What should you confirm with property management?
Ask both the building you are leaving and the Raleigh apartment you are entering for their move policies. Confirm permitted dates and hours, check-in procedures, required notice, after-hours restrictions, and whether a staff member must provide access. Request the rules in writing rather than relying on a phone conversation. Find out whether movers may use the main entrance, whether a service entrance is required, and how keys, fobs, gates, or loading-dock controls will be handled. If your move date changes, verify that each approval and reservation transfers to the new date.
How do you reserve the elevator and loading area?
Reserve a freight or service elevator as soon as your lease timing is firm. Record the reservation window, elevator dimensions, weight restrictions, padding requirements, and where the crew must check in. Ask whether another resident may share the elevator or loading area during your window. Confirm the authorized truck location separately. A building reservation does not necessarily grant curb access. Note the loading entrance, vehicle-height limits, driveway clearance, gate codes, walking distance, and any tight turns between the truck and apartment. Raleigh provides an online map covering parking areas, including loading zones, but posted signs and property instructions still govern the specific space. Never plan to block a driveway, fire lane, travel lane, or signed restriction. Source: City of Raleigh — Maps and Apps: https://raleighnc.gov/transportation/services/maps-and-apps
Does the apartment require a certificate of insurance?
Ask whether the property requires a certificate of insurance, commonly called a COI, from the moving company. If it does, request the building’s exact sample or written specifications, including the legal names and addresses that must appear, required coverage categories, certificate-holder wording, additional-insured wording, and submission deadline. Send those requirements to any prospective mover before accepting an estimate. Ask the property manager to confirm that the submitted document was received and approved. A COI requirement is a building access condition; it should not be treated as proof that a mover is qualified for your move. For a move entirely within North Carolina, independently check certified-carrier information published by the North Carolina Utilities Commission. For an interstate move, use FMCSA Protect Your Move. Sources: North Carolina Utilities Commission — Transportation: https://www.ncuc.gov/industries/transportation/transportation.html; Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration — Protect Your Move: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your-move
Will furniture fit, and how should you protect the route?
Measure the complete path before moving day—not just the apartment doorway. Record the usable width and height of exterior doors, vestibules, elevator openings and interiors, hallway turns, stairways, landings, and the final room entrance. Account for door handles, rails, light fixtures, low ceilings, and other obstructions that reduce clearance. Compare those dimensions with sofas, bed frames, tables, appliances, and other oversized pieces. Identify what may need disassembly, and confirm responsibility for that work in the written scope rather than assuming it is included. Ask the building which protective materials are required and who may install them. Requirements may include elevator pads, floor runners, corner guards, or door-jamb protection. Before work begins, photograph existing marks along the approved route and report them according to building policy. After the move, inspect the route again, remove permitted materials, collect debris, return access devices, and complete any required sign-out.