first

Measure your destination before paying for a piece you cannot return. Include the building entrance, permitted elevator, corridor turns and room doorway, as well as the space where the furniture will stand. A sofa can suit the room perfectly and still be wrong for the staircase.

Ask the seller how the item originally entered their home and whether anything has changed since. This is helpful background, but it does not replace measurements or a review of the current access. Our furniture measuring guide explains what to record at both addresses.

If a component must come off, decide who will remove it and whether reassembly is part of the booking. Do not let “it comes apart somehow” become the plan for collection day.

Agree payment and purchase terms with the seller

Keep the item purchase and the moving service as separate agreements. Confirm the furniture price, what is included, when payment is due and any return or cancellation terms directly with the seller. The moving quote covers the work agreed with the mover; it does not determine your rights under the purchase.

The FTC advises buyers to check a marketplace’s protections and payment rules before purchasing. Moving a transaction outside its protected payment system can remove those protections. Keep the listing, messages and payment records, and use the platform’s official process when it provides one. See the FTC’s online marketplace buying guidance.

Arrange payment directly with the seller. If you need someone to represent you at collection, agree that responsibility with them beforehand.

Put both addresses into the booking

Give the mover the collection and delivery addresses, floors, access restrictions and requested date. Identify the actual item and any extra pieces. “A sofa pickup” leaves important gaps if it is a sectional in several parts or if a second purchase has been added.

If either building has moving requirements, request them from management. Share the written instructions and management contact with the moving company.

Keepsake can coordinate directly with management on certificate-of-insurance requirements. Any permitted moving hours still need to work with the seller’s availability and the receiving building. Our COI guide explains the paperwork if this is your first time arranging it.

Give the seller a simple handover note

The seller should know who is collecting, what is being collected, the agreed access arrangement and how to contact you if something changes. They should also know whether the furniture will be moved assembled or whether any agreed preparation needs to happen first.

A useful note includes the following information:

• The item description and which loose parts belong with it.
• The collection address, apartment number and person providing access.
• The date and collection window actually agreed for the booking.
• Any building instructions that affect entry or removal.
• What the seller needs to do before collection, if anything.
• Your contact details and the agreed way to resolve a problem with the item.

Keep the note consistent with the moving booking. If one conversation changes the date or inventory, update the other people involved rather than assuming the message will travel between them.

Decide what happens if the item is not ready

Collection can fail for reasons unrelated to the truck journey: the seller is unavailable, the wrong item has been left out, an access approval is missing or the furniture is in a different condition than expected. Discuss how you and the seller will handle those possibilities before the appointment.

Check the booking terms for changes, waiting and an unsuccessful collection. Keep those moving arrangements separate from any refund or cancellation you agree with the furniture seller.

If the seller changes the inventory or adds a piece, check with the moving team before accepting it. The route and load should match the work you have booked.

Be ready to receive the furniture

Clear the intended placement area without blocking access through the home. Decide where the item belongs and who will answer placement questions if you are not there. Keep any assembly instructions and loose hardware associated with the correct piece.

When it arrives, compare the furniture and included parts with your purchase records. Record any issue promptly and distinguish a concern about the sale from a concern about the transport, so it reaches the right person.

For help with the collection, send the item details and both addresses through our furniture moving service.