Moving into or out of a flat takes a little more preparation than a house. You are dealing with stairwells, lifts, walkways and limited parking. If you look into this properly beforehand, you avoid everything suddenly grinding to a halt on moving day.
Measure the spaces
Get out a tape measure and measure the width of the front door, the stairwell door, the lift door and the inside of the lift. Also look at the turns in the stairwell and at low ceilings on the landing. Compare those measurements with your largest pieces of furniture: the sofa, the wardrobe, the bed and any American-style fridge freezer.
If something will not quite fit through, there are usually solutions. A wardrobe can be taken apart, legs can come off the sofa and a door can sometimes be taken off its hinges for a while. If you know this in advance, you can sort it out calmly instead of on the stairs.
Lift: book it and protect it
In many blocks of flats you can book the lift for a few hours through the building manager or the owners' association (VvE). Then on moving day it will not keep ending up on another floor and you can load without interruption. Also ask whether there are blankets or protective panels for the lift walls, or whether you need to bring them yourself.
Pay attention to the maximum weight and dimensions. A tall wardrobe or a mattress will not always fit in a small lift. Those then have to go by the stairs after all.
No lift or a lift that is too small
Without a lift, everything is carried through the stairwell. That takes more time and more manpower, especially from the third floor up. A furniture lift on the outside of the building is then often the quickest solution. It brings furniture and boxes in through the balcony or a window.
Whether a furniture lift is possible depends on a few things:
- is there a balcony or a window that can open far enough;
- is there room on the street to set up the lift;
- are there no trees, cables or canopies in the way.
A removal company can assess this on site in advance.
Parking close to the door
The closer the removal van is to the entrance, the less carrying is needed. With flats, this is often the trickiest part: a car park with low headroom, a courtyard with a barrier or a busy street with paid parking.
- Check with the municipality whether you need an exemption or a temporary parking permit. Every municipality handles this differently, so start on it in good time.
- Ask the building manager whether a removal van is allowed to park on the premises.
- If you like, park your own cars in the spaces outside the door the evening before moving day, so they stay free.
Rules of the VvE or landlord
Many complexes have house rules for moves. Think of set times when you are allowed to move, no moves on Sundays, or a requirement to cover the stairwell. Read the house rules or ask the building manager. Then you will not face any surprises on the day itself.
Think of the neighbours
The neighbours always notice a move in a block of flats. A note in the hall a few days beforehand helps: when you are moving, how long the lift will be in use and who they can talk to. Keep corridors and stairwells clear while loading and do not put boxes in front of the fire escape or emergency exit.
Packing smart for a flat
With lots of stairs and a small lift, small, easy-to-lift boxes count double. Heavy boxes of books soon become a problem on the stairs. Group the boxes by room and keep a clear route to the front door, so no detours are needed.
A short checklist
- Measure the doors, lift and stairwell.
- Book the lift with the building manager or VvE.
- Find out whether a furniture lift is needed and possible.
- Arrange parking with the municipality and the building manager.
- Ask for the house rules and let the neighbours know.
Not sure whether your sofa will fit through the stairwell, or whether a furniture lift is needed? We will look at it together in the free moving check.
