Minneapolis Furniture Shipping, Building by Building
Most surprises on pickup day come from the building, not the furniture. A sofa that came in through a back door twenty years ago may not leave the same way. Here is what Twin Cities homes and offices tend to throw at a crew, and what to check before you book.
Lake-Area Bungalows and Enclosed Front Porches
Around Lake Harriet and Lake Nokomis, in Linden Hills, Fulton, Tangletown and Field, many houses date from the 1910s and 1920s. A lot of them have an enclosed front porch, which means a large piece passes through two doorways and often a step down before it reaches the walk. Measure both doors, plus the depth of the porch, against your longest piece.
Doors in houses of that age are often narrower than modern ones. Sofas and dining tables with removable legs clear them easily once the legs come off, so note which pieces come apart when you list them. A china hutch usually splits into a top and a base, and a bed frame breaks down to rails, headboard and footboard.
Condos and Townhome Associations in the Suburbs
In Bloomington, St. Louis Park, Eden Prairie and Minnetonka, a lot of furniture leaves from condominium buildings and townhome rows run by an association. Underground garages in many of those condo buildings have height limits too low for a freight truck, so the pickup will usually need to happen at the main entrance or a side loading door. Ask the manager which door to use and whether a cart or a reserved elevator time is available.
Townhome associations sometimes cap how long a commercial truck can sit on a private street or require advance notice to the management company. Read your rules a week or two before pickup and pass any time limits along when you book.
Offices, Studios and Small Showrooms
Many furniture shipping companies quote a full truck for an office job. Commercial furniture delivery for a small business does not need one: a few workstations, a reception desk, filing cabinets or a showroom sample can ship the same way a household piece does, picked up from the first floor of the business. Offices in the Mill District, St. Anthony Main and the office parks along Interstate 494 often have a loading dock with set hours. Call (866) 333-8018 to check access at your building before you book.
What Twin Cities Customers Ship
- Scandinavian and mid-century pieces: teak sideboards, Danish chairs, a rosemaled trunk
- Solid oak tables, bookcases and buffets from older city homes
- Sectionals, sleeper sofas and recliners
- Bedroom sets, mattresses and nightstands
- Antiques bought from dealers in Stillwater and other river towns
- Office desks, conference tables and task chairs
- Boxes of dishes, books and linens to fill out the load
Dry Winters, Humid Summers and Wood
Heated Minnesota homes can drop to very low indoor humidity in January, then swing to sticky air in July. Solid wood shrinks and swells with those changes, so a drawer that sticks in August may glide in February. That matters most for antiques, veneered pieces and anything with an old glue joint.
Shipping Furniture to Minneapolis: Delivery Options
Pick the delivery that fits your budget and your schedule. Will-Call is the lowest price: you collect the shipment at the destination terminal. Curbside Delivery brings it to the nearest accessible point at your address, and Full Service puts each piece inside your new place. The porch, condo-garage and loading-dock notes above apply on delivery to a Minneapolis address as well, so check the same doors and rules before your shipment arrives. If the house closing or lease start date slides, short-term storage at the destination terminal can hold everything until you are ready.
