Moving a Two-Bedroom Flat in Lagos: A One-Truck, One-Day Plan

The truck is outside at eight, the stairwell is narrow, and the sofa is already blocking the landing. A two-bedroom flat is the size of move where people think "one van will do" and end up with a second trip at night. With a plan, one truck and one day is realistic.

Here is how to do it.

Decide the vehicle by the big items

Count the large items before you choose. A typical two-bedroom flat has two beds, two wardrobes, a sofa set, a dining table, a fridge, a gas cooker, a TV stand and maybe a generator. Add boxes for clothes, kitchen and books, and it adds up to more than most pickup vans can carry in one go.

A pickup van takes up to 2,400kg, and a truck up to 27,000kg. For a full two-bedroom flat with a fridge and a sofa set, a truck is often the safer choice. A pickup van can work for a lighter flat with fewer big items. How to choose the right truck size for moving in Lagos explains how to decide.

The week before: sort and pack

Walk through each room and decide what stays. Anything you cut now is one less thing to carry on the day. Pack the rooms you do not use daily first and number each box.

Get friends or helpers confirmed. Agree loading and offloading help with the driver before you accept an offer, and arrange extra hands for the stairs.

The night before

Take apart beds and wardrobes, and bag the screws with a label taped to the furniture. Defrost the fridge and freezer, empty the gas cooker and disconnect the cylinder. Keep a bag of essentials with chargers, bedsheets, toiletries, documents and a torch. The final 24 hours before your move has a full checklist.

Measure the largest furniture against the stairwell and the doors at both ends. If a sofa will not turn the corner, you want to know tonight.

Loading order that saves space

On move day, load in this order:

1. Fridge and freezer, upright and strapped, against the cab wall.
2. Wardrobes, mattresses on their side, sofas and big tables.
3. Chairs, TV stand and beds in parts.
4. Boxes of books and heavy items at the bottom of the box layers.
5. Light boxes, bedding and plants on top.
6. The essentials bag, and the screws bag, last, near the door.

Cover with a tarpaulin if the sky looks doubtful. Strap everything once the load is complete. The same method in padding and protecting furniture on the truck is worth sharing with whoever helps.

At the estate gate

Most Lagos estates and many blocks of flats have rules for moving in or out. Ask for a pass early and tell the driver the entry time. If the gateman needs a name and plate number, send them the day before. Getting past the estate gate lists what to ask.

If the building has no lift, the stairs decide the pace. A floor-by-floor plan is in moving furniture up and down stairs in a Lagos block of flats.

Unload and unpack the useful rooms first

At the new flat, stand at the door and tell each helper where items go. Beds first, then the kitchen essentials, then the sitting room. Leave the boxes of books and seasonal clothes where they land until later.

Check the empty truck with the driver before it leaves. Open each room of the old flat one last time: cupboards, balcony, the space behind the door.

What often causes a second trip

The usual reasons are a vehicle that was a size too small, boxes packed too big to stack and furniture that could not be taken apart in time. Spend the evening before on these three and you will almost always finish in one trip.

How to do this on Sphere

Open the Sphere app, choose a truck for a full flat, or a pickup van for a smaller one. Add the pickup and drop-off and describe the load: "2 beds, 2 wardrobes, 1 sofa set, 1 dining table, 1 fridge, 1 gas cooker, about 25 boxes, 3rd floor, no lift". Propose a price, and nearby verified drivers will accept or send counter-offers. Then choose the offer that fits. See house moving in Lagos and truck hire in Lagos.