Collecting furniture from a second-hand shop or classified ad

Before you set off for the furniture

Collecting furniture from a second-hand shop or a classified ad most often falls apart over what you didn't ask in advance. The wardrobe fits in the van but won't go through the door of the flat. The sofa is twenty centimetres longer than it looked in the photo. The seller only has time until four and lives on the fourth floor with no lift. Ten minutes on the phone will save you a whole afternoon.

Ask for the dimensions — photos are deceptive

Ask for the width, height and depth in centimetres. A description like "three-door wardrobe" tells you nothing. With sofa beds, ask for the folded dimensions and whether the legs can be unscrewed. With tables, ask whether the top can be removed. It's often the difference between one trip and two.

Check the route at both ends

The narrowest point decides it, not the biggest. Measure the doors, the turn in the staircase, the height of the lift car and the width of the entrance. In older Prague buildings, the problem tends to be the landing, not the doors. If the wardrobe is a few centimetres wider, take the doors off their hinges — on the furniture and in the flat.

Arrange help, not just a time

Ask the seller directly whether they'll help you load. Most people will, but counting on it without agreeing first doesn't pay off. You won't lift a big wardrobe or a sofa bed on your own, and trying to manage it single-handed ends with a scraped wall or a bruised back.

Allow plenty of time

A pick-up from a classified ad almost never takes just an hour. The drive there, finding somewhere to stop, carrying things out, the drive back and moving it into the flat. For one larger item, easily allow three hours. You'll find an overview of cargo area dimensions in our fleet.

Bring the right gear

Blankets, straps and a piece of cardboard are as much a part of the job as the van keys. Second-hand furniture has usually been moved once already and its edges are soft. One trip without protection is all it takes for an item described as being in good condition to become scuffed furniture.

Ask about the condition and dismantling

With older pieces, ask whether the furniture is already dismantled or standing assembled in the room. Dismantling an old laminate wardrobe is often a one-way operation, because the joints frequently get destroyed in the process. If the piece is to stay in one piece, you have to bear that in mind when measuring the doors and staircase. Also ask about mould on the back panel and signs of woodworm. You don't want to bring either home, and they never show up in the photos in the ad.

Loading and the drive home

Heavy pieces low and at the front

The heaviest things belong on the floor, close to the bulkhead behind the cab. A load pushed to the back makes the front axle lighter and the van holds its line less well. Carry wardrobes and shelving units upright along the side wall, not flat in the middle. They twist less and have something to lean against.

Put a soft layer between the pieces

Wood rubbing against wood gets scuffed even on a short trip. Blankets, old towels or a piece of carpet between the individual pieces do more than careful driving. Protect the corners of wardrobes and the upholstered corners of sofas with cardboard as well — you can get it free in shops.

Securing the load isn't optional

Unsecured furniture acts like a battering ram when you brake. Use ratchet straps and tension them over the load to the anchor points in the floor. Don't rely on something being wedged in. The first sharp stop at a pedestrian crossing will prove you wrong.

Glass and lacquered parts separately

Carry display cabinets, mirrors and glass shelves upright and padded. Glass laid flat is more likely to crack from vibration than from impact. If the doors can be removed, take them off and carry them leaning against the side wall, not stacked on top of each other.

Check the load after the first few metres

Stop a short way from the house and look in the back. Straps almost always loosen a little after the first pull-away, and the load settles into a more stable position. Tightening them takes half a minute, and it's the one check that really isn't worth skipping when collecting furniture.

Practical rental matters

One trip or two

Mileage within the Czech Republic is unlimited, so a second trip won't cost you extra in kilometres. If you're not sure everything will fit, book a bigger van. Reloading on the pavement costs more time than the difference in van size.

How much you can carry

Payload varies by model, usually 1 100 to 1 450 kg. A typical set of household furniture is therefore more a question of volume than weight. Watch out for solid wood, stone tops and old bookcases — they can be surprisingly heavy.

Pick-up and documents

You pick up the vehicle contactlessly via the web app; the keys are in the compartment on the passenger side. All you need is a category B driving licence and two proofs of identity — you don't create an account and you don't pay a deposit. You'll find the rest of the answers in the FAQ section.