Tips for Moving to a Building with No Elevator!

It’s great that you have found the perfect apartment that meets your criteria. The amount being charged is ideal, the area is welcoming, and the view is nothing short of amazing. There’s only one little annoyance—there is no lift. While moving to a place that does not have an elevator might seem like a bother, worry not, for we over at SF Moving Systems have these top expert tips that can make or break your move with no elevator which you might find useful particularly if you are planning on a DIY moving.

1. Plan like a pro to move into a building with no elevator

A solid plan can save you from a world of pain—literally. Taking some time to create an outline helps a lot to avoid undue stress in the end. Believe me, there is no greater disaster than people pushing your couch halfway up the stairs and having it stranded in that position.

Measuring your furniture before moving: Create a checklist of all the big items that require transportation. List their dimensions including height, width, and length. Reasonable, don’t forget to include the dimensions of any removable parts too.
Measure doorways and stairwells: When you visit your new place or house, just take a measuring tape with you and do the following: measure the width and height of doorways, measure the width of hallways and stairwells with any landings, measure all the dimensions and structures of the stairwells, including those with landings or turns.
Compare measurements: Personally check to ensure that all your furniture can fit through all these spaces. If anything is too tight, see if it can be taken apart. For example, it can be very helpful to remove the legs from a table or from the framework of a bed.
Dismantling big pieces: It is easier to move large furniture if it is taken apart completely before moving. There is always a risk of losing or misplacing many pieces of hardware and parts while reassembling furniture. If this is your case, place screws and small pieces in zip lock bags for storing and categorizing the movement of these pieces as well.
Plan the path: Take a good look at the distance that each item should be moved from the moving truck to its destination, factoring in the distance from loading or parking zones as well. For example, pay attention to narrow hallways, low and hanging ceilings, lights or anything else that could cause hindrance while moving about since there is always the risk of coming into contact with such surfaces.

2. Pack smart if your building doesn’t have an elevator

Well-thought packing is very important when you are shifting to a building that does not have an elevator. The objective is to make every effort to reduce the burden of carrying boxes up several floors of stairs.

Use smaller-sized boxes: When packing, pack small. Instead of one big box that weighs a ton, carry smaller boxes that are easy to lug up the stairs. Smaller boxes are lighter and easier to carry, particularly in a restricted environment like moving up and down narrow staircases. A Small box also reduces the risk of heavy-weight concentrations.
Distribute weight evenly: Equal attention should be given to the distribution of weight. When putting each box on the shelf, take care to get the weight on each box as uniformly as possible. Heavier books and cookware shouldn’t, as usual, be tossed haphazardly inside the box leaving a delicate balance with the lighter items. If there is failure of the box structure, do not fill every void with edibles. Better still one is better off with many light boxes than a few incredibly heavy ones.
Pack room by room: Remember to label every box you pack with the name of the contents as well as the name of the room in which the box will be placed. This way, you won’t end up with your kitchen utensils in the bedroom. Start packing items that you do not use every day like books, seasonal clothing, and decorations. Use a pen to pen down the contents and room address on each of the boxes used. As boxes are often and easily packed, consider using stickers or colored tape especially to indicate the room a box is meant for. This sticker or tape may not only accelerate the unpacking activities but also enable one to easily define which box belongs to which room, or the purpose of the box, easily.
Take care of fragile Items: Moving up pretty much always suggests some bumpy stairs. This may be risky; therefore it is best to ensure that the breakables are protected so that all of them arrive safe. For instance, breakable items should be wrapped up in bubble wrap or packing paper a towel, or some clothes for added protection. If you do decide to pack fragile objects, please mark those boxes so anyone assisting you will know which boxes should be handled with care. Use stuffing materials such as packing peanuts, folded papers, or even toilet paper and paper towels to fill up the extra space..
Get a Box of Essentials: Decide what you will need for the very first time the moment you arrive and for the very first night the moment you arrive and pack a box of the essentials that you will pack for essentials like electronics number laptop and its chargers, as well as toiletries such as toothbrush, toothpaste, toilet paper towel soap and additionally, a change of clothes.

3. Ask help for your move with no elevator

Don’t try to go it alone - Moving into a building without an elevator is a team effort

Request all the friends and family members you can find: Their assistance can turn what would be a very heavy demand for just two people into a very light task spread out over a diverse group of people resulting in efficiency.
Coaching your team of volunteers: Don’t forget to provide concise direction and roles so that they are aware of the actions required to effect a swift and smooth relocation. For instance, consider limiting the number of items that particular helpers carry so that the help with the moving of the big pieces of furniture would be directed only at the people who can do that without difficulties.
Communicate the plan: Describe the plan in detail and indicate any parts of it that could be tricky, for example, light fixtures or wall sconces that need to be installed. Assign who is responsible for what tasks or which areas to eliminate any misunderstandings and promote efficiency.
Refreshments and breaks: It's important to ensure that thirst is quenched and there are breaks. Moving is cumbersome especially if you are helping someone shift into a house that is up several floors but has no elevator. It’s simply nice to have some cold drinks in your new apartment or at the place of the moving to keep the team comfortable, especially on hot days.

