Moving out of a Sydney apartment: lifts, strata and parking
Book the lift at both buildings
In most apartment blocks the lift is the move. Many buildings keep a service lift or ask you to reserve the main one for a set window, and that booking usually goes through the building manager, the caretaker or the strata managing agent. Ask early, because popular days (end of month, Saturdays) fill up. You need a booking at the building you are leaving and at the one you are arriving at.
Ask what the building requires inside the lift. Some blocks want the walls and floor protected before any furniture goes in, some limit how long the lift can be held, and some share one lift between all residents, which means the crew works in short runs rather than one long loading. Rules vary from building to building, so ask rather than assume. If you are not sure whether protection is something your removalist can bring, ask your coordinator before the day.
Tell your removalist about the lift when you ask for a quote, including its size and the booked window. Lift bookings, loading zones, parking, stairs and long carries are planned up front and written into the quote, not discovered at the door. Our home removals in Sydney page covers how that written scope works.
Strata and building rules
Most strata buildings have a by-law or house rule for moving in and out. Typically that means a form to complete, an approved time window, and sometimes a refundable bond against damage to common property. Whether a bond applies, and how much, depends on the building, so read your by-laws or ask the strata manager rather than relying on what a neighbour paid.
Many buildings also ask for a certificate of currency for the removalist's insurance. BARI is insured for goods in transit and public liability. If your building wants a certificate, ask your coordinator what you can pass on, and give the strata manager plenty of notice because approvals are not always same-day.
Permitted hours matter more than people expect. A building that only allows moves between 8am and 5pm on weekdays, for example, shapes the whole booking. Check the hours and the lift window together, then set the start time around the tighter of the two.
Parking, loading zones and the long carry
Work out where the truck will actually stop. Some buildings have a loading dock or visitor bay, some have a basement with a height limit, and many only have a street frontage. Council rules on street parking and loading zones differ across Sydney, so check with the building or your local council about what is allowed on your street and whether a permit or notice is needed.
The distance from the truck to the lift counts. A truck parked around the corner means a long carry, and a long carry means more time on the clock. Truck time is charged per 30 minutes, so tell your coordinator about a basement ramp, a door that needs a fob or a long walk from the kerb, so it is in the quote rather than a surprise on the day. Our guide to how removalist pricing works per 30 minutes explains how that time adds up.
Measure the big pieces
Measure the lift door and car, the corridors, any tight turns, and the balcony door if a piece might leave that way. Then measure your largest items: sofa, bed base, wardrobe, dining table, fridge. Write down the narrowest point on the path, not the average. Many sofas only fit a lift on their end, and some will not turn a corridor corner without the legs or arms off.
Do the same at the new apartment, where a piece that left comfortably may not go in. A tight stairwell can also change the plan if the lift is small or out of service. If a piano, spa bath or oversized sofa needs a hoist, BARI says so before the day, not at the kerb. Send your measurements and photos with the quote request so those pieces are covered in the written scope.
Choosing the truck for an apartment
Truck size follows how much you own, not how long the carry is. BARI's compact truck is best for studio and 1-bedroom apartments, the medium truck suits 2 to 3 bedroom homes, and the large truck suits 3-bedroom homes, large apartments and townhouses. Rates are $55 per 30 minutes for the compact truck, $60 per 30 minutes for the medium truck with movers and $80 per 30 minutes for the large truck with movers.
Packing changes the time as well. You can have BARI pack everything, pack part of it, or pack some yourself, and boxes that are already sealed and labelled move faster through a shared lift. The crews are furniture-trained, so sofas, art, marble and glass are wrapped for what they are, and floors and doorways are protected first.
The day itself
Have someone with keys and access fobs at both ends. The crew cannot call the lift, open a loading dock or get into the new building without them, and a locked door at either end costs time. If you cannot be at both places, nominate a trusted person and give your coordinator their number. You deal with one dedicated coordinator, which helps when the building manager, the lift booking and the truck all need to line up.
Before the truck arrives, clear the path to the lift, pack the essentials in a bag that stays with you, and confirm the lift booking and parking the day before. At the new apartment, furniture is placed in the room it belongs in rather than stacked in the hallway.
For the wider preparation, see our moving house checklist for Sydney. When you have your building details, measurements and dates, you can request a quote, and the full approach is on the home removals page.