Ask each building for its actual process
Start with both buildings, the one you’re leaving and the one you’re moving into. Every complex has its own rules, and the two often differ. Some want a certificate of insurance from the mover, some want a signed move-in agreement, and a few just ask you to reserve the elevator. Call the management office or check the resident portal for each building and ask straight out:
- Do movers check in at the front desk or leasing office first?
- Is there a required time window for move-in or move-out?
- Do you need a certificate of insurance or a signed moving agreement?
- Is the elevator reserved, or shared with residents during the move?
- Is there a freight elevator, and does it need a key or an attendant?
- Are there weight or size limits on the elevator?
- Is there a loading dock, service entrance, or designated truck parking spot?
- Are the stairs a real backup if the elevator is out?
Write the answers down for both buildings, and keep the office contact name and number.
- If a building needs paperwork, ask for the exact form and the deadline, a certificate of insurance, for example, may be due a week before, not the day of.
- If there’s a waitlist for elevator reservations, book your slot the moment you have a confirmed move date.
- That goes for the building you’re leaving too.
- Most treat move-outs the same as move-ins, so don’t assume the elevator’s free just because you’re on the way out.
Line up the loading with the elevator slot
The elevator reservation only matters if the truck can reach the door. A 30-minute elevator window is wasted if the loading zone is blocked or the truck has to park two blocks away. Once you confirm the elevator rules, confirm the loading access for the same window. For the building you’re leaving, ask:
- Where can the truck park during the move?
- Is there a loading dock, and does it have a time limit?
- Are there street parking restrictions or permit rules for the truck?
- For a Norwalk address, start with the city’s Transportation, Mobility and Parking department and its current
Write down the exact loading address; not just the main entrance. Some buildings have a separate service entrance around back. Include the name of the person who’ll let the crew in if one is required.
Send the crew usable access notes
Once you’ve gathered the details, send a clear written note to the moving company; don’t rely on a verbal summary. A note prevents mix-ups on moving day, even if someone other than the coordinator has to relay it to the crew. Your note should include:
- Building name and address for both pickup and delivery
- Check-in location and contact person for each building
- Elevator reservation time, plus any key or attendant requirements
- Loading area or truck parking location
- Any stairs, narrow halls, or low ceilings the crew should expect
- Building rules about the main elevator vs.
- Your phone number and the building office number
Send access and reservation details to the coordinator as soon as you have them, before booking, if the building sets deadlines.
The day before, confirm the final contacts, reservation times, and arrival window with us. If the building needs updated paperwork for moving day, make sure it’s submitted in time.
That might include a certificate of insurance if the property manager asks for one, plus your move-in and move-out windows, an access contact, and the loading entrance.
If the building will only accept a COI in its own wording, send us that wording as soon as you have it, we’ll confirm with our insurer whether we can issue it and how much lead time it needs.
If your move involves a Norwalk-area apartment, review our apartment and condo moving page before you send the building notes.
Have a fallback if the time changes
Even with a confirmed schedule, things shift; the elevator breaks down, the loading dock is double-booked, the office closes early. Plan at least one alternative before moving day.
- Ask each building what happens if the elevator is out: is there a service elevator on another side, are the stairs usable for smaller items, is there a backup elevator that needs a different key?
- Know where to get that key if you need it.
- Before you accept a new time, ask the building for a later slot that day or the next morning, then check that we can work that window.
We don’t offer overnight storage or hold a loaded truck for another day.
Once the building and the crew both agree on the new time, get the building’s confirmation in writing, update the access notes, and send them to the coordinator. We work off written confirmation, not a verbal handshake.
- The day before, confirm the new building’s move-in time.
- If the previous tenant is still moving out, your slot may slide, a quick call to the office can save you from sitting in the truck with nowhere to unload.
- Finish by saving the building office number, the contact who’ll meet the crew, and the access keys or codes.
That’s the last coordination step.
A short planning checklist
- Ask each building for its actual process.
- Line up the loading with the elevator slot.
- Send the crew usable access notes.
- Have a fallback if the time changes.
- Keep your contact details and moving arrangements easy to find.
Tell the team if your inventory, access, or timing changes.