High rise apartments are great. They offer wonderful views, you don’t have to mow the lawn or shovel the snow, and they offer a movie star feel – let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to say they live in the penthouse of a high rise building?
The thing is, in real life, they’re not all glitz and glamour. You might wonder why not. Well, the thing is you need to move your belongings in and out of them, which can be a nightmare when you add elevators and limited space into the equation. The good news is if you have Beltway Movers do the move for you, your stress will be greatly reduced on moving day because we will help you think through the logistics. We invited Move Consultant Ben Ballas to provide us with the type of information he shares with his Beltway customers.
Below we’ve laid out the different items that will separate a high rise move from a ‘normal’ move, and the items you’ll want to keep in mind when prepping for a high rise move.
- Billing: Local moving companies charge for time. Which means it’s important to keep in mind that the moving company will need to charge for the time used to move items from your apartment to the elevator to the truck and back again. Additionally, they’ll need to charge for any time it takes to park at the loading dock, any wait time that occurs at the elevator, etc.
- Loading Dock and Freight Elevator Reservations: You will need to reserve the freight elevator and loading dock before your move. Timing is key when making the reservations. Having a move consultant who can tell you when and how long you will need these spaces is crucial. That can be accomplished by getting a detailed estimate that not only serves to provide you cost but gives you time frames. First thing in the morning tends to work best. Additionally, if you’re moving out of one high rise and into another high rise, you’ll need to make sure the reservations for the elevators and loading dock, at each location, coincide with each other.
- Certificate of Liability: This may be one of the most important pieces of paper that’s needed for your moving day. It’s the document that states the moving company you’ve hired is insured and bonded. Before move day, be sure to ask the moving company for their certificate of liability. There’s a chance the management office at your apartment building will ask for it and if you don’t have it on moving day, that’s a problem. Beltway can send these electronically to your building manager in advance.
- Common Area Floor Protection: Ask about floor protection for the hallways of your building. Many modern buildings don’t need to worry about floor protection, but in older buildings you’ll want to be sure the common floors in the building are protected. Check with building management to see what their policy is – many apartment buildings offer floor protection. As a reminder, the movers are charging for their time, so if the movers need to put down floor protection it should be part of your estimate and will be part of your final cost. Having said that, it’s generally very quick to put down and gather up floor protection.
- Truck Size: The big question is, is the truck able to fit under the loading dock overhang or in the parking garage? When scheduling your move, you’ll want to discuss height restrictions with your building management and move consultant. Our trucks generally need a 12-14 foot clearance height.
- Storage Lockers: Do you have a storage locker in the basement? If so, be sure to tell the mover when discussing the move that way they can include the time needed to incorporate the items into your load as part of the move estimate. Also, does the storage unit have another elevator? A different freight elevator might be used to access the basement. The movers will need to be aware of this when developing the estimate.
Moving Planning Tip: Passenger elevators and service elevators can be located in different sections of a high rise building. Your moving service agreement will reflect the time for your crew to walk the distance from the elevator to your apartment and from elevator to the truck. Ben Ballas suggests that you think in terms of the number of doors down your condo is from the elevator when discussing distances in the halls. This helps him ensure he is calculating the correct amount of time needed for your move.
As always, if you have any questions about this blog post, please let us know. We understand there are many moving parts during a move, especially when a high rise is involved, and we’re here to help you along the way.
Are you planning a high rise move in the near future? If so, call Beltway Movers today at (877) 959-7727. We look forward to moving with you!
