Furniture sizes, and the room they need

The numbers to check before you buy, in inches and centimetres.

• Sofa sizes, and the room they need

  Loveseat to sectional, the walkways to leave, and the one-minute check for the door.

• Bed sizes, and the space around them

  Twin to California king, UK and EU sizes, and the smallest bedroom each one fits in.

• Dining table sizes, and the chairs that fit

  Tables for 2 to 10, the room behind the chairs, and the dining area each needs.

• Will it fit through the door?

  How wide doors, hallways and stairs really are, the two measurements that decide it, and the corner rule.

• Rug sizes, and where the legs go

  Which rug goes under a sofa, a bed and a dining table, and the rule for the legs.

• Desk sizes, and the space a home office needs

  Desk dimensions, chair clearance, and the smallest corner that works as an office.

• Kitchen island clearance, and how big a kitchen needs to be

  The 36 / 42 / 48 inch rule, island sizes and seating, and the kitchen width an island needs.

• Fridge, washer and dryer sizes, and the openings they need

  Appliance dimensions in US and European sizes, the gaps they need, and the door swing in front.