Moving Tips

Moving is never easy, but when you move into a city apartment, you'll probably encounter some unique challenges due to the lack of space and general layout of the city streets. To avoid calamities like being stuck at the base of the stairs with a sofa that won't fit, follow these six tips when moving into a city apartment.

1. Measure Everything

Measuring furniture prior to moving is important in any home, but even more so in a city apartment, where the doorways tend to be narrow and you may need to take furniture through multiple doorways before even reaching your apartment. Visit the apartment ahead of time, and measure the widths and heights of each doorway — including the main doorway to the apartment building and the door leading into your apartment. Measure all furniture before you put it in the moving truck so you don't waste time and space hauling furniture that won't fit inside.

2. Tell Your Movers if You Have an Upstairs or Downstairs Unit

Movers are professionals and perfectly capable of carrying heavy items up flights of stairs. However, they like to know beforehand how many stairs are involved in a move so they can plan accordingly when it comes to staff and timing. If you hire professional movers, tell them what floor your new apartment is located on so that they can properly prepare and give you a more accurate estimate.

3. Get Rid of Extra Items

Decluttering before a move is always a good idea, but this step is absolutely essential when moving to a city apartment. You won't have space for a lot of extra things, and you don't want to carry unneeded items across a parking lot and upstairs, either.

4. Research Parking Restrictions and Policies

Parking restrictions vary widely between cities, so be sure to research the laws in your city before your moving day. In some cities, you may be able to park a moving truck on the street, but only for a limited period of time — like a few hours. In other cities, you may need to apply ahead of time for a moving truck parking permit. If you're moving into an apartment complex, contact the management team. They may have community-wide guidelines for those moving in and out. If you're moving into a privately owned apartment, contact the landlord about parking restrictions. If they do not know the laws themselves, they can at least refer you to the proper municipal department where you can get information.

5. Protect the Public Floors and Walls

In many apartment buildings, you'll need to navigate through a hallway or entryway before reaching your actual apartment. Make sure you protect the floors, walls, and other surfaces in this area from dings and other damage as you move in. Bring tarps or sheets to protect these surfaces if needed. If you hire a moving company, they should provide these items themselves.

6. Hire Insured Movers

When you move into a city apartment, it’s more important than ever to make sure that the movers you hire carry insurance. If any damage is done to the apartment or public spaces and your movers are not insured, you could be liable for the damages. Without insurance, you may also be liable if a mover is injured while moving items into your apartment. Many apartment communities also require that any moving companies on the premises carry insurance.

If you follow all of these tips, your move to a city apartment should go more smoothly. And if you’re looking for responsible, insured movers in the Indianapolis, Greenwood, or Carmel area, contact us at Greenwood Moving & Storage Inc.