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Guide · apartment movesBooking a lift and a loading dock for a Burwood tower move
In a managed building, the lift booking is the move. Get it right and the day runs like a timetable; get it wrong and three movers stand in a lobby watching the meter. Here is the whole process, in the order the building expects it.
Why buildings make you book
Lifts, lobbies and docks are common property, and in NSW strata buildings their use is governed by the scheme's by-laws. Most managed buildings translate those by-laws into a simple system: tell us the date, book the service lift, follow the dock rules. It protects the building, your bond, and honestly, your move: a booked lift is a lift your furniture doesn't share with the morning commute. The NSW Government's strata living guidance explains how by-laws work if you want the legal backdrop.
Step one: find the person who says yes
Depending on the building this is a building manager, a concierge, or the strata managing agent. Your lease, your welcome pack or the noticeboard by the mailboxes will name them. One email is usually enough: "I'm moving out on [date], what do you need from me and my removalist?"
Step two: book the lift
Ask for the service lift (or the padded lift) and a time window. Buildings commonly want a few days' notice, and popular windows, Saturday mornings and end-of-month, go first. If your dates are tight, book the lift before you book anything else, including us.
- Get the window in writing, even if it's just an email
- Ask whether the building pads the lift or expects the removalist to
- Ask for the lift's internal dimensions if they're known; deep wardrobes and long sofas care
Step three: learn the dock's rules
If the building has a loading dock, it has opinions: a height limit, an entry point, sometimes its own booking sheet separate from the lift's. The height limit is the one that bites; a truck that doesn't fit the dock loads from the street, which changes the plan. Send your removalist whatever the manager gives you, numbers and all.
Step four: the paperwork
Many buildings ask for something from the removalist before the crew is allowed in: notice of the booking, a form, or a certificate. This is routine. Forward the request to us and we deal with the manager directly; it's squared away before the day, and you don't need to translate between us.
Step five: the day itself
With the window booked, the day is arithmetic. The crew arrives inside the window, pads the lift if that's the arrangement, runs the load in planned lift trips, and hands the dock back on time. Buildings remember removalists who respect their windows; so do the neighbours who got the lift back at ten as promised.
What your removalist needs from you
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| the lift window | Sets the crew's start time and the whole day's shape |
| dock height limit | Decides which truck comes, before it's the wrong one |
| manager's contact | Lets us handle the paperwork without you in the middle |
| both addresses' access | The move has two ends; the new building has rules too |
Or skip the reading and answer five questions: the tower door of our Measure-Up builds this checklist for your building and sends it with your enquiry.
References
- Strata living, NSW Government: how by-laws govern common property like lifts and docks, and what owners corporations can require.
- NSW Fair Trading: consumer guidance for hiring services in NSW, including getting quotes and agreements in writing.
Book the crew that measures first
Tell us what's moving and where. We call you back, ask the questions that matter, and give you an honest read on crew, truck and hours before anything is booked.