4. Relocate at off-peak hours for building with no elevator

If it is possible, people should always look for an opportunity to move at times when few people will be around, that is during the middle of the week on weekdays at around work hours. If there are not many people, then there will be a lot of space on the staircases for the belongings. Because of the decrease in the number of people present, there will be less congestion in the corridors and stairs allowing more space for moving big items without clogs in public spaces. You do not want to add on the extra content of being a nuisance to the neighbors or even feeling yourself as an obstruction when moving. Days in the middle of the week often tend to be calm periods within the apartment houses and the moving process does not become difficult and very annoying.

5. Protect your stuff (and your back) for moving with no elevator

Start with the heaviest and most cumbersome items first when you and your helpers have the most energy. Make sure to use proper lifting techniques to avoid injuries. Bend at the knees, not the waist, and keep the load close to your body. If something’s too heavy, get help or use equipment like a dolly. If you’re undertaking a DIY move, it’s especially important to make your move easier and safer.

These are the essential moving equipment items we recommend that you can easily order off Amazon or similar online retailers for under $100:

Moving dollies: A moving dolly helps a lot in shifting weighty objects. You should be able to find this type of sturdy four-wheel dolly that you can buy for around $30 – $50 and which can carry most of the heavy stuff. Go for the ones that will support so much weight and have a rough surface so they can stick. Also, a dolly is not reserved only for the moving day; it becomes very useful when it comes to packing and shipping heavyweight items purchased through the internet. These days there are also great compact and foldable moving dollies which makes it straightforward to keep them in the closet or even under the bed.

Furniture sliders: Furniture sliders are great for assisting in the movement of heavy objects on the floor without restraints being offered to them. They are quite cheap too, like, ten to twenty bucks for a pack along those lines. Just place them under the legs of your furniture, and you can easily move heavy pieces.

Hand truck and stair rollers: If you have a lot of bulks boxes, a hand truck can prove very useful. These equipment tend to be on the expensive side but one can get very basic units for about 70-90 dollars for the most basic ones. These are necessary because most of the time, there are too many boxes or appliances that need to be carried. Stair rollers can also be pretty useful when a heavy object has to be lugged around up or down the stairs. Moving equipment such as rollers are fitted around the edges of the stairs so as to make this exercise much less frustrating.

Moving straps: Moving straps, also called lifting straps, are essential if you and your partner plan to lift a large item that cannot be lifted using the standard gripping methods. Straps help a person to bear the load in a more comfortable way by redistributing the weight. Good moving straps can cost around $20-$30 a pair.

Stretch wrap: When it comes to a blanket package with stuff items, moving stretch wrap is perfect to use to keep the surface protected as well as enhance the aspects of basic packing. Yes, similar to Saran Wrap but designed for your chairs not your food. Heavy duty stretch wrap roll is relatively cheap so let out about 15-20 dollars for one and you will not regret it.

Work gloves: Always remember to put on a good pair of work gloves when it is time to complete a task. Besides offering and improving your grip, they will also prevent the boxes as well as the furniture from slipping out of your hands especially when they start getting sweaty. In addition, it preserves your hands from cuts as well as blisters. A decent pair of gloves costs approximately 10 to 15 dollars.

By investing in these items, you can make your DIY move much smoother and safer.

6. Interact with the building’s managing authority

Don't forget to inform the building management about the date of your relocation. They could provide you with the use of service doors or other property that belongs to the management and makes it easier for you. If they do permit this, however, those stair rollers can help a lot in carrying bulky items upstairs and downstairs, as not every property manager is likely to permit them.

7. Interact with the building’s managing authority

8. The last stage of moving into a flat which does not have an lift

When that’s all done, treat yourself – pat yourself on the back – you have done that! The time has come to calm down and switch on your graciousness towards your new apartment having overcome a hard day’s work of moving things. To have fun, visit some place to grab some food in your area, order some food to be brought to your place or go out to eat something. In any of these options too, entertaining both yourselves and your guests is a wonderful way to appreciate their aid and labor for the work while having fun.

How about plugging your device called TV or monitor and lounging and enjoying your favorite series or music in a bid to help you decompress from a typical working day? With some well-deserved relaxation at the end of it all, you can make the ordinarily stressful and frustrating process of relocating a bonding experience that will be fun and hard to forget as you begin the next life phase in the new residence. You’ve deserved this!

9. Or hire people to do the heavy lifting and transport you into another building without elevators.

If all this sounds too difficult, rest assured that SF Moving Systems has every intention of making your relocation stress free. Be it a fifth floor walk up apartment or a lower level studio, we’ve got the know-how to take care of everything.

Our professional movers are experienced with the challenges of moving into a building with no elevator. We also offer local moving services to ensure your belongings are protected and handled with the utmost care, especially for a move with no elevator.

Give us a call or reach out for an instant quote and we’ll tackle all the stairs so you don’t have to!

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