Moving in and out of an apartment is a different experience to a house. There are shared lobbies, lifts, stairwells, hallways, underground car parks and multiple access points to navigate, and other residents to negotiate. And those ‘moving day’ stories, like lift doors opening with no-one inside except for boxes stacked to the ceiling and hallways turned into obstacle courses of furniture, can make anyone a little nervous about an upcoming move.

All BMAUS building managers follow an effective, tried-and-tested protocol that’s been agreed on by their building’s Strata Committee and Strata Manager and is designed to make the process smoother for residents, those moving, and their removalists. Maintaining the peace is crucial.

“Our building managers know exactly how to facilitate moving in and out,” says Ben Mees, BMAUS General Manager. “You have to think of others, and it’s vital to establish the protocols that keep the peace on moving day and beyond. When a move goes without incident and doesn’t inconvenience residents, everyone is happier. When the building’s property is damaged or common areas blocked for extended periods, it causes issues and can be an added expense.”

4 ways our building managers help make every move smoother:

1. Making a booking
Our building managers ask residents to provide notification of their move prior to moving day. NSW Strata Law states that a 14-day notice period is required for any move-ins.

Locking in a moving slot ensures the date and time doesn’t coincide with repairs or maintenance to lifts and common areas, or with other residents’ moves. “This way, crowding in hallways and parking areas, and long waits for lifts are avoided and ensures a smooth process,” says Mees.

With the moving slot locked in, all residents are then notified so they can plan accordingly. In addition, our building managers record details of the move, including owner/tenant names and apartment number, contact information, removal company name and, if renting, a copy of the lease. “This only takes a few minutes but can save considerable time and money on the day of the move and no prior damage can be attributed to their move,” says Mees.

They also advise best parking areas for the removalist truck(s), and provide the underground car park’s maximum height restriction.

2. Safety and Security First
The safety of residents, visitors and contractors is crucial and our building managers have clear responsibilities to ensure this. Their role includes:

• Checking the removalist company’s public liability insurance certificate of currency.
• Providing access to the carpark and the building for the removalists and providing specific parking for trucks.
• Outlining the dedicated lift and hallways to use during the move.
• Providing lift keys, which hold the doors open so the lift can be loaded at the removalists’ own pace.
• Providing lift blankets to cover the walls of the lift when furniture is being moved up or down.
• Ensuring protective materials are used to protect floors.

Our building managers monitor every move, ensuring removalists keep to the dedicated routes, don’t block passageways, take care with large pieces of furniture and whitegoods, and don’t leave unattended items in thoroughfares and lifts that can pose a tripping or obstruction risk.

3. Maintaining ‘house rules’
Every strata scheme has a set of default rules that cover things like reasonable noise limits, not using the property in hazardous or illegal ways, and not making unauthorised changes to the unit. There are also ‘house rules’ that are specific to the development. Our building managers ensure that residents abide by these house rules. And that includes the protocols relating to moving in and out.

4. Leaving nothing behind
BMAUS building managers also ensure those moving in or out don’t leave old, broken or simply unwanted property in the building’s common areas. If an item is left, they promptly organise its removal, at the tenant’s or owner’s cost.