Setts, one-way streets and goods lifts: moving a Manchester city flat
Getting the van to the door is the first job. In the Northern Quarter, Oldham Street runs one way, parts of Thomas Street and Tib Street are pedestrian and Stevenson Square is closed to traffic, so the van comes round to the nearest street it can legally stop on. In Ancoats, Redhill Street, Jersey Street and Blossom Street are partly setts. The council will allow a van on a yellow line with a dispensation at £30 a day, given five working days' notice.
Once the van is outside, everything turns on the lift. A goods lift in a mill conversion swallows a one-bed in a few trips, while a passenger lift too small for a sofa on its end means that piece walks down the stairwell. Send the floor number, a photo of the lift with its doors open and any rule from the managing agent about booked moving slots. At about 2.5m tall the van cannot use the Arndale, Shudehill or Church Street multi-storeys, so it stands on the street.
Fobs, lift slots and loading doors: a Manchester flat checklist
- Book the lift or a moving slot with the managing agent if the block asks for one
- Find the loading door or bin store entrance, which in a mill block may be on a back street
- Leave a fob or door code for the day so doors are not wedged open
- Check whether the sofa stands up inside the lift car; if not, it goes by the stairwell and the quote allows for it
- Apply for a council dispensation in good time if the only stop near the door is a yellow line
Mill apartments, warehouse flats and new blocks from M1 to M15
- Ancoatsconverted mills such as Murrays' Mills and new blocks by the Rochdale Canal
- Northern Quarterwarehouse flats over shops on one-way and part-pedestrian streets
- New Islingtonapartments between the Rochdale and Ashton canals
- Castlefield and Deansgatecity-centre blocks where the van stops on the street
- Hulme1990s low-rise flats a short walk from the centre
Flat moves across the city and into the suburbs
- Bradford → Manchestera 39-mile run over the M62, 60 to 80 minutes
- Ancoats → Didsburya city flat to a first house, by the Mancunian Way and the A5103
- Northern Quarter → Chorltonout of the centre on the A5103 and Wilbraham Road
Floors, lifts and the walk to the door: a Manchester flat price
The floor, whether the lift takes the furniture, the walk from the nearest legal stop to the entrance and the distance to the new address decide the figure, which is fixed before the day. See how we quote for the full breakdown.
Flat Removals in Manchester: your questions
Can a one-bed Ancoats flat be moved in a morning?
Where there is a goods lift and a legal stop close to the entrance, yes in most cases. A walk-up block or a stop round the corner stretches it, so mention the floor and the route from the street when you ask.
Where will the van park for a Northern Quarter flat?
On the nearest street where loading is allowed, as several streets are one way or closed to traffic. If the only space is a yellow line, a council dispensation costs £30 for the day.
Can you take a bed apart in a flat with a small lift?
Yes, beds and flat-pack wardrobes are taken apart before the move and rebuilt at the new flat, which also helps them fit in the lift.
Do you move furniture out of a furnished flat?
Only your own things. Furniture that belongs to the landlord stays, so mark anything that is not going.
Flat & Apartment Removals in nearby towns
Flat & Apartment Removals in Bradford · Everything we do in Manchester
Moving out of a house rather than a flat? See house removals in Manchester.