Flat & apartment removals
Two kinds of flat, two completely different days
A second-floor conversion off Royal Hill and an apartment on the Peninsula share a postcode and nothing else. Both are straightforward once somebody has planned the right things.
Flat moves are decided by the route in and out, not by how much furniture there is. That sounds obvious and it is still the thing most often got wrong — a quote built from a room count, a crew who arrive expecting a lift, and a day that runs long because nobody asked where the goods entrance was.
So here is the honest comparison between the two kinds of Greenwich flat, and what we plan for each.
Getting to the door
A shared street door, then an original staircase with a turn and a landing that was never designed for furniture.
A loading bay, a goods entrance that is usually round the back, and a service lift with a booking sheet.
Who you need on side
Your neighbours, mostly — somebody has to be relaxed about a propped street door for an hour.
The concierge and the managing agent. Insurance documents and a move slot, often requested well in advance.
What slows it down
The staircase. Every item goes up or down it one at a time, and the turn decides what fits.
Distance. Bay to lift to corridor to flat adds up, and the lift does not care how many of us there are.
The parking problem
Resident permits and no bay. We apply to suspend one, or shuttle from somewhere workable.
A marked bay with a time limit, which is generous until somebody else is in it.
What we plan first
The turn, measured. Then which pieces come apart and which go up on their backs.
The building rules, in writing. Then the load order, so the lift runs full rather than often.
What a flat move includes
The same standard as a house, sized down. Furniture blanketed in the room, boxes labelled for the room they are going to, beds and flat-pack dismantled and rebuilt, runners on communal hallways because shared carpet is somebody else's problem right up until it is yours. Packing is yours to choose — everything, the awkward half, or just materials dropped off in advance.
We also take the packaging away at the end, which matters more than it sounds when you are moving out of a rental and the inventory check is the same week.
Renting, and the deposit
A good share of SE10 flat moves are tenancies. If the check-out is booked for the same morning, tell us — it changes the order we work in. We would rather be loaded and gone before the agent arrives than have the two happening in one narrow hall.
Not quite this service?
A single room or a part load is a man-and-van job, and it costs less because it is less work. A whole house is house removals. And if the building itself is the delicate part, read period and conversion moves as well.
Flat moves — straight answers
Do I need to tell my building we are moving?
In a riverside block, almost certainly — most managing agents want notice, insurance details and a booked lift slot, and some restrict moving hours entirely. In a period conversion there is usually nobody to tell, but it is worth warning the neighbours about the street door.
Will my sofa get up the conversion staircase?
We measure the turn at survey and tell you honestly. Many sofas come apart at the back and go up flat. A few will not go at all, and knowing that a fortnight out is far better than discovering it with one wedged on a half-landing.
Can you move a one-bed flat in a single load?
Usually, though it depends on the furniture rather than the floor area. A one-bed with a corner sofa, a double wardrobe and a bike or two is not a single-trip job, and we size the vehicle to what we have actually seen.
Is a flat cheaper to move than a house?
Not automatically. Less volume normally means less time, but four flights without a lift can wipe that out completely. Quotes come from volume, access and distance together — never volume alone.
What if the lift is out on the day?
It has happened. We carry, which takes longer, so we would rather know in advance and rebook than turn a booked slot into an improvised one. Buildings usually tell the concierge before they tell residents, so we ring and check the morning before.
Do you move students and single rooms?
Yes. A room out of a shared flat is a real job with a real staircase attached, and we quote it as one rather than treating it as a favour.
Send us the flat and the floor
Which floor, lift or no lift, and what the parking looks like. Three lines is enough to get a proper quote moving.