Reserve Your Elevator for Moving

Do Elevators Make for a Cheaper and Easier Moving Day? Sometimes . . .

Ah, the elevator! Most people like to think of it as a mover’s best friend. While the elevator certainly helps on moving day when your new place is a 25th-floor suite, there a few issues that often come up when dealing with elevators.

Reserving the Elevator Ahead of Time:

This is the single most important thing you can do to speed up your move if you’re using an elevator.

Talk to your super or concierge and try to make sure to reserve your elevator for moving on your moving day. Using an elevator can actually take more time than the stairs if your movers have to compete with other residents for its use!

Often the elevator can be reserved for a few hours on the day of your moving day. Generally, the concierge will put the elevator on something called “individual service.” Individual service prevents anyone else from calling it to another floor. When on individual service, the elevator will stay with your movers. This is great, because now your movers won’t have to fight with others to keep access to the elevator. As you might imagine, this is extremely helpful.

Unless your elevator has an old “run/stop” button, individual service is generally the only way ensure constant access to the elevator for you movers. Without reserving it, your movers may end up spending as much  time chasing the elevator up and down the building as they do performing the actual move.

Also, by having it reserved on “Individual Service,” the elevator doors will not unexpectedly close on your items as they are being loaded.

Elevators can make moving day much easier or much more difficult, depending on the circumstances. Photo by Chris McKenna (Thryduulf) [CC BY-SA 4.0 or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Blanketing and Insurance:

Ahead of the reservation, the concierge will often hang specialized moving blankets. These help protect the walls from scratches and other damage. Additionally, many larger buildings will ask your movers to prepare two documents before the move. These are a Certificate of Liability of a Certificate of Workman’s Compensation Insurance.

Any reputable moving company (like us) can produce both of these documents within a few days. Just be sure to know what the exact requirements of your building are.

Parking in the Loading Dock – Reservations, Height Restrictions, etc.:

If you live in a building whose elevator connects to a loading dock, be sure to ask to building manager about any height restrictions. What seems like an easy moving day can quickly turn into an all-day affair. If the moving truck shows up and is too tall to fit next to the elevator, your movers might spend a lot of extra time walking. So make sure you report any height restrictions to your movers ahead of of time.

It’s also a good idea to secure a spot for the moving truck when reserving elevator access. Also, consider booking your move in advance (and on a weekday or during the slow moving season). This way, you can reserve elevator access after securing a move date and time.

Concierge & Mover – The Eternal Struggle:

Occasionally your concierge and your movers won’t quite see eye to eye on how best to get your move done. But remember that they both work for you and only you. So be clear and thorough in explaining any requirements the building has for movers, and vice versa.

Ready to book your move with Safe Responsible Movers in Boston? Request a quote today!