Planning an apartment move: prepare your belongings and compare quotes

Start with what is actually moving

Walk through every room, including storage areas. List furniture, appliances and estimated boxes. Separate belongings you are selling, donating or leaving behind. Record large items' dimensions and whether they come apart. Wide photographs support the list, but cannot show everything stored inside your cupboards.

Check both addresses, including the last few metres

State the collection and delivery floors, whether the lift works and the size of its doorway. Check narrow doors, entrance steps and stairwell turns. Ask the building manager whether lift time must be booked or communal areas protected. Do not assume access is unchanged since your last visit.

If an item looks too large for the route, request an assessment before booking. HSE includes the route and space in handling assessments (opens in a new tab). Ask the crew for a suitable solution. Do not improvise external lifting or promise that neighbours will help.

Request quotes for the same work

Send the same description to a few providers and ask for a complete price. Establish who will actually attend, which vehicle they will use and how many handlers are included. A transport advert may cover only a vehicle and driver. If you need a crew to collect belongings from rooms and carry them into the new apartment, say so explicitly.

FMCSA recommends comparing costs alongside the services provided (opens in a new tab). This is useful organisational advice from an American guide; we are not importing American legal rights or duties. For your move, comparison starts when every quote covers the same belongings, addresses and tasks.

For hourly work, ask when billing starts and ends. For a fixed total, confirm the inventory behind it. Require your approval before extra costs and agree how a change will be confirmed. Check deposit and cancellation conditions separately. Pressure to pay because an offer expires within minutes is not a reason to skip those questions.

Pack for an orderly delivery

Give each box a number and destination room, written on top and on one side. Keep a simple list: box 12, kitchen, dishes. Close boxes properly and identify fragile contents, while keeping documents and valuables out of public advert photographs. Keep identification, money, essential medicines and keys with you.

Prepare first-night essentials separately: charger, water, toiletries and clothing. Put each dismantled item's screws into a labelled bag linked to your inventory. For fridges and other appliances, consult the specific model's instructions for preparation, transport position and restarting. Do not apply a rule remembered from a different appliance. Agree emptying and disconnection beforehand, and use the appropriate specialist for work on building services.

Confirm the booking and damage arrangements

Keep written confirmation of the date, window, contacts, inventory, access, total and tasks. FMCSA stresses completed documents before signing (opens in a new tab). Do not sign blank forms. Ask the provider how to report damage, where to send photographs and what liability arrangements or insurance actually cover your belongings.

If you hear that everything is insured, ask who provides the cover, which risks and exclusions apply and what documentation you receive. Understand the protection before moving day. With the parties' agreement, photograph furniture condition, especially corners, delicate surfaces and existing damage. Keep the pictures and messages with the quote for that booking.

During loading and handover

At the start, review the inventory with the crew leader. Show what goes and what stays. Keep children and animals away from the working route and arrange access at delivery before the vehicle leaves. After loading, check cupboards, the balcony and storage spaces. During unloading, check off boxes and pieces, then inspect furniture and the agreed reassembly work.

Record specific missing items or visible damage in the handover document or written confirmation and send photographs through the agreed channel. Do not confirm that you inspected things you have not seen. If a problem emerges later inside a box, notify the provider promptly and keep relevant packaging. Close the booking using the agreed payment and documents, recording any issues still awaiting resolution.