Our eyes can play tricks on us when we find a rental we love. Empty rooms feel so much bigger than furnished spaces. To avoid disappointment when shopping for an apartment, bring measurements of all your large furniture pieces with you.

Key furniture pieces to measure

• Your bed and bedroom furniture. Unlike a mattress that has bendability, box springs are solid pieces you’ll need clearance for. Measure the width and length of all large bedroom furniture, remember pieces can be angled to fit, so don’t forget the diagonal height too, which is from the top corner to the opposite bottom corner. 
• Entertainment units, bookcases, armours, and other large furniture. For these items, measure the width, length, and diagonal height. You’ll want to make sure they can be tilted and eased through a doorway.
• Sofas and chairs. Most soft furniture has a bit of give and will fit diagonally through doorways; however, if your furniture is cumbersome, measure the diagonal depth. To find the diagonal depth, start at the highest point of the back frame and measure to the arm. At the midway point of that measurement, measure down to the back leg of the sofa. 

Measuring in the new rental

Once you find a rental you love, taking measurements will help you visualize your belongings in the new space. Even with floorplans of your rental, it’s important to measure these key places:

• Doorways. Measure the width and height of every doorway you’ll need to move furniture through. This includes the doors to the apartment building, front door to the unit, elevator doors, and clearance you have on either side of all doorways.
• Stairwells. Measure the width and ceiling height from the top and bottom step of each stairwell. If there’s a landing or turn, measure those spaces as well.
• Closets. Measuring the interior of a closet will help you determine if you can place a dresser or other storage solution inside. 
• Storage areas/basement clearance. Knowing the dimensions of the storage area will help you understand how much you’ll be able to store. For house rentals, measure the doorway to the basement and clearance from the stairs to the ceiling.