The new unit fit sheet

Stage one: measure the receiving unit

• Measure usable wall run, not room sizeRecord each wall segment between corners, and subtract windows, radiators, closet swings, and outlets you cannot block. Good looks like a list of numbers per room, not a square footage.
• Record every door width and swingApartment entry, bedroom doors, bathroom, and any interior turn. Note which way each door swings, since a swing can cost you four inches at the exact moment you need them.
• Walk and time the path from the truckLoading dock or curb, corridor length, turns, thresholds, and the door the crew will actually use. A long carry changes your crew hours as much as the packing does.
• Get the elevator car dimensions and rulesDepth, width, door opening, and the reservation window in writing from the community. Confirm whether pads are required and who installs them.
• Photograph each wall with a tape in frameOne photo per wall with a visible tape gives you a scale reference later when a daughter insists the armoire will fit.

Stage two: measure the keeper candidates

• Measure every candidate piece in three dimensionsWidth, depth, and height, plus diagonal height for anything tall that has to tilt through a doorway. Write them on the sheet, not on a sticky note.
• Mark which pieces disassemble and who does itBed frames, table leaves, sectional halves, and shelving that comes apart. Note whether your crew, the carrier, or nobody is willing to take it apart and reassemble it.
• Rank keepers by daily use, not sentimentThe recliner she sits in every evening outranks the china she has not used since the eighties. Sentiment gets its own short list so it is respected rather than argued away.
• Flag the anchor piece in each roomOne piece per room decides the layout, usually the bed, the primary seat, and the dining table. Place these first and everything else negotiates around them.
• Stop the keeper list at the wall runAdd up the widths of the keepers assigned to a room and compare against usable wall run. When the total exceeds the wall, the list is wrong, not the apartment.

Stage three: place the keepers on the plan

• Assign every keeper piece to a named wallWrite the wall reference next to the piece so the crew can place it without asking. Anything with no wall assignment is not a keeper yet.
• Protect a clear walking lane through each roomHold at least thirty six inches of unobstructed path, wider if a walker or wheelchair is in use now or likely within a year.
• Check the swing of every door and drawerDresser drawers, closet doors, and the refrigerator all need clearance in front of them. This is the failure that shows up at eight at night on move day.
• Give each closet and cabinet a purpose in advanceLinens here, kitchen overflow there, medical supplies within reach. Storage assigned on paper means boxes get carried once instead of twice.
• Write down every piece that failed the fit and whyOne line each: too wide for the wall, will not clear the door, blocks the radiator. This list is what makes the release conversation factual instead of emotional.

Stage four: route everything that is not going

• Give each released piece a named channelFamily member, consignment, auction, donation, or haul. A piece with no channel is a piece that will still be in the house on move day.
• Set a dated cutoff for family claimsAdult children get a fixed date to claim and collect. After that date the piece moves to its next channel, and everyone was told in writing.
• Book pickups against the sorting calendarDonation and bulk pickup slots fill weeks out. Book them the moment a room is decided rather than waiting until the whole house is sorted.
• Get written consent before anything is soldSigned authorization from the client or the person holding legal authority, naming the items or categories and the disposition method. Keep it with the job file.
• Record what left, when, and to whomDate, item, channel, and receipt or reference number. This record protects the client, the family, and you, and it takes about two minutes per pickup.