Cottage moves
Getting big furniture out of a Federation cottage
Around Berala and Regents Park the move is decided at the front door, not on the road. Here is why the doorway matters more than the distance, and how the awkward pieces actually get through it.
Federation and interwar cottages are lovely, and they were built for a different era of furniture. The front door is often narrow, the entry hall frequently turns within a metre or two, and the floors can sit high off the ground with steps up to a verandah. None of that is a problem for a crew that plans for it. All of it is a problem for a crew that does not.
The number that decides everything
A door is described by its opening: the clear space you actually get once the door is open, which is a bit less than the frame. Modern Australian entry doors are commonly around 820mm wide, and internal doors narrower again. Older cottage stock often runs tighter, and once you subtract the door leaf and the stops you can be working with an opening closer to 750 to 800mm. That is the number your biggest pieces are measured against. The current dimensions for new work are set out in the National Construction Code and Australian Standard AS 1428.1 for accessible doorways, but an older cottage predates those, which is exactly why the openings surprise people.
Rule of thumb
If a rigid piece is wider than about 800mm on its smallest side, assume it will need to be turned, tilted, or partly dismantled to clear a cottage doorway. Our Threshold Check does this comparison for you, piece by piece.
How the classic problem pieces get through
- Three-seat sofa. Usually goes through on its end, feet first, on an angle. A two-seater is easier; a big modular often comes apart.
- Timber wardrobe. Tall and rigid. Often the doors and any loose shelves come off, and it is tilted through. Some flat-pack wardrobes are safest dismantled.
- Dining table. The legs come off, then the top slides through flat. Far easier than trying to walk it through whole.
- Fridge. Fits most openings width-wise, but it is heavy and tall, so it goes on a trolley with straps and two people.
- Bed frame. Rarely the doorway's problem, because it breaks down into rails and slats.
The things people forget
- The turn after the door. A piece that fits the doorway can still be stopped by the hall turn behind it. We measure both.
- The verandah steps. High-set cottage floors mean a lift up and out, worth knowing before the day.
- Parking. No driveway means the truck sits on the street, so the carry distance and where it can legally park both matter.
References
- National Construction Code (NCC), Australian Building Codes Board. The current framework for door and access dimensions in new construction.
- AS 1428.1, Design for access and mobility, Standards Australia. Defines minimum clear door opening widths for accessible design.
Widths above are typical figures for older Sydney cottage stock, offered as general guidance. Your own doorway may be wider or tighter, which is why we measure it as part of planning the move.