4 Tips for a Successful Condo Move

Moving day is quickly approaching, but have you done the prep to make it successful? Before your residents get to packing boxes, wrapping up valuables and picking out paint colours for their new digs, follow this checklist with both your residents and concierge. 

 

1. Schedule Moving Day

Whether your residents are moving in or out of your building, you’ll need to schedule the big day. 

For Your Residents:

1. They can work with your condo concierge to schedule their move before they book the moving company.
2. Remind them to check their condo agreement and know which days they can move in/out. For instance, some buildings won’t allow moving days to be scheduled on a weekend, while others may have time restrictions in place.
3. They’ll need to find out how many hours the elevator is available. Do they have to be prepared to move everything within a 4-hour window?

For Your Concierge:

1. Your concierge can notify you of any requests to move in or out. 
2. Make sure they understand any of your condo board’s restrictions around timing so they can communicate that to your tenant.
3. They can make all of the arrangements with your tenant directly.
4. They will need to book the elevator — note how many hours it’s been allocated for and notify your other tenants.
5. They can also arrange a parking spot close to the freight elevator for their vehicle or moving van.

 

2. Arrange the Details

The date is picked and it’s been communicated to everyone who needs to be in the loop, now it’s time to take care of all of the details. 

For Your Residents:

1. Whether they’re coming or going, they will need to have utility meters read and set-up to a new account or to close out their current account.
2. They should also consider scheduling their tv/internet installation, so they don’t experience interrupted service.
3. They will need to work with their local post office to have their mail forwarded.
4. It’s important that they contact their insurance company to change their address and modify their coverage to suit their new location.
5. While they’re at it, they should contact any of their other utilities or services to change their address, like banking, cell phone, etc.
6. Before they hand-off items to their moving company, they should appraise and insure any high-value items.
7. If they are upsizing or downsizing, they will need to evaluate if they need to access any items they have in storage or secure one to store anything that won’t fit in the new space. 
8. To ensure a smooth moving day, it’s recommended that they arrange childcare or pet care during the move.

For Your Concierge:

1. Your concierge can collect a moving day damage deposit (if applicable).
   • This is generally in the range of $250-$1,000 and accounts for damaged walls, flooring, baseboards and doorways.
   • If this is collected, they will need to do a walkthrough with the tenant to record anything pre-existing. 
2. They can also collect the non-refundable moving fee that helps cover the general wear and tear of moves and security (if applicable).
   • This is usually in the range of $100-$250 
3. Your concierge will provide the move details to your cleaning company who will put up the elevator pads.

 

3. Pack for the Move

The move is now fully arranged and prepared for, as such, your residents can start packing their belongings. 

For Your Residents:

1. They can begin to pack and label their boxes or arrange to have their moving company do it.
   • Once the boxes are packed, your residents should give their moving company a better estimate of what they have, as it may help the movers adjust the size of the van or truck it will take to transport their possessions. 
2. They should consider setting out a first-night bag with anything they’ll need straight away.
   • This could include PJs, a change of clothes, toiletries, bed sheets and towels for themselves and their family.
3. A game-changing tip is to plan ahead and sort out a meal plan for the first couple of days. 
   • From scouting out new take-out locations in the area to pre-freezing meals that are ready to pop in the oven, it ensures they can keep up with their routines as best as possible during the first few days.

 

4. Move-In Day 

The day has finally arrived, your residents are ready to make the big move! It’s down to the final details now to make sure it goes off without a hitch. 

For Your Residents:

1. They will need to arrive promptly at their start time to make the most of their elevator booking.
2. The residents and their movers will need to park within the allotted spaces within their moving window.

For Your Concierge: 

1. Your concierge will need to ensure the elevator pads are installed by your cleaning company.
2. Once the move is complete and an inspection has been performed, they can return the moving day damage deposit to the resident.
3. They can then put your condo building back to order by notifying the cleaners to remove the elevator pads and clean up any leftover debris.

 

That’s it! Your new residents have moved in or out of their condo and they’re left to get settled — with the task of unpacking all of those boxes! 

For you and the rest of the condo board, it’s time to share a warm welcome to your new neighbours and pat yourself on the back for hiring a concierge to handle all of the details on your behalf. 

Don’t have a concierge service yet? Learn more about how you can improve your resident experience with one. 

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