Central Melbourne · 3000
A CBD relocation begins before the first box reaches the truck. The lift reservation, loading entrance and distance through the building can shape the whole day. NextWave Movers plans Melbourne CBD apartment and office moves around those details, so your crew arrives with an agreed access plan and a realistic scope.
Furniture protection · Insured moving service · GST-inclusive quotes
Contact building management or the owners corporation before choosing the final arrival time. Ask whether furniture must use a service lift, how long it can be reserved and whether another move is booked immediately afterwards. Get the moving instructions in writing and share them with us. A passenger lift that happens to be free is not a substitute for confirmed access.
The loading dock may sit on a different street from the apartment entrance. Send its address, entry instructions, height clearance, turning restrictions and booking window. Check whether management needs insurance documents in advance. At the destination, repeat the same checks: a generous pickup window will not solve a delivery lift that closes before the truck arrives.
High-rise moves involve several separate spaces: the apartment door, corridor corners, lift opening, lift cabin and final loading route. Photograph tight turns and measure large sofas, bedheads and dining tables against the narrowest point. Tell us about furniture assembled inside the apartment that has never passed through its doorway as one piece.
Blankets and straps protect furniture during handling and transport, while building-specific floor, wall and lift protection needs to be agreed before work starts. Keep common corridors available for residents and identify a permitted staging space. If a piece needs dismantling, include that work in the enquiry. Our home and apartment moving service covers access planning alongside the load itself.
The largest available vehicle is only useful if it can reach a suitable loading position. Compare the inventory with the dock's vehicle dimensions, ramp and turning space. If a truck cannot enter, we need to assess an alternative loading location and the carry between it and the building. A smaller vehicle may suit some restricted sites, but its capacity must still match the plan.
Street loading requires its own check. Read the signs for the exact place and time, and ask the City of Melbourne about any required parking arrangements. A lift reservation does not reserve kerb space. One-way streets, tram routes, congestion and limited street parking can affect arrival, so nominate the loading entrance rather than relying on the main building address alone.
For commercial buildings, nominate one contact at each site and label furniture by its destination room or workstation. Separate items staff need immediately from archives and less urgent equipment. Confirm which desks need dismantling and which equipment must be disconnected by your own IT or specialist provider. This keeps the moving scope clear and avoids packing essential business items into the wrong part of the load.
After-hours access may be useful when a building allows it, but must be agreed with management and NextWave before booking. Check security attendance, dock opening times and lift access at both addresses. Our office relocation service can be scoped around those windows; evening availability and building approval should never be assumed.
A short drive does not mean a short move. Repeated lift journeys, waiting for security, a long basement corridor and carrying furniture from a loading zone all add handling time. Extra movers can help with packing, carrying and loading, but cannot remove a bottleneck caused by one small lift. Share the access constraints so we can assess crew size sensibly.
Your estimate should account for loading, transport, unloading and agreed assembly work. Flag fixed lift deadlines before accepting the booking. Moves to Richmond, South Yarra or Kew also need a destination access check, even when the streets and building types are quite different from the CBD.
Illustrative planning example
Illustrative scenario, not a completed customer job: a furnished two-bedroom CBD apartment is moving to a Richmond townhouse. The apartment has a reserved service lift and basement dock; the townhouse has a narrow entrance and upstairs bedrooms. We would first check the sofa and bed dimensions, dock clearance and the delivery staircase, then match the vehicle and crew to those constraints.
The lift window should cover the loading work, with time for the route and unloading considered separately. If the sofa will not fit the lift or the delivery turn, the handling plan needs assessment before the booking is confirmed. There is no reliable fixed duration from bedroom count alone; inventory, lift cycles, packing readiness and carry distance determine the estimate.
Check available lift and dock windows with management first, then coordinate them with our booking team. Send the written rules before confirmation. This lets us assess whether the allowed window suits the inventory and handling required.
The exact signs, vehicle conditions and permitted times need checking. Do not assume a loading zone can be occupied for the entire move. Discuss a practical loading position with us and confirm any required arrangements with the council.
Tell us the likely alternative loading point and approximate carry distance. Photos of the path, ramps and doors help us assess equipment and labour. The longer carry must be included in the moving estimate.
Ask us to assess the date and scope. After-hours moves depend on crew availability and permission at both buildings, including security, lift and dock access. We confirm those arrangements before accepting the schedule.
Send measurements and photos before booking. We assess agreed dismantling or another safe access method where feasible. A stair carry or specialist solution cannot be assumed to be included in a standard apartment estimate.
Start your move
Include the inventory, both addresses and available lift windows. We’ll review the access and moving scope before confirming your CBD booking.
