Moving into a condo or high-rise can be exciting. You may be gaining a great view, a walkable neighborhood, less exterior maintenance, or easier access to everything Metro Detroit has to offer.
But moving into a multi-unit building isn’t quite the same as pulling a moving truck into the driveway of a single-family home.
There may be elevators to reserve, loading areas to coordinate, building rules to follow, limited parking, narrow hallways, security procedures, and specific hours when moving is allowed. Missing one small detail can create a big delay on moving day.
If you’re preparing for a condo or high-rise move in Detroit or the surrounding Metro Detroit area, a little extra planning can make the entire process easier.
Here are 11 things to take care of before the moving truck arrives.
Your first call should be to the property manager, condo association, landlord, or building management office.
Don’t assume you can simply arrive with a moving truck and start unloading.
Many condos and high-rise buildings have specific procedures for residents who are moving in or out. Ask for a written copy of the building’s moving policies so you know exactly what is expected.
Questions to ask include:
Getting these answers early gives both you and your moving company time to prepare.
An elevator can quickly become the biggest bottleneck in a high-rise move.
Some buildings have a dedicated freight elevator. Others require residents to reserve one of the regular elevators for a specific window of time.
If your building requires reservations, schedule yours as soon as your moving date is confirmed.
Also ask how long your reservation lasts.
A two-hour elevator window doesn’t leave much room for delays, so your movers need to know about the schedule before moving day. If your building has elevator padding or other protective equipment, ask whether maintenance staff will install it or whether another arrangement is required.
Some condominium associations, apartment communities, and managed high-rise properties require documentation from outside contractors before allowing them into the building.
That may include information from your moving company.
Ask management exactly what documentation they need and when they need it. Don’t wait until the morning of your move to discover that the front desk can’t allow the movers upstairs until paperwork is approved.
This is also one reason choosing an established, properly insured moving company matters when you’re moving into a professionally managed property.
Parking a moving truck in a suburban driveway is fairly straightforward.
Parking one beside a condo building in a busy neighborhood can be another story.
Before moving day, identify exactly where the truck should go. Depending on the property, there may be:
Send these details to your moving company ahead of time.
The distance between the truck and your unit matters, too. If movers have to carry furniture through a parking structure, down a long hallway, and up an elevator, that’s very different from unloading a few feet from a front door.
That sectional sofa may fit beautifully in your new living room. The question is whether it can actually get there.
Before moving large furniture, measure the entire path from the building entrance to your unit.
Check:
Pay particular attention to oversized couches, bed frames, dining tables, desks, armoires, and other bulky furniture.
If an item needs to be disassembled, knowing that ahead of time is much better than discovering it while everyone is standing in the lobby.
Condo living often means making smart use of available space.
Before packing everything you own, take a realistic look at what will fit comfortably in the new home.
Measure closets, storage areas, bedrooms, and major furniture locations. Compare those measurements with the furniture and belongings in your current home.
Then separate unwanted items into four categories:
It’s rarely worth paying to pack, transport, unload, and carry something upstairs only to decide a week later that it doesn’t fit.
Decluttering before the move means fewer boxes, less furniture, and a simpler move-in process.
Good packing is important during any move, but condo moves introduce another stage of handling.
Boxes may travel from your home to the truck, from the truck to a loading area, through building corridors, into an elevator, and finally into your new unit.
Use sturdy moving boxes that can handle stacking and repeated handling.
Avoid making boxes excessively heavy. Books, for example, are usually better packed in several smaller boxes than one giant box that’s difficult to carry.
Clearly label each box with both its contents and destination, such as:
Clear labels help movers place boxes directly into the correct rooms instead of creating one enormous pile in the middle of your condo.
In a single-family home, you’re primarily concerned about protecting your own property.
In a condo or high-rise, the route to your unit may include common property belonging to the association or building.
That can include lobby floors, hallway carpeting, elevator doors, corners, walls, and other shared areas.
Ask management what protection they expect during a move. Your moving company should also know about any building-specific requirements before arriving.
It’s especially important when moving large furniture through narrow hallways where a dresser or sofa can come surprisingly close to a freshly painted wall.
Not everything belongs on the moving truck.
Keep important personal items with you, particularly anything you may need immediately or would have difficulty replacing.
Your personal moving-day bag might include:
If you’re receiving several sets of keys or electronic building credentials, label them before moving day. The last thing you want is to be standing at a service entrance with a truck full of furniture and no idea which key opens the door.
