Fully Furnished

Sofas, beds, mattresses, dining tables, rugs and dressers carry real prices read at the shop that sells them, with the date on every row. Every other category is still sample data.

What does moving furniture into an apartment cost: movers, a truck or delivery?

Summary

For new furniture, compare the store's delivery quote with the work you would otherwise do yourself. IKEA's non-member tiers start at $29 for Standard Delivery and $69 for Scheduled In-Home (delivery page, checked 2026-10-23). A truck or movers may suit furniture you already own, but you need quotes for your route and date to compare costs. Measure doors and turns before booking, then confirm how far inside the crew comes and who handles assembly and anchoring.

Measure the route before booking

Article's delivery page gives a simple test for whether the box will go through the door: "Door width should be greater than the box's height." These are box sizes from this site's sofa list, with prices read on Article's product pages on 2026-09-07:

SofaPriceBox (in)Door must be wider than
Article Burrard 83.5 inch$1,29987 x 37 x 2121 in
Article Timber 90 inch Leather$1,79991 x 38 x 2222 in
Article Sitka 99 inch$1,599101 x 43 x 2525 in
Article Vati 80 inch Sofa Bed$1,79982 x 39 x 2828 in

A box over 100 inches long, like the Sitka's, also has to clear every turn between the street and the living room. For pieces that arrive in parts, check each package against the same route. On this site's list, the IKEA KIVIK 3-Seat Sofa ships as sections ($899 at IKEA, checked 2026-09-06), the Burrow Range sofas come as modules with no tools, and the Floyd Sofa 2.0 ships in flat-pack boxes ($2,190 at Floyd, checked 2026-09-07). If your stairwell is tight, a sofa that arrives in pieces can let you pay for a cheaper delivery tier and carry it up yourself. The measuring guide covers the route in more detail.

Store delivery tiers

IKEA offers delivery tiers according to how far into the home the order is carried. Compare the tier you need with a truck or mover quote for the same work. IKEA's delivery page lists these starting prices, checked 2026-10-23. Every tier requires a minimum merchandise subtotal of $35.

IKEA tierNon-member, fromIKEA Family, from
Standard Delivery$29$19
Scheduled Doorstep$39$29
Scheduled In-Home$69$59
Express In-Home$79$69

The gap between the cheapest and the in-room tier for a non-member is $69 − $29 = $40. That $40 pays for someone else carrying the boxes from the truck to the room. On a walk-up with a heavy dresser, that is probably worth paying. For a few light boxes and an elevator, it may not be. IKEA's delivery page also lists a $30 haul-away fee; ask IKEA whether that applies per item or per order.

Other stores price delivery differently. Best Choice Products' shipping policy says "Free shipping on all orders within the contiguous United States" and adds "We currently ship to the 48 contiguous U.S. states only" (checked 2026-10-23). On those terms, a futon or table from Best Choice Products adds no shipping charge in the lower 48 states, while the cheapest IKEA tier starts at $29 for a non-member. Article's delivery page describes a flat-rate Beyond Shipping fee for Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and remote areas (checked 2026-10-23). Arrange removal of an old couch separately and confirm the arrangements before delivery.

The Home Depot and Lowe's terms come from their appliance delivery pages, so they may not apply to furniture. Home Depot's appliance delivery page says the fee varies by zip code. It offers installation, with the delivery cost applied in the cart, and haul-away for an additional charge. Lowe's truck delivery page lists haul-away at $50 with delivery of a new appliance, and free for select MyLowe's Pro Rewards members (both checked 2026-10-23).

Delivery fees come back on a return, too. Article's returns page gives you "up to 30 days from the date of delivery to return your furniture." The refund comes back "less any applicable outbound and return shipping fees." Crate & Barrel's returns FAQ says shipping fees are not refunded and that the customer pays return shipping and any pickup fees (checked 2026-10-23). Burrow's returns page charges 10% of the price with original packaging and 20% without, capped at $250 per item. Take the Burrow Range 3-Piece Sofa, $1,217 on this site's sofa list (Burrow, checked 2026-09-07), sent back without its boxes: 20% × $1,217 = $243, which is under the cap.

Renting a truck

A truck makes sense when the furniture is already yours: a bed from your last place, a sofa from a friend, a dresser from a sale. In-town truck rental is generally priced as a base rate for the day plus a charge per mile driven. Fuel, any damage coverage you choose, and pads or a dolly add to that. Get the day rate and per-mile charge for your city and dates from the rental company.

The rental price leaves out labor: you load, drive, unload and carry, usually with at least one other person. You also return the truck within the rental window, so a stuck elevator or a long wait for a building's freight dock can push the cost up. Before you book, ask the building whether moves need a reserved elevator time or a certificate of insurance. Ask too whether there is a loading zone where a truck can legally stop.

Hiring movers

Local movers usually bill by the hour for a crew, so the price grows with the number of people, the hours on the clock and the minimum the company sets. Ask what starts the clock: arrival at your door, or departure from their depot. Ask whether stairs, long carries from the curb or disassembly are charged separately. A short move with a single heavy piece can still hit the minimum charge.

If you need a dresser anchored, ask the mover or installer whether that work is included. Article's delivery page says its teams "will not install items that could permanently alter the home, such as anti-tip hardware or wall attachments." If you want a dresser anchored, someone else has to do it. IKEA's assembly service lists a $52 fee and "includes installation of any tip-over restraints for safety purposes." The work is done by an independent contractor (IKEA's assembly page, checked 2026-10-23). CPSC's Anchor It! campaign tells households to anchor TVs that are not wall mounted, and the STURDY rule covers free-standing clothing storage made after September 1, 2023 that is at least 27 inches tall, weighs at least 30 pounds and has at least 3.2 cubic feet of storage.

Sources

Published 23 October 2026.