Sites like Craigslist, the classifieds section of the local newspaper, and other local purchasing venues can be a treasure trove, especially for furniture, tools, TVs, and other large items. However, one part of the buying experience that these services hardly ever cover is shipping or transport to your home. For this reason, you're going to need to develop a plan to get your purchase home on your own. This can be a daunting task, but in order to help the process along, here are three tips for getting that big Craigslist purchase home in one piece. 

Check the Clearance on Your Way Home

Certain roads, like Storrow Drive in Boston, for example, are famous for decapitating trucks that unknowingly pass under a low bridge. To avoid this, a little planning and a practice run can go a long way. If you're only transporting your purchase locally, then take a drive out to where you'll be picking up your item and make a note of where there are areas of low clearance under a bridge or other structure. If you'll be driving through unknown territory to get your purchase, then you can check to see if your state publishes a list of low clearances so that you can plan your route to avoid them--and an accident along with them. 

Have Your Home Prepared

Nothing is worse than getting a large appliance or piece of furniture home after hauling it for an hour and then struggling to get it through the front door for twenty minutes. Before leaving to claim your classifieds prize, make sure to make the necessary accommodations that will be required to get your purchase in the door when you get back. These may include opening your basement bulkhead if you'll be bringing in something for the basement, or taking a door off its hinges to free up a little more door space. Getting precise measurements from the seller helps greatly with this process, so make sure to inquire about this at some point in the purchasing process. 

When in Doubt, Hire a Local Moving Company

If there's simply no way that you can get your purchase home (an armoire in the back of a compact car, for example), then making a call to a local moving company can pay dividends. It's important to get in touch with a local company, since many of these companies can accommodate smaller jobs than a national company, plus it'll be easier to look up reviews of local movers online as opposed to a big company with thousands of employees.