Michigan weather doesn’t always cooperate with moving plans.
Depending on the season, you could be dealing with snow, ice, rain, summer heat, or rapidly changing conditions.
Condo and high-rise moves can involve more trips between the truck and building than you expect, which makes weather preparation especially important.
If rain or snow is possible, have a plan for keeping entrances dry and protecting furniture and boxes during the trip between the truck and building.
During winter, find out whether the loading area and sidewalks will be cleared and salted. During hot weather, keep water easily accessible and make sure the new unit has electricity and climate control available if possible.
Closing. Key pickup. Internet installation. Furniture delivery. Movers. Building orientation.
Trying to schedule all of these at once can turn moving day into a traffic jam.
Whenever possible, give yourself some breathing room.
Make sure you have possession of the property and reliable access to the building before your movers are scheduled to arrive. If you’re coordinating with a concierge, property manager, maintenance employee, or HOA representative, confirm those arrangements a day or two beforehand.
A successful condo move depends on timing. The more details you settle in advance, the fewer surprises you’ll face when the truck arrives.
Taking care of these details beforehand can make the difference between an organized move and a day filled with avoidable delays.
Whether you’re moving into a downtown high-rise, downsizing to a condo, relocating across Metro Detroit, or moving elsewhere in Michigan,professional movers can take much of the physical work and coordination off your plate.
Men on the Move can help with residential moving, packing, furniture moving, and other relocation needs so you can focus on settling into your new home.
The key is to start planning early. Tell your movers about elevators, loading docks, long hallways, parking restrictions, and building requirements when requesting your quote. The more information available before moving day, the easier it is to plan an efficient move.
Planning a move? Contact Men on the Move today or request a free moving quote and get your condo or high-rise move on the calendar.
If you are planning on moving, move in the fall. Fall if the best time to move for many reasons. You can enjoy your entire Summer at your house before having to worry about packing and moving to your next one. Not to mention, the many other benefits to booking your move in the Fall season.
Easier to Book Your Move
Summer is the busiest season to move in because of families moving when kids are off school, warm weather, et cetera. When Fall comes, moving companies have more spots open in their schedule to move you! Less demand for movers can lower the cost of movers, making it more cost effective!
Beat the Holidays
One of the best reasons to move during the Fall is settling into your new home before Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. Moving during the holidays can be a very stressful situation. So, getting the worry of packing and moving out of the way can help you celebrate the holidays in peace.
Ideal Temperature
No one likes to move during heat waves or snowstorms. Moving in the middle of summer reduces people to a sweaty mess. Meanwhile, winter can get so cold that being outside of a couple minutes can feel like your whole body is freezing over. Michigan’s fall season usually hits the middle ground, occasionally being warmer or colder. This makes the moving process easier!
Easier Home-Buying Experience
The peak home-selling season ends at the end of Summer. This change makes the fall housing market to become smaller. However, this change to the market can be a major advantage! There is less competition to compete with, you likely will not get involved in bidding wars.
If you are going to moving in fall, there are few things that you need to consider. While you are moving heavy boxes and luggage, make sure your fall foliage is moved out of way. While they are pretty, these leaves can become slippery, causing movers to potentially hurt themselves. You also need to plan ahead for the weather because fall can be unpredictable.
Here at Men On The Move, we are known for our optimal customer service and have years of moving experience. We are the best choice for anyone in Southeastern Michigan that is looking to move. So, if you are located in Plymouth, Canton, Livonia, or Farmington Hills, hire Men On The Move to help you with your move! Contact us today and fill out our quote form! And don’t forget to enter our monthly gift card giveaway for a chance to win a Del Taco Gift Card!
Moving in the winter can be an arduous affair, especially with some of the crazy weather we Michiganders have been experiencing. Like many of us, you may have postponed your move to avoid cold temperatures, unpredictable snowstorms, and black ice. Making a move to a new house may seem impossible while there is still snow on the ground and a chill in the air. Luckily, spring is almost here! Moving in the spring comes with many benefits from better weather to moving company availability. Schedule your move with Men On The Move before the busy season! Just submit a free quote and see what we can do for you.
