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There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to how far you can move your house. Interstate moves will involve additional permits and regulations, with some states having different requirements than others. The most important factor relating to the distance you can move a house is the route that has to be taken to get there. In areas with narrow, winding roads, hilly terrain, and low-clearance bridges, it can be very difficult and expensive to move a home long distances.

Start by removing any obstacles in the moving path, such as side tables, lamps, or other furniture. If your couch has legs, unscrew them. Measure the couch and the stairway to ensure you have enough room; if it seems unlikely, examine the shape and size of the couch and decide whether it might fit better up the stairway and through doorways on its side, held diagonally, or moved in an upright position.

Consider putting the sofa on a dolly to go up the stairs. It should be able to fit upright on a standard dolly with wheels. You’ll still need to lift the dolly—with the couch on it—up the stairs, but it will reduce the physical strain. The person holding the dolly should pull the couch up, while the helper should be on the other side, keeping the couch secure and steady.

If you don’t have a dolly, the person in front should lift the couch slightly higher than the person in the back to create more stability. The person in the back should also be the stronger mover, as most of the weight will be distributed there.

The first step in moving a house is to provide blueprints and assess which parts of the house you can move. The next steps are obtaining permits, inspecting the structure, securing road permits, and getting bank approval.

When it's time to move, professionals can prepare the house by disconnecting utilities, removing items, and adding support braces. The house is then lifted with steel beams, jacked up, and placed on dollies for transport. Once it’s at the new location, it gets lowered onto the new foundation, utilities get reconnected, and additional features, like porches or garages, are added.

Although purchasing moving insurance will add to the total cost of your move, it might take a weight off your shoulders. Moving insurance covers roughly 60 cents per pound. If you’re moving several antique or fragile items, you may want to invest in moving insurance covering damage or item losses.