What should I ask a Korean moving company about elevator or ladder truck access?
I am moving from a fourth-floor villa in Bucheon to another building with a narrow entrance and no service elevator. The quote I received did not mention how the furniture will be carried up or down. What should I confirm in advance about ladder trucks, parking permission on the street, and any extra fees for difficult access?
Note: This is an editorial persona question created from common experiences of foreign residents in Korea.
1 Answer
A fourth-floor villa with no service elevator almost certainly needs a ladder truck, and that is the single most common item that turns into a surprise charge on moving day. Get the quote to say explicitly whether a ladder truck is included, for which address, and what the price is if it turns out to be needed. Ask the same question for both ends of the move, since the new building with a narrow entrance may need one too.
Before they quote, ask them to do a video survey of both places rather than quoting from a description. Reputable companies do this as standard now, and it is how you avoid the conversation where the crew arrives and says the wardrobe will not fit through the entrance. Ask directly what happens if something cannot go through the door, since the answer is usually that it goes through a window with the ladder truck, or is carried up by hand with a per-floor charge, and you want to know which before the day.
Parking is worth raising specifically. A ladder truck needs space on the street and on a narrow road that can mean coordinating with neighbours or the district office. Ask who arranges it, whether there is a fee, and whether they need any permit for occupying the road. Companies that work in that area regularly will have a clear answer.
A few other things to settle in writing: whether the quote is for a packing service or a move where you pack yourself, whether the price includes VAT, whether they carry insurance for damage and how a claim actually works, and whether disposing of old furniture is included. Ask for the final quote as a written document with the ladder truck as its own line item rather than a verbal total. And photograph anything fragile or already damaged before the crew packs it. It takes ten minutes and it is the only thing that settles an argument afterwards.