An apartment move needs an access plan for two buildings. Ask each property manager or owner for its current instructions, then share those instructions with your mover before confirming the date. A gate pass, deposit or service-lift reservation may be required at one building and unnecessary at the other.
Ask these questions at both addresses
- Who can approve a move request, and what notice is needed?
- Which gate and stopping area should the vehicle use?
- Does the building need vehicle registration or crew details?
- Is a service lift available, and does it need a reservation?
- Are protective coverings required in the lift or common areas?
- Are there any fees or refundable deposits, and who receives them?
- What happens if loading or unloading overruns the booked period?
Write down the actual answers. Do not assume that a rule described on a city page applies to your society, or that a mover can authorise access on a resident’s behalf.
If permission changes or the lift becomes unavailable, use the moving-day access response to clarify the issue, assess alternatives and record the revised arrangement.
Measure the route your largest item will take
The lift interior is only one part of the problem. Check the flat doorway, lift entrance, corridor turns, lobby, stairs and destination room. A tall cabinet may stand inside a lift but be unable to pass through its door.
Take clear photographs and dimensions for unusually large items. Tell the team if furniture was assembled in the room. Agree any dismantling and reassembly before the move. Window or balcony lifting requires a specialist assessment and appropriate permissions; do not treat it as an improvised solution when ordinary access fails.
Check the loading point
Ask where a vehicle may lawfully stop and whether there are height barriers, ramps or turning limits. The visitor entrance may not be the goods entrance. A basement that admits cars may not admit the vehicle proposed for your move.
If goods must travel a long way between the truck and lift, include that distance and any steps in the survey. Discuss extra carrying, trolleys or a smaller transfer vehicle as part of the quote, not as a discovery on loading day.
Put the two building slots on one schedule
Allow time for packing, loading and travel between the access appointments. If you must leave the first property before the second is available, tell the team early and agree a workable plan. Waiting, a revised delivery date or storage are different arrangements and should not be assumed to be free or available.
Reserve time for the landlord inspection, meter readings and key return. Keep these tasks separate from the moving crew’s scope so everyone knows who is responsible.
Prepare for receiving, not only leaving
Label cartons with the destination room and mark a small number as first-use essentials. Keep medicines, documents, valuables and keys with you. Share the receiver’s contact and ensure they can enter the property and check the inventory.
At delivery, count the items and note visible damage or missing goods on the handover record. Keep the common areas clear and agree how packing materials will be removed or recycled under the building’s arrangements.
Use our house-shifting service guide to define the work, and request a quote once you have both access plans.