Spring is the best time to move! There are several benefits when it comes to moving in the spring. Firstly, the weather is much better. Compared to the Michigan winters, spring can seem like summer. Gone are the harsh chills and sliding on slippery ice! Instead of the cold, the weather starts to warm up which makes moving so much easier on the moving company and clients alike. You may have to deal with some rain showers but even those are better than moving through a snowstorm.
Do you have children at home? While many parents believe that moving in the summer is the best time to move with kids, that’s not the case. Moving during the school year may be stressful but it also ensures that your children can go to their new school and make some friends before summer vacation. By moving in the spring, you can give your kids some time to adjust to their new environment and provide them with socialization with other kids their age to get some support during stressful times.
Spring and summer tend to be good selling times in the housing market. In the fall, people don’t like to buy homes because they are preparing for the holidays, and in the winter, people don’t want the hassle of moving in the cold. Instead, lots of people decide to buy and sell homes in the spring so they can settle somewhere before the summer! If you’re interested in selling your home and moving elsewhere, the spring is the time to do so. Plus, you may have tax return money to put towards a new home!
Moving companies tend to fill their schedules through the spring and summer which can make finding a reputable company to hire very difficult. Instead of scrambling to find a local moving company in the busy season, you should book your spring move early and be prepared for the future. What are you waiting for? Skip the upcoming rush and book Men On The Move today!
Moving can be a stressful, time-consuming, and expensive process. Costs for supplies, company labor and time, and transportation can pile up. Fortunately, we have some time saving moving tips to make your move less time-consuming and less expensive!
By having everything packed and ready to move, you can save some time. Make sure all of your small belongings are in boxes and all of your appliances (including the gas lines) are unhooked.
You can save some time by removing mirrors from dressers and disassembling beds and bookcases. This will make it easier for us to move you in a timely manner.
By cleaning up your house and choosing what you pack, you can save money on supplies! When moving, you should only pack the necessities and important belongings. So, throw away those old magazines and free up some space for the important objects! This will save you time and money!
Most of us have cardboard boxes, bubble wrap, and tape laying around the house. You can collect what you can for your move to save some money on moving materials. The other materials you can purchase from Men On The Move for fair prices.
Make sure you hire an insured moving company that has experience. The more experienced the company is, the more time-efficient your move will be! Have you heard about May? Find out why May is National Moving Month.
Here at Men On The Move, we can help you save time and money on your move. Also, we have decades of experience moving customers residentially, long-distance, and out-of-state. Contact us today for a free quote and check out our tip page for more helpful information!
Professional movers and packers are available right now in your area. At Men on the Move, we want you to know that we are here for you in these tough times. In addition, we are still moving customers to their new homes or apartments all over the Metro Detroit area. Our company is following all the safety precautions and the CDC guidelines that are established. Make sure to fill out our quote form today, to lock down your moving date!
When you and your family are moving to a new location it can be an exciting time. Packing is one of the most essential steps when it comes to moving. Luckily, we offer all the supplies you need to help pack your belongings. Boxes of all sizes, as well as tape and bubble wrap. Of course, those are the essentials, but we also carry more unique packing items as well. In addition to boxes, we also carry carpet protectors, dish packs, wardrobes, and mattress covers.
One simple step to help your packed items move even faster is to label everything. By properly labeling all your boxes, the movers will not need to ask you where everything goes. Also, this will make unpacking easier as well. If you need other great moving tips, make sure to visit our tips page today. The tips page will offer some good advice you may not have thought of while you move.
At Men on the Move, we are a fully insured mover that services all of the Metro Detroit area. We have serviced cities such as Livonia, Canton, Taylor, Westland, and many more. Finally, give us a call today at 734-744-9547 and find out what Men on the Move can do for you!
If you have kids, I’m sure you have dealt with the stress of the back to school fiasco. But, what about the hassle of having to move with young children during the school year?
Unfortunately, not all moves are planned. Sometimes we have to hire an emergency moving service due to evictions, family emergencies, or other surprise situations. When short notice moves take place, your children may have to switch schools depending on whether you are moving locally or long distance. As a parent, it is important to be by your child’s side and support them throughout the moving process. Moving away from friends or even just moving from an environment that they have grown used to can be hard for children regardless of their age. So as a parent, how do you help your child with moving during the school year?
Every child will handle moving during the school year differently. Some will be thrilled, while others may struggle. We have many printable moving tips for parents that can help with various aspects of moving. For more information, or if you need to schedule a short notice move, contact us today!