Two apartments with the same furniture can need very different moving plans. One may have a nearby loading area and a booked goods lift. The other may involve a long walk, several security doors and stairs before the lift is reached.
Before you confirm a residential move, map the journey between the truck and each apartment. Access information helps the removalist assess the work and helps you avoid competing bookings on moving day.
Start with the building manager at both addresses
Ask how moves are arranged in each building. Confirm permitted days and times, lift-booking requirements, entry procedures and the person to contact if access fails. Ask whether protective padding or other arrangements are required.
Record what has been approved and what is still pending. Do not assume the rules at your current property apply to the next one, or that a lift booking at one address will fit the travel and unloading time at the other.
Follow the actual furniture route
Walk from the proposed loading position to your front door without moving furniture. Note gates, slopes, steps, thresholds, tight corners and doors that require a fob. Include any section through a car park or shared corridor.
Give the removalist an approximate carrying distance and photographs of difficult sections. A short drive between suburbs can still involve substantial work inside the buildings.
If the truck cannot enter the car park, identify the alternative loading arrangement with building management and the removalist. A visitor parking space or passenger drop-off bay is not automatically suitable for a removal truck.
Measure the furniture and the restrictions
Start with the largest or most awkward pieces: sofa, fridge, mattress, dining table, wardrobe and any fragile or heavy item. Record their dimensions and identify whether the manufacturer permits dismantling.
Measure clear doorway openings rather than the surrounding frame.
Record lift-door and internal lift dimensions separately.
Show corridor turns and the landing outside the lift.
Include stairs within a split-level apartment.
Photograph low ceilings and fittings that reduce usable space.
A fit cannot be established from one width alone. Turning space, item shape, protection and handling room matter too. Let the removalist assess the route before confirming that a particular piece will pass.
Flag heavy items before a standard move is booked
A piano, safe or stone table needs its own assessment even when the rest of the apartment is straightforward. Include its weight source, dimensions and photographs in the brief.
If a lift cannot be used, do not assume the crew will simply carry the item on the stairs. JB’s heavy-item and difficult-access team can assess the appropriate route and handling method. Stair-climber options also depend on the complete item and access assessment.
Coordinate keys, access slots and arrival times
Tell the removalist when keys will actually be available at the destination. Share both lift windows and ask whether they allow enough time for the planned move. If access depends on a handover that could change, discuss the alternative before moving day.
Nominate one person to meet the crew and another destination contact if needed. Keep the building contact details available. Avoid making the driver the only person who knows which door, lift or loading point has been approved.
Create a one-page access brief
For each address, list the site contact, entry instructions, loading location, carrying distance, stairs, lift details, approved time window and unresolved questions. Add the inventory and a numbered set of route photographs.
Use JB’s moving calculator to help organise the inventory, while keeping access details separate from the volume estimate. Volume alone does not establish the time, crew or vehicle